SUNY Ulster Issues Marketing RFP

SUNY Ulster, part of the State University of New York school of colleges is seeking a marketing agency. Since 1961, SUNY Ulster has pursued a mission of providing affordable, accessible higher education to the residents of Ulster County for professional and personal growth. Residents include not only those who have recently graduated from high school, but also lifelong learners who are striving to expand their knowledge and build skills to enter the job market and/or expand their career opportunities. Lifelong learners, or adult students, are typically those students older than 24 years of age, but are not defined by age alone. They have multiple responsibilities centered around career, family, and volunteer responsibilities. As such, higher education opportunities are designed to be conveniently scheduled and located and provide support services to contribute to their success.

SUNY Ulster is designing academic programming and scheduling, coupled with the requisite support services, to help Ulster County’s adults earn the higher education credentials they need to begin or advance in their chosen careers. This request for proposal is a call for a communications and outreach strategy to inform and engage the target market in SUNY Ulster’s adult student programming. The campaign is to be launched on or about May 15, 2017 for enrollment in classes beginning August 28, 2017.

SCOPE OF SERVICES:

• Develop a scalable strategy and graphics for adult student recruitment to be implemented in- house using a combination of social media, print, and digital media that relate to and complement SUNY Ulster’s established identity protocols
• Develop a coordinated marketing strategy to promote programs specifically designed for adult learners.
• Originate and develop creative promotion concepts across a media mix appropriate to adult learners
  Product:
• Evolving array of Associate degrees, SUNY Certificates and credentials in practical growth fields, starting with Business.
• Program taught at times convenient for adult students – evenings, weekends, and online and online. In person classes taught at the Kingston Cnter of SUNY Ulster. Selected classes are in accelerated formats.
• Backed by support services for student success – one stop service and advising

Benefits:

Designed for adults returning to the classroom or entering the classroom for the first time who anticipate a career change, need credentials for growth in their career, have not had the chance to pursue own education until now and others who seek knowledge and credentials in their field.

Deliverables:

Concept, strategy, copy, and design for campaign to recruit adult students to an evolving number of programs. Through focus groups and primary research, SUNY Ulster has information pertinent to messaging.

Proposal due by March 31st, 2017 to:

SUNY Ulster
Purchasing Department
Att: Stephen Gallart
491 Cottekill Road
Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Leading NY firms who may contend for this are DKC PR and Global Strategy Group.