Rebranding Campaign RFP In Arkansas

RFP RELEASE DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 2024

PROPOSAL DUE DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 2:30 PM CST*

SUBMIT ALL PROPOSALS TO: UA Formal Bid Submission

General Campus Background for University of Arkansas

Founded in 1871 as a land-grant institution, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Arkansas (UofA), is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System. Our students represent all 50 states and more than 120 countries. The UofA comprises 10 colleges and schools offering an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 270 academic programs. The UofA contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. As of Fall 2023, student enrollment totaled approximately 32,140. The faculty count totaled 1,490 and the staff count totaled 3,350. The UofA is one of the nation’s top public research universities and the state’s foremost partner and resource for education and economic development. Its public service activities reach every county in Arkansas, throughout the nation, and around the world. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the UofA among only 3 percent (3%) of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity.

1. DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW OF RFP

The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, acting on behalf of the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas (UA) is seeking bid proposals from qualified and reputable Respondents to provide a Rebranding and Messaging Campaign for the Parking and Transit Operations pursuant to the specifications, terms and conditions stated in this RFP (“Proposal(s)”).

UA is seeking to award a term contract for Rebranding and Messaging Campaign for the Parking and Transit Operations to the Respondent that can provide the best overall value to the University. The main objective of this initiative is to position and reshape Parking & Transit as a dedicated service provider focused on the needs of a growing campus and student population. UAs overall goals include improving user satisfaction, increasing the perception the department’s operations, highlighting the system’s commitment to quality service, and fostering a stronger connection with the campus community. This will be accomplished through a comprehensive branding campaign and strategic business plan, ensuring it continues to be a trusted and reliable part of the university ecosystem. This value will be determined by UA based on the overall competence, compliance, format and presentation of each RFP response and in-person presentation, as necessary. Respondents may submit a proposal for all the services entailed in this RFP or may submit a proposal for a specific service identified in this RFP. Note also that the award may be split between Respondents for each of the services for which bidding is requested.

Respondent presentations may be held following the bid due date. Projected timeframe for when presentations could occur is specified in the “Projected Timetable of Activities” section of this RFP. Please keep these dates open to schedule a presentation if you are selected to present.

UA expects to achieve the following goals (at minimum) through the selected Respondent:

1. Accountability and desire to work together to form a mutually beneficial long-term partnership.
2. Achieve a best value contract which aligns with the University’s pricing and services goals.
3. Improve user satisfaction, increase the perception the department’s operations, highlight the system’s commitment to quality service, and foster a stronger connection with the campus community

SCOPE OF WORK

PHASE 1

DELIVERABLES

1. Review and assessment of existing University studies
   1. Contractor will review all existing data and studies conducted in relation to the University’s Parking/Transit studies, Housing study, and Space Use study
   2. Review will guide future interviews and feedback sessions to understand potential gaps in data
2. One-on-one in-depth interviews
   1. Outline goals and objectives for the overall work and define KPIs

3. Dedicated feedback session with the Parking & Transit Team
4. Focus group sessions
   1. Group sessions will include participants who represent specific focus group of interest, such as students and fans/patrons/visitors, identified by the University
5. Discovery and recommendations document
   1. Contractor will review all data (In-depth interviews, focus group, and existing surveys), and provide a document outlining key themes and takeaways. This document will also include recommendations for next steps and outline any observations made by the team throughout the discovery phase.
6. Facilitated session
   1. Contractor will design and conduct a facilitated workshop where key findings will be shared with internal stakeholders and discussions will focus on audience analysis, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), the story brand framework, key pillars for messaging, etc.
7. Brand positioning and key messaging document
8. Brand Identity/Brand Storytelling
   1. Development of collateral to support Parking & Transit, which may include a logo, visual identity, and brand guidelines to ensure consistent communication, tone/voice, messaging, fonts for the Parking and Transit Division.

PHASE 2

1. Internal Engagement
   1. Develop ambassador program for department staff and train to communicate the new brand message
   2. Develop internal communication materials to ensure alignment and buy-in

2. Campaign Planning
   1. Content Strategy: Create informative and engaging content
3. Engagement Strategy
   1. Plan for community engagement activities (e.g. town hall meetings, workshops, feedback sessions)
   2. Develop partnerships with local transit authorities and businesses to enhance service offerings
4. Implementation/Campaign Launch
   1. Roll out the branding campaign across all selected channels
   2. Monitor and adjust strategies based on feedback and performance data
   3. Redesign Parking & Transit website based on feedback
5. Monitoring and Evaluation & Performance Metrics
   1. Define KPIs (e.g., user satisfaction scores, service usage rates, social media engagement)
   2. Use analytics tools to track and measure campaign performance
   3. Collect and analyze feedback from stakeholders to assess the impact of the branding efforts
   4. Adjust strategies based on data-driven insights

Deliverables

1. Employee Ambassador Program

2. Development of internal communications materials

3. Internal Message Training Session for employees

4. Content strategy and calendar

5. Engagement strategy: Event planning and partnership development

6. Campaign performance reports

7. KPI dashboard for ongoing monitoring and evaluation

Phase 1 & 2 Timeline: Finalize new messaging by May 2025

PHASE 3

1. Strategic Business Plan in 2025

Vision and Mission Alignment:

• Vision and Mission Review – Reevaluate the department’s vision and mission statements to ensure they align with the new brand strategy

Strategic Goals:

• Define long-term and short-term goals that support the department’s mission and enhance its reputation

Strategic Initiatives: Contractor will facilitate a workshop to identify strategic initiatives such as:

Service Improvement

• Initiatives to enhance parking facilities, transit services, and customer support
• User education and acceptance of technology solutions for better service delivery (e.g., mobile apps for parking reservations, real-time transit tracking)

Sustainability

• User education and acceptance of sustainable transportation options (e.g., bike-sharing programs, electric vehicle charging stations)

User Experience

• Ways to enhance user support services and communication channels
• Physical infrastructure (e.g., better signage, improved lighting)

2. Implementation

• Develop a detailed action plan with timelines, responsibilities, and resources required for each strategic initiative

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

Performance Metrics:o

• Establish KPIs to measure the success of strategic initiatives
• Use balanced scorecards to track progress across various dimensions (financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth)

Continuous Improvement:o

• Implement a feedback mechanism to regularly review and refine the strategic plan based on performance data and changing external conditions

Timeline: Ongoing

Deliverables

1.                  Vision and Mission Review

2.                  Facilitated workshop for vision and mission

3.                  Strategic business plan document with detailed goals and action plans

4.                  Identify strategic initiatives – facilitated workshop for brainstorming initiatives

5.                  Detailed time and action plan – Cost unknown until strategic initiatives identified

6.                  KPIs and development of scorecard

7.                  Development of feedback program: Data collection and analysis