UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (SERVICES) DIGITAL MARKETING AND ADVERTISING SERVICES RFP NO.: 721-2334
PROPOSALS ARE DUE July 13, 2023, at 2:30 PM CT
Special Considerations and Challenges
Management of paid media advertising has previously been decentralized across Texas McCombs and managed by individual or smaller groups of programs and in partnership with multiple agencies/service providers. Through this RFP and other efforts Texas McCombs is working to centralize some key marketing functions and seeks to bring digital advertising strategy, media planning, and buying across specialized master’s and MBA programs under the management of one agency/marketing service provider and with a more holistic portfolio strategy.
Texas McCombs currently partners with other agencies and vendors for select marketing services such as brand strategy, creative, market research, and website design & development. Texas McCombs agencies and partners are asked to collaborate as needed.
Texas McCombs has an existing brand platform, messaging strategy, and creative system. Theagency/marketing service provider contracted through this RFP will be expected to align with our existing brand and creative system and to optimize creative and messaging for digital campaigns.
Texas McCombs went through a full website redesign and migration to a new Content Management System (CMS) in 2022. Website development and optimization as part of the redesign and content migration is still in process.
Texas McCombs has been going through a digital transformation over the last few years, implementing Salesforce as our CRM and application management system and Marketo for marketing automation for our graduate degree programs (including the specialized Master’s and MBA programs) starting with the 2021-2022 application cycle.
4. Scope of Work, Activities and Deliverables
The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business “Texas McCombs” seeks to contract with an agency with in-house digital marketing and advertising expertise to develop a media strategy and plan to:
a. Drive awareness of the portfolio of specialized master’s and MBA programs offered at Texas McCombs
b. Differentiate Texas McCombs and its programs from competitors
c. Drive conversions such as lead capture, event registrations, application starts, application submissions, and enrollment
d. Reach program-specific target audiences
e. Generate and nurture program-specific leads
f. Deliver a strategy that meets portfolio and program-specific needs and goals, e.g. balance top of the funnel brand/portfolio advertising (in service of enrollment marketing) with further-down-the funnel program-specific targeting and messaging
4.1 Discovery phase
This will include but will not be limited to:
4.1.1 Kickoff Meeting: Contractor will be responsible for scheduling a kickoff meeting at the time contract is executed. At the kickoff meeting, all Contractor and University representatives conducting the work included in this scope should be in attendance, and Contractor will present project timeline and process.
4.1.2 Research and Discovery:
a. Contractor will review Texas McCombs portfolio of degree programs including, but not limited to goals and challenges for the portfolio as a whole, along with program-specific goals, challenges, target audiences, historical enrollment data, future enrollment goals, and previous advertising campaign information. Review should also include an industry and competitive assessment.
b. Contractor will review the University of Texas at Austin and McCombs School of Business strategic plans.
c. Contractor will review the Texas McCombs brand architecture, strategy, positioning, guidelines, and design system.
d. University will provide Contractor all available information on strategic and/or marketing plans, existing marketing materials, and access to program information.
4.2 Media Strategy and Planning
Contractor will deliver a media strategy, detailed media plan, and budget allocation recommendation for digital advertising for the McCombs School of Business portfolio of degree programs.
Programs will include:
a. Specialized Master’s Programs
o Master of Professional Accounting (MPA)
o Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)
o Master of Science in Business Analytics for Working Professionals (MSBA-WP)
o Master of Science in Finance (MSF)
o Master of Science in IT & Management (MSITM)
o Master of Science in Marketing (MSM)
o Master of Science in Technology Commercialization (MSTC)
b. Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs
o Full-Time MBA
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o Evening MBA
o MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth
o MBA at Houston
o Executive MBA
The University has the option to add additional Texas McCombs programs, centers, and/or departments in future statements of work.
Contractor will deliver a comprehensive digital advertising strategy and media plan for the McCombs School of Business portfolio of degree programs listed above. Contractor will make recommendations based on the University goals and information provided in the Discovery process
and provide an overall media plan and budget allocation recommendation, based on the annual budget. This media plan may be updated and adjusted after review by both University and Contractor to respond to the needs of the University.
4.3 Campaign Management and Optimization
Based on the agreed upon media plan between Contractor (also referred to as “Respondent”) and University, Contractor will manage all media campaign creation, placement, execution, and testing and optimization needs, including but not limited to:
4.3.1 Ad Operations – Contractor will manage the ad serving and analytics of all advertising placements in the agency plan. This includes campaign build out, managing trafficking of ads to vendors, management of the ad server, and management of delivery verification and reconciliation. Contractor will support testing and optimization of all service deliverables for the duration of the contract. Optimizations can include placement adjustments, search optimizations, ad content changes, landing page content change recommendations, copy updates, targeting adjustments and bid adjustments.
4.3.2 Paid Search – Contractor will manage all paid search campaigns through Google AdWords. Contractor will work with University to review and optimize keywords. Contractor will work with the University to generate ad copy that is consistent with the McCombs brand and addresses the goals of the University. Contractor will manage the ad copy/creation, ad organization/inventory/tracking, keyword research/recommendation, bid management, testing/optimization and reporting.
4.3.3 Paid Social Media – Contractor will manage all paid and promoted content on social media channels, including but not limited to LinkedIn and Facebook/Instagram. Contractor will work with the University to generate ad creative and copy that is consistent with the McCombs brand and addresses the goals of the University. Contractor will manage ad copy/creation, ad organization, inventory, tracking, targeting, bid management, testing/optimization, and reporting.
4.3.4 Display/Banner Advertising and Retargeting – Contractor will manage all display/banner ad placements. Contractor will work with the University to generate ad creative and copy that is consistent with the McCombs brand and addresses the goals of the University.
