TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE RFP Advertising and Marketing Support
SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 2:00 PM
1 Introduction
1.1 Tarrant County College
Tarrant County College (“TCC” or “the College”) is a two-year college district comprised of six campuses plus five learning, training, and administrative centers, all located in the Fort Worth metropolitan area. The College enrolls nearly 100,000 students yearly, employs approximately 5,000 faculty and staff, and has a $531 million annual operating budget.
The College’s mission is to provide affordable and open access to quality teaching and learning, which it implements through a clearly defined set of programs, services, and partnerships that include:
• University transfer programs
• Workforce education programs
• Technical programs
• Customized training
• Developmental courses
• Adult literacy courses
• Community Education & Engagement and community services
1.2 Project Background, Objectives, and Term
Tarrant County College District (TCCD) is seeking proposals from qualified companies/firms to engage a marketing and advertising firm to help develop and execute a multi-faceted marketing campaign to include market research, direct mail and digital marketing, target marketing, SEO/SEM, media buying and strategic community outreach activities that will heighten the awareness and perception of TCCD’s vast technical and academic programs among the constituents of Tarrant and surrounding counties. Marketing efforts will be built around central communication points provided by TCCD. Monthly performance reports with key metrics will be provided to highlight campaign performance and be used as points of reference. As needed, TCCD may ask for assistance with public relations on special projects. The selected firm may be considered for additional marketing projects as needed. These projects could include a brand audit and the creation of student recruitment videos.
In the Fall 2013, TCCD launched an integrated marketing campaign based on its new tagline, “Success Within Reach,” to reinforce the College’s value propositions: Affordability, Quality, Convenience, Variety, and Accessibility. The multi-faceted campaign sought to raise awareness of the College’s technical programs, which help students acquire the skills and credentials they need to move on to meaningful jobs that will allow them to be self-sufficient. The idea was to reinforce that “everyone is college material” and to create aspirations to attend and complete college among target audiences who may not have considered college as a viable life path. Since then, TCC has developed and launched additional campaigns focused, respectively, on how the College can help students overcome any and all real or perceived barriers to a college education and how the College’s quality and affordability constitute the smartest possible higher education investment in the area. TCC needs to build on this positioning with more targeted marketing efforts that will drive recruitment primarily in the technical programs, workforce training programs, and continuing education programs, while sustaining awareness of our academic programs that prepare students to transfer to four-year institutions. In addition, these efforts should better position TCCD for future philanthropic support through the TCC Foundation.
The agreement will be for an initial three (3) year period, with the option to extend for two (2) additional one (1) year terms upon mutual agreement by both parties. At the end of the initial contract period, both parties can request a contract review to discuss functions, features, enhancements, and pricing. The college reserves the right to extend the agreement term on a month-to-month basis, at the then-current monthly rate, not to exceed three (3) months.
All assets created for TCCD during the length of the contract belong to TCCD and will be bundled together and delivered to TCCD after the contract is completed.
4.1 Executive Summary
In the Executive Summary, the Proposer should condense and highlight the contents of the proposal in such a way as to provide the College with a broad understanding of the offer. Section of the offer is designed to provide a clear and concise understanding of critical aspects of the offer as follows:
1) Narrative of its understanding and ability to provide the solution as outlined in this RFP, including summarizing the proposed solution.
Discuss why the proposed products and services represent the college’s best value.
Discuss the key features and functions you believe are unique to your offering and differentiate your solution.
Information on the responding firm’s experience, background, and qualifications.
4.2 The quality of the supplier’s goods & services and the reputation of the supplier with TCCD and/or external sources (25%)
1) Supplier/vendor should have successful experience providing advertising and marketing support for a minimum of seven to ten (7-10) years.
Please identify the key metrics you propose to use to measure your performance in delivering services to TCCD. Your response should indicate the measurement frequency, how it will be used to improve performance continually, and how this information will be shared with TCCD. Your response should include how you measure and monitor production quality, ensure delivery/turnaround times are being met, and how problems are tracked and escalated (if required) internally and with the customer. Proven experience with multiple higher education institutions, specifically community colleges.
4.3 Extent to which Goods and Services meet District Needs (25%)
1) Ability to develop and execute a multi-faceted marketing campaign to include market research, direct mail marketing, SEO/ SEM, media buying, and strategic community outreach activities that will heighten the awareness and perception of TCCD’s vast technical and academic programs among the constituents of Tarrant County and surrounding counties.
2) The Contractor shall deliver and implement a two-year plan that utilizes traditional and non-traditional marketing media and tools to increase awareness and perception of TCCD. The Contractor will also produce creative assets in-house for broadcast( radio and television) and other digital channels.
3) Provide a detailed description of your approach or agency process, for developing and executing a two-year, multi-faceted effort similar to the campaign described above. Be specific on how the agency coordinates efforts from multiple parties, if appropriate, to work together.
4) Submit a small portfolio of the supplier’s produced work. Broadcast samples may be included and be posted to a private URL. If a URL is employed, be certain to provide the URL in a clearly marked manner when submitting portfolio samples. While higher education-based campaigns are relevant, creative samples need not reflect college or education-focused work; a range of categories is desirable.
4.4 Relevant factors listed in scope of work and other factors specifically listed in this RFP (20%)
5) The firm awarded this contract will be expected to deliver and implement an annual plan that utilizes both traditional and non-traditional marketing media and tools to increase awareness and perception of TCCD.
6) The firm shall provide the following professional services in conjunction and with approval of TCCD’s Marketing department:
a) Comprehensive market research and analysis;
b) Public Relations;
c) Print, digital, out of home and broadcast advertising;
d) Direct Mail;
e) Community Outreach/Events;
f) Create print, broadcast and digital advertising and marketing assets as needed to complement communications, public relations and marketing’s internal capabilities;
g) Research, recommend and buy paid media.
h) Additional special projects as needed. These projects may include conducting a brand audit and creation of student recruitment videos.
i) Monthly reports, including key metrics, to evaluate campaign(s) performance and provide reference points.
7) The firm should also demonstrate the ability to produce creative assets in-house – specifically, for broadcast (radio and TV) and digital channels. The District desires to measure the effectiveness of these efforts, and the supplier is expected to demonstrate the measurability of the marketing efforts it executes with mutually agreed metrics. Campaign tactics may include advertising, content marketing, interactive, or any other marketing tools the supplier suggests and that TCCD approves.
8) Supply an expected budget allocation of $2 Million for year one and how it would be spent to include room for miscellaneous project requests that may arise from TCC’s Communications, PR, and Marketing Departments.
9) Specify proposed agency fees for creative, production and media placement (if appropriate). Understanding that this is speculative allocation only, dates and details would likely shift once specific campaign tactics are defined between TCCD and the supplier that is awarded the contract.
10) Proposer should include a sample of deliverables from previous contract(s) demonstrating their expertise in providing Advertising and Marketing Support.
