US Embassy in Vienna Seeks Branding And Marketing Firm

Purpose:

The U.S. Embassy in Vienna requires a Contractor to perform branding, marketing, and advertising services. This requirement will provide services associated with, but not limited to creating a visual and communications brand, identifying target markets, market testing, design and development of operational program and implementation strategy, development of campaign budget,) implementing the campaign, and measuring results.

Background:

The U.S. Department of State is seeking to contract with a firm to design and implement a regional, national, and local outreach campaign working with, and approved by, the U.S. Department of State using unified branding to give favorable visibility to the range of ties between the U.S. and the citizens of the target countries. Work will be conducted in Austria, Hungary, and Czechia. The contractor would also work with the Department of State to amplify, scale and accelerate existing U.S. initiatives including, but not limited to, conferences, events, professional and educational exchange programs, speaker programs, cultural collaborations, and commemorative events. The program would aim for a launch on January 1, 2019, and run until the end of the contract’s performance period. At the end of the campaign, the contractor shall evaluate the program for impact.

Scope of Work:

The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, materials and management to provide a full range of research, marketing, messaging, corporate branding, and communications (including advertising, interactive marketing, public relations, and planning/research) that complements and supports this initiative, based on approval of the COR.

• Create visual and communications brand for target countries for approval and use by the U.S. government.
• Pre-Campaign Formal Assessment and Branding: Conduct no less than three focus groups and plan a regional branding campaign for target countries (and in local languages where appropriate).
• Strategy: Design a campaign implementation strategy for calendar year 2019 to begin with a launch in January in target countries.
• Public Relations. Facilitate and assist the Goverment in strategizing, coordinating and executing Public Relations (PR) outreach programs and services associated with this campaign to reach target countries.
• Develop advertising and other marketing initiatives (any promotional material developed under the scope of this initiative will become the property of the Government upon completion of the contract). Provide messaging for use in all aspects of the campaign to be deployed after approval by the Government.
• Developing media campaigns and outreach strategies for target countries, in consultation with the Government.
• Integrated Media Planning and Buying. Perform integrated media planning functions associated with this campaign, based on approval from the COR in coordination with the Embassies in target countries, that can seamlessly execute across a full array of traditional media forms (e.g, mass print and broadcast), integrated/ emerging media forms, and direct marketing vehicles. Provide high value for media dollars, from both an efficiency and added-value standpoint, and be adept at all industry standard media measurement techniques to help evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of its media buys.
• Brand Strategy Research and Reporting. Conduct brand strategy research, special studies, analysis and reporting within the scope of this campaign upon consultation with the State Department. Review, revise, analyze, report on and/or develop customized brand/media research and special studies related to the target countries to be approved by the State Department
• Develop a thorough understanding of the target markets ( to include Austria, Hungary, Czechia) to develop persuasive, effective communications.
• Conduct brand communication strategy research to aid in the development and/or refinement of outreach products.
• Budget: Develop a campaign Budget for the integrated campaign.
• Marketing Campaign Effectiveness Metrics: The Contractor shall develop metrics and a methodology to document performance for the monthly reporting of the marketing campaign’s effectiveness.
• Measurement of Integrated Media Effectiveness. Employ standard advertising industry measures of effectiveness in media planning, placement and evaluation to include reach and frequency, cost-per-thousand, Gross Rating Points (GRPs), audience composition, audited circulation data, and ratings. Online industry of measures of media effectiveness should include, but are not limited to, site visits, page views, video views, time on site, Click Through Rate (CTR), link-offs to the Service sites, and leads generated for the Services. These shall be used by the Contractor to determine the most cost-efficient media to reach target audiences. Conduct post-buy analyses by comparing actual results to the media plan(s). Obtain and finalize performance guarantees with media sources, pursuing make-good advertising placements if actual performance does not meet such guar- antees. Obtain and finalize added value opportunities for advertising purchases and placements.
• The contractor shall provide a professional and experienced account management team to lead and manage a diverse and complex marketing communications program. The team requires professional experience in managing integrated marketing communications programs similar in scope to this program. Successful performance of this contract is best predicted by the level and extent of the contractor’s:
• The contractor shall possess advertising expertise in the area of promoting public sector initiatives and public diplomacy. The contractor shall provide examples of past performance demonstrating experience in undertaking successful promotion of a public sector entity, city, or region on an international level, and be able to demonstrate outcomes how it measured success.
• The contractor shall have experience with public sector contracts and ability to conduct market research on the perception of the U.S. in countries to include (but not limited to) Austria, Hungary, and the Czechia.
• The contractor shall have knowledge of the Austrian, Hungarian, and Czech markets and potentially other neighboring markets.
• The contractor shall have familiarity with all aspects of branding and marketing communications, including traditional and emerging media, interactive marketing, publication design, production and printing, social media, and public relations.
• The contractor shall have account management experience that demonstrates that the account team can be responsible for branding, general advertising, marketing, campaign design and implementation to meet program objectives.
• The contractor shall have experience supporting other U.S. government entities or foreign governments with branding, advertising, and marketing support as required.
• The contractor shall have an established operational office in Europe and the capability to provide services in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest from that office as well as other international locations to provide additional support

Due Date:

September 20th

Address:

machendd@state.gov

andrewsgs@state.gov

APCO Worldwide and Edelman PR have extensive government experience.