Somerset, New Jersey Issues Marketing RFP
The Somerset Regional Center is a 12+ square mile region in central Somerset County, New Jersey and encompasses all of Raritan and Somerville Boroughs and adjacent portions of Bridgewater Township including the Bridgewater Commons Mall, portions of Route 22 and 202 corridors and the Chimney Rock Road area. More information concerning the history of the Regional Center may be found by visiting the Regional Center Partnership’s website at www.regionalcenterpartnerhip.org. The Regional Center Partnership of Somerset County is soliciting proposals from eligible firm(s) to provide principle marketing services to increase the level of awareness of the Regional Center by those who live or work within the Somerset County Regional Center.
Scope of Work:
Implementation of principle marketing services for the Regional Center Partnership consisting of specific public relations and outreach efforts.
Part 1: Minimum requirements
The following are the minimum threshold requirements for eligible persons and/or firms to be considered for the requested services:
- Experience in public relations and outreach efforts, and the preparation of marketing campaigns for non-profit organizations and/or public/governmental entities (municipal, county, state or boards or instrumentalities of the County and the State)
- Experience in operating audio-visual equipment for use in public presentations
- Experience in creating and maintaining social media accounts
- Provide staff to include Project managers or team leaders to separately staff the projects and work tasks
Respondents shall provide individual or corporate resumes or portfolios as a response to this request for minimum qualifications.
Part 2: Fee proposal for principle marketing consulting services for the Regional Center Partnership of Somerset County. Respondents are asked to provide fees for each specific item listed below as well as hourly or per diem fees for other services or types of activities.
Scope of Work, Tasks 1-9, and total consultant costs shall not exceed the amount of $18,000.00 per each year of the contract. Drafts of all marketing messages, newsletters, press releases, flyers, text for updating website, advertisements and other public outreach material shall be submitted to the Regional Center Partnership c/o the Somerset County Planning Division for review and editorial corrections before they become final products. The firm retained to perform the following tasks and services shall correct any errors of said documents as identified by the Regional Center Partnership. All final products are the property of the Regional Center Partnership.
Task 1: Annual Achievements Report By May 1, 2018 prepare an 8 ½” x 11” Annual Achievements Report consisting of approximately 12-15 pages summarizing the Regional Center Partnership’s accomplishments and major initiatives during the past year for all subject matters. The annual report shall contain the list of officers, and other relevant information as deemed necessary by the Regional Center Partnership (RCP). RCP will not provide a copy but will provide background information for the content of the Annual Report. If the RCP desires to include photography in the annual report, RCP may provide some of the photography but original photographs may still need to be taken as deemed appropriate by RCP. RCP will provide factual information for any graphs or charts to be included in the annual report. RCP will handle all printing and will be responsible for distribution costs. The consultant shall submit drafts of the annual report to RCP and make any revisions and corrections. For the initial draft of the report the consultant shall identify the sources including where in the source used for the content information of the annual report; e.g., “Spring 2017 Newsletter.” There is no template in place. Sample Regional Center Annual Reports can be found on the Regional Center Partnership’s website www.regionalcenterpartnership.org under “Publications.” The consultant shall submit a final version prepared in a digital magazine format to allow the document to be made available to the public using social media and for posting on Regional Center Partnership’s website and other websites. The annual report shall be formatted to allow Regional Center Partnership to make any corrections or updates as needed. The annual report shall also be submitted to Regional Center Partnership in .pdf format to allow for electronic distribution via email.
Task 2: Newspaper advertisements – Prepare up to four (4) advertisements for Courier News and Messenger –Gazette newspapers focusing on the Regional Center Partnership. The advertisements shall be approximately 3-4 months apart during the year. The ads are to be part of a public awareness campaign as well as to promote special events. Drafts of each advertisement must first be reviewed by RCP; the consultant shall make any corrections or revisions as identified by RCP to the draft advertisement before the ad is submitted to the newspapers.
Task 3: Newsletters – Develop up to six (6) one-page 2-sided 8.5” x 11” newsletters to be released to the public in intervals of approximately two (2) months featuring current initiatives, accomplishments, events and newsworthy articles relevant to the Regional Center. This format is different from past newsletters (see www.regionalcenterpartnership.org under “Publications”). The RCP will not provide a copy but will provide background information for the text (meeting packets, meeting minutes, etc.). There is no template in place. The consultant will need to provide original photography. The consultant shall submit a final version prepared in a digital magazine format to allow the document to be made available to the public using social media and for posting on Regional Center Partnership’s website and other websites. The newsletter shall be formatted to allow RCP to make any corrections or updates as needed. The newsletters shall also be submitted to RCP in .pdf format to allow for electronic distribution via email.