4.3.5 Contractor will manage ad copy/creative development, ad organization, inventory, tracking, targeting, testing/optimization, and reporting. Contractor will also design, develop, and implement a retargeting plan for display advertising.
4.3.6 Online Audio and Video Advertising – Contractor will manage ad placements on digital audio and/or video channels, including but not limited to, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora.
Contractor will work with the University to generate ad copy/creative development that is consistent with the McCombs brand and addresses the goals of the University. Contractor will manage the ad copy/creation, ad organization, inventory, tracking, keyword research/recommendation, bid management, testing/optimization and reporting.
4.3.7 Landing Pages – Contractor will work with University on development, management, tracking, and optimization for landing pages designed specifically for paid media campaigns.
4.3.8 Management/Support of Local/Regional and/or Industry-Specific Media Placements and
Campaigns – Contractor will manage and/or provide support for ad copy/creative development, placement, inventory, tracking, testing/optimization, and reporting for local/regional outlets, higher-ed/business-school-specific channels, and or other industryspecific media channels as-needed. Publications could include but are not limited to local/regional Business Journals; major local media outlets such as Austin American Statesman, San Antonio Express News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle; highered or business school-specific channels such as Poets & Quants, Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report rankings publications, GMAC Media, or others.
4.3.9 Texas McCombs Website SEO review/optimization – Provide SEO recommendations for Texas McCombs website, including initial optimization review and SEO monitoring/reporting.
4.3.10 Ongoing Campaign Performance Optimization – Contractor is responsible for refining and
adjusting digital marketing strategy, tactics and spend over time, including ongoing data driven optimization of digital campaigns.
4.4 Reporting, Recommendations, and Communication
4.4.1 Schedule regular calls, at a mutually agreed upon frequency and cadence, for planning and
status updates. Contractor will be responsible for developing meeting agenda and sending
to University in advance, based on a mutually agreed upon timeframe. Ad hoc calls shall
be scheduled on an as-needed basis. Account Management and Media Planning/Buying
functions should be represented in meetings.
4.4.2 Deliver a monthly performance review to the University that includes a detailed report of
campaign performance in the previous month and to date. This report will outline spending and provide insights on key metrics being tracked and identified as being of importance by University and Contractor. The reports must cover both quantitative and qualitative data about the performance of campaigns as well as areas to improve the campaign. This will be inclusive of scoped paid media delivery and any specific conversion goals identified as priorities by the University and Contractor such as website traffic/performance data, event registrations, requests for information, apply now clicks, or application starts.
4.4.3 Deliver dynamic campaign results dashboard that refreshes at least daily.
4.4.4 Report when advertising campaigns hit 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% of University allocated media annual budget spend or when budget is tracking ahead of scheduled media plan.
4.5 Creative and Content Development
Contractor will ideate, comp, design, copywrite, and deliver channel ready assets (and associated native files) for all creative assets required to support digital marketing campaigns. Including but not limited to:
digital ads, social tiles/posts, calls to action, confirmation messages, graphics, videos, messaging, and copy.
The contractor shall faithfully represent University and McCombs brand standards in all work products developed on behalf of the University. Contractor shall obtain University preapproval prior to deploying creative assets.
4.6 Media Buying
Contractor will manage media buying with vendors based on the approved media plan. Contractor will manage all media relationships, including the negotiation of rates, vendor agreements, and payment of invoices to vendors. When a media buy is authorized by the University, Contractor will execute buy directly with the vendor. Vendor will invoice Contractor directly, Contractor will review invoices, handle any discrepancies with vendor, and track media spending. Media hard costs will be incurred on a rolling basis, paid by Contractor and invoiced to the University. Invoices will be provided twice monthly or at the end of each month to cover those costs incurred by the Contractor for net media costs. All direct invoices will be made available disclosing the net rates paid by the agency. Contractor will bill University at the best negotiated net rate without markup following the month the advertising runs. Invoices from the Contractor to the University will contain the net amounts for all invoices collected for media buys placed within the period, as authorized by the University, and copies of the actual invoices that were issued to Contractor from each media buy as proof of performance.
4.7 Media Costs
Media hard costs will be incurred on a rolling basis, paid by Contractor and invoiced to the University. Invoices will be provided twice monthly or at the end of each month to cover those costs incurred by the contractor for media. Contractor will manage all digital advertising contracts and relationships, including the negotiation of rate and payment of invoices. All direct invoices will be made available disclosing the net rates paid by the agency. Contractor will bill University at the best negotiated net rate without markup following the month the advertising runs. The University will process and pay invoices in accordance with the Texas Prompt PayAct.
Additional detail and clarification on the process: Contractor will manage all media relationships, negotiate rates, and contract with the media vendors. When a media buy is authorized by the University, Contractor will then contact the media vendor and submit an insertion order that outlines the authorized media buy and terms. Once the insertion order is accepted by the media vendor, the media buy will be executed by the media vendor. Contractor will manage all aspects of the active media buy including validation and measurement. The media vendor(s) will then submit invoices directly to Contractor. Contractors will review invoices, handle any discrepancies, and enter final approved invoices into a media management accounting software that is audited monthly. Once all invoices are collected for a specific period, Contractor will issue monthly or bi-monthly media invoices to the University as outlined in the Proposed Fee Schedule and Payment Terms below and as defined within the Master Services Agreement. These invoices will contain the net amounts for all invoices collected for media buys placed within the period, as authorized by the University, and copies of the actual invoices that were issued to Contractor from each media buy as proof of performance. The University will have 30 days to review and pay Contractor issued media invoices unless University agrees in writing to different payment terms for such media. Once Contractor receives payment from the University, Contractor will then directly issue payment to the media vendors and pay any outstanding invoices that were issued to Contractor.
