WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE Request for Proposals Strategic Rebranding Services

Due date: 2:00pm local time on October 4, 2023.

Section 2: Scope of Work

Wor-Wic Community College is seeking a firm to provide strategic rebranding services that include research and discovery, identity development, as well as implementation and transition.

Wor-Wic is at an ideal time to assess and evolve its identity and reputation since it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. The college would like to kick off the new brand on January 1, 2025.

In addition to college-wide branding, Wor-Wic is considering athletics within the next five years to include an on-campus athletic center and fields. The college’s mascot, “Wicky” the dolphin, will need to be developed and an athletic visual identity system will also be needed. The dolphin will need to be represented as both fierce (as on a jersey) and friendly (as on a stuffed toy). This identity should align with the new overall visual identity.

The college’s original logo was developed when Wor-Wic Tech Community College opened in 1975. Process blue was the sole color used in branding and the college tagline was “Training Local People for Local Jobs.” In 1994, the college dropped “Tech” from its name and developed a new logo, changing the color to PMS 321. In 2008, Wor-Wic hired Golden and Associates to guide the marketing department in developing a consistent family look, broader color palette and new tagline “Start here… Go anywhere!” Information about Wor-Wic is available at www.worwic.edu/AboutWor-Wic. The firm awarded this contract for strategic rebranding will work with the communications and marketing departments, as well as senior leadership at the college, to facilitate this strategic rebranding and repositioning project, include the below phases. Proposals must demonstrate the firm’s experience and qualifications performing these services and also submit an estimate timeline.

Phase I: Research and Discovery

Successful completion of this phase will help in brand promise and brand identity development. The successful firm will provide thorough and extensive research, including focus groups with internal and external constituents, surveys, SWOT analysis, one-on-one interviews with key stakeholder groups, regional and industry-specific competitive market analysis, and consumer research. The college’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan is available atwww.worwic.edu/WorWic/media/AboutWorWic/Strategic-Plan.pdf  for reference.

The college is also available and expects to provide additional data as necessary from our institutional research department, including information gleaned as part of our recent strategic planning process.

This phase may or may not include detailed mapping of the customer journey, identifying potential internal barriers and external factors leading to an in-depth understanding of the influences on consumer behavior in our region.

Phase II: Authentic Brand Identity Development

Findings from Phase I will guide an authentic identity development process that will build awareness and name recognition and consistently resonate with prospective students, parents, current students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and influencers. Wor-Wic is looking for an assessment of all visual elements, the establishment of some that don’t exist, and is open to exploring an update to the college’s logo. Utilizing information from market research and discovery, the successful vendor will determine Wor-Wic’s positioning and message development, brand standards, develop a visual identity, develop a mascot identity and athletic visual identity, provide a comprehensive branding and research report, finalize the visual identity and assets, and provide a brand asset library.

During this process, multiple brand creatives such as visual assets, tone, themes, taglines/slogan and mascot creation will be developed and presented. The successful firm should act as counsel for best practices as they relate to communications, social media, brand strategy, enrollment pipeline building and creative services.

In order to determine the validity and resonance of the branding concepts, a panel review should be employed to test preference and effectiveness after the creative concepts have been developed. This panel should be comprised of students, employees, parents and alumni. The group should be recruited during the focus group selection and utilized during the process as needed. An executive summary of the panel review will be used to finalize the creative brand deliverables for the repositioning of Wor-Wic. All brand creatives should be compiled into a digital library and made accessible to the college. This includes comprehensive brand and style guide, logo(s), mascot, taglines/messages, and examples of visual elements (print/outdoor/digital/web). The final designs and associated brand assets will be the sole property of Wor-Wic.

Phase III: Implementation

The successful firm will develop a comprehensive implementation and communication plan with =the communications and marketing departments at Wor-Wic, as well as timelines and strategies for replacing branded materials campus-wide. The firm will also work with leadership at the college to recommend best practices for ensuring brand compliance and provide guidance on the implementation and reinforcement of our brand both on and off campus.