Branding and Marketing Services

The vendor required to provide branding and marketing services for include:
•    Market specific, program specific, or industry specific research to include but not limited to growth potential for targeted degrees and competitor research to help shape and fine-tune our approach to the market. 
•    Brand assessment and strength survey research, both qualitative and quantitative, includes but not limited to assessing brand strength and awareness, resonance of specific attributes and motivating factors among target audiences, the university’s current brand positioning, and key themes. 
•    Development of university’s student personas; by segment, to include traditional and non-traditional, undergraduates and graduates, to identify prospective students who will be the best fit for the university, and to recruit them through the most effective channels. 
•    Development of messaging, multi-media creative work, and advertising services that will include, but not limited to, the following tactics:
o    Digital advertising (e.g., awareness and lead-driving banners, homepage takeovers, etc.);
o    Social media advertising (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube); (the university has existing social media accounts);
o    Search engine or organic search optimization;
o    Paid search;
o    Print advertising (e.g., full-page ad for newspaper and magazine formats);
o    Outdoor advertising (e.g., billboards, airport displays and bus shelters);
o    Complementary landing pages for digital ad campaigns;
o    Brand video, from concept through production (includes storyboards, scripts, videography and photography, voiceover, music or animation, final production, sound-mixing and editing, etc.).
•    Development of targeted media planning, buying and placement services, addressing state and potential states in the western region.
•    Proposer will:
o    Purchase advertising and marketing services on the university’s behalf with the university’s concurrence and approval; 
o    Monitor and manage performance of purchased media and provide regular updates and reports to the university; 
o    Make recommendations and adjust buys with the university’s approval as appropriate.
•    Development of digital marketing campaigns aimed at increasing enrollment for priority academic programs and of students with specific backgrounds and members of underrepresented or historically underserved populations, including first-generation college students.
•    Implement tracking mechanisms, analytics and reporting to monitor campaign performance and user engagement, including digital, print, broadcast, and outdoor ads.
•    Identification of marketing and branding trends and insights to consider as we adjust and future-proof our brand positioning and marketing strategy.
•    Monthly, quarterly and annual review and evaluation of agency performance against agreed-upon objectives, strategies, approved scopes of work and overall expectations for our partnership. 
•    Provide a list of media research, marketing intelligence, audience insights, and performance and analytics tools that the proposer has access to and uses on behalf of the university.
- Brand development
•    Specify an example of research methodology to define the brand. 
•    Propose research to help define the brand. 
•    The cost to conduct first-party research is included in the $400,000 budget. 
•    Work closely with the office of marketing and events and executive leadership to develop initial brand positionings. 
•    Conduct testing required to confirm brand positioning. 
•    Coordinate closely with the office of marketing and events and executive leadership to finalize the university brand.
- Campaign development
•    Ness and integrated marketing campaigns that support recruitment and specific degree programs. 
•    Lead creative development and testing of campaigns. 
•    Provide specific objectives of creative campaign. 
•    Demonstrate how the creative can be used with different platforms, including the website and recruitment activities. 
•    Adhere to university guidelines and policies on the use of artificial intelligence.
- Campaign operationalization
•    Specify marketing objectives
•    Develop creative assets, including asset resizing
•    Provide hands-on creative execution and media plan recommendations
•    Manage and monitor the campaign after launch
•    Provide production and post-campaign analysis.