Media Buying Management Services

The Vendor is required to provide digital media buying and management services, including strategic guidance on lead generation through digital marketing; setup, management, and optimization of digital advertising across platforms such as google, LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, and reddit; pass-through payment of advertising platform costs on behalf of agency; and performance reporting with data-driven recommendations (“service”)
- Strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, agency is one of the very few institutions in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production, and utilization.
- Leads the development and execution of digital advertising strategy to support graduate enrollment growth. Creative assets, including messaging, copy, design, and landing pages, are produced in-house. Paid media investments are directed toward high-priority graduate programs and initiatives, with a focus on measurable lead generation, performance optimization, and return on investment.
- The number of active campaigns generally ranges from 7-10 for Google; 4-8 for LinkedIn; 3-5 for Meta; 10-15 for Reddit with an average of five (5) ads per campaign. Total annual budget ranges from $500,000 through $800,000.
- Serve as a partner to support campaign execution, platform management, and performance optimization.
- Look to the firm to help determine the appropriate number of campaigns and spend level.
- Digital Media Strategy
•    Develop and maintain a comprehensive digital media strategy focused on lead generation and brand awareness for graduate programs and institutional initiatives.
•    Provide strategic guidance on digital lead generation tactics, audience targeting, and appropriate channel mix.
•    Provide recommendations for budget allocation, flighting, and pacing across platforms.
•    Collaborate with agency to align campaigns with institutional messaging, brand standards, and enrollment objectives.
•    Provide ongoing strategic consultation to adapt tactics and creative based on performance and changing priorities.
- Digital Advertising Setup and Campaign Execution
•    Setting up, launching, and managing paid digital advertising campaigns across approved platforms (including, but not limited to Google, LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, and Reddit).
•    Account setup and configuration to effectively track performance using the agency ad accounts.
•    Implementation of targeting, bidding, and optimization strategies.
•    Coordination with agency on creative assets, copy, and landing page requirements (will be completed in-house by the agency team).
•    Quality assurance to ensure campaigns are accurately implemented and delivered, plus aligned with campaign goals.
- Media Buying and Platform Payment Management
•    Act as the pass-through entity for paid media investments, paying individual digital platforms on behalf of agency.
•    Media buying and spend management across all approved platforms using approved budget.
•    Invoice management and reconciliation of media spend.
•    Ensuring transparency between management fees and media costs.
•    Compliance with agency financial, procurement, and reporting requirements.
- Performance Management and Reporting
•    Ongoing performance management of digital advertising campaigns, using data and insights to optimize results and inform strategic decision-making.
o    Continuous monitoring of campaign performance across all platforms.
o    Optimization of budgets, bids, targeting, placements, and creative to improve efficiency and outcomes.
o    A/B testing of messaging, formats, audiences, and tactics to identify performance improvements.
o    Identification of underperforming campaigns or elements and implementation of corrective actions.
o    Access to dashboards that measure/track key performance indicators.
o    Interpretation of performance data in the context of campaign goals, benchmarks, and trends.
o    Development of data-driven recommendations to improve lead quality, volume, and overall return on investment “ROI”.
- Communication and Collaboration
•    Operate as an extension of the agency marketing team.
•    Regular status meetings and performance reviews (minimum monthly).
•    Clear documentation of recommendations, decisions, and campaign changes.
•    Responsiveness to requests and evolving priorities.
•    Coordination with agency internal teams and other vendors as needed.