Task 4: Press releases – Prepare up to nine (9) press releases focusing on major events, initiatives, program announcements and related items of significance pertaining to the Regional Center. The consultant shall be responsible for distribution of the press releases. RCP will assist in development of the distribution. Drafts of each press release must first be reviewed by RCP; the consultant shall make any corrections or revisions as identified by RCP before the press release is released.
Task 5: Website maintenance – Provide regular RCP website maintenance at least monthly, including updating information featured on the website as deemed necessary by RCP; the average number of changes is 3-5 changes but varies.
Task 6: Website updates – Provide up to four (4) quarterly updates to RCP’s website. These updates generally include but are not necessarily limited to posting adopted meeting minutes and meeting packet information every two (2) months, adding other new content to 2-3 subpages and revising existing content as necessary. The website was designed in HTML and programmed in Dreamweaver; there is no content- management system for the website. This is all subject to change in the future.
Task 7: Track and quantify the RCP website visits
Track and quantify the number of daily website visits to the Regional Center Partnership’s primary website www.regionalcenterpartnership.org . Prepare an 8.5” x 11” monthly report formatted for electronic transmission that summarizes the number of website visits to RCP’s website on a daily basis for the past month. Include in the report a graphic table illustrating in bar diagram fashion the volume and number of website visitors on a daily basis for the reporting period. Include in the report a written or graphic summary of pageloads, unique, returning and first-time visitors; also indicate to the extent possible how visitors found the website and the location of the visitors. The monthly report is to be submitted electronically but printed version accepted as well. Prepare an end-of-the- year report summarizing the website visitation activity on a monthly basis over the course of the year.
Task 8: Assist with a public outreach event
The consultant shall assist with the publicity and promotion of a public outreach event hosted or supported by the Regional Center Partnership concerning an issue or topic relating to the goals and objectives of the Regional Center. The public event may be in the form of a workshop or economic development forum and may involve panelists and guest speakers. RCP will provide the essential information including subject matter, date, time, location, who the targeted audience may be and other necessary information about the event. The consultant shall develop an advertisement template as well as an advertisement for publication in local newspapers and prepare two (2) press releases announcing the event.
Create a multi-colored one-page 8 ½” x 11” flyer announcing the event. Draft and final versions of the flyer template shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Publisher format to allow RCP to edit or update the information in the template as needed. The consultant shall submit a final version prepared in a digital magazine format to allow the document to be made available to the public using social media and for posting on Regional Center Partnership’s website and other websites. The flyer shall also be submitted to Regional Center Partnership in .pdf format to allow for electronic distribution via email. The message in the newspaper advertisements, press releases and flyer shall be written to draw the attention of and motivate the targeted audience such as local businesses, trade organizations, managers of corporate and industrial parks, economic development entities and the public in the Regional Center to attend the event.
To accomplish these publicity tasks, the consultant shall confer with the Somerset County Planning Board and the Somerset County Business Partnership. The consultant shall work with RCP to prepare announcements for possible use through social media. The consultant shall assist RCP as needed to create an updated direct mailing list consisting of contact information including the names of company presidents or vice-presidents, managers, CEOs, chairpersons, etc. and their companies or organizations and provide complete postal mailing addresses for direct mailing purposes. RCP will lead the event. The consultant shall attend the entire event and assist as needed with setting up any audio-visual equipment and with placement of printed material at the event. The consultant shall assist in identifying and confirming the availability of keynote speakers to speak at the event.
Task 9: Prepare a brochure summarizing the public outreach event
Prepare a two-page 4 -sided 8 ½” x 11” brochure summarizing the information presented at the Regional Center Public Outreach Event described in Task 8 of this RFP. The event brochure shall include a statement summarizing any recommendations resulting from the public outreach event to be considered for implementation by the Regional Center Partnership, Somerset County and key stakeholders in the Regional Center area. The consultant shall submit a draft of the event brochure for review and editing by RCP; the consultant shall make any editorial changes as deemed necessary by RCP. The consultant shall submit a final version prepared in a digital magazine format to allow the document to be made available to the public using social media and for posting on Regional Center Partnership’s website and other websites. The brochure shall be formatted to allow Regional Center Partnership to make any corrections or updates as needed. The brochure shall also be submitted to RCP in .pdf format to allow for electronic distribution via email. There is no template in place. Sample Regional Center brochures can be found on the Regional Center Partnership’s website www.regionalcenterpartnership.org under “Publications.”
Due Date:
March 1, 2018
Address:
PO Box 3000 – 20 Grove Street
Somerset County Administration Building
Somerville, NJ 08876-1262
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