Office for Finance and Administration Treasurer s Division Materials Management Purchasing Department

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1 Office for Finance and Administration Treasurer s Division Materials Management Purchasing Department Campus Box Sullivan Dr. Raleigh, NC P: October 2, 2015 ADDENDUM #1 TO: POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS FROM: Jessica Dalton C.P.M., CBBP, Purchasing Specialist SUBJECT: NC State RFP #63-JGD10150 Media Buyer THIS ADDENDUM IS ISSUED AS A RESULT OF QUESTIONS RAISED AND IS INCORPORATED INTO SUBJECT RFP. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIS ADDENDUM IS REQUIRED. FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE BY SIGNING BELOW AND INCLUDING THIS IN YOUR PROPOSAL RESPONSE MAY CAUSE YOUR ENTIRE PROPOSAL RESPONSE TO BE REJECTED. 6 Pages Acknowledged by (printed name): Company Name: Signature Date: 1. Question: Will North Carolina State University be responsible for the enrollment and recruitment efforts of lead generation once initial leads are captured, or will the chosen digital partner be responsible for continued marketing and re-marketing during this phase? Answer: This is for the media buying portion only. The awarded supplier is not involved in the development of the marketing material. 2. Question: Is the chosen partner benchmarked for performance by increase in applications, increase in enrollment, or both? Answer: Both and more. The university intends to do a variety of brand and program advertising. Our targets include a wide variety of students, donors, legislators, peers and the general public. 3. Question: How are leads and student information currently stored, and what platforms or applications are being used to do so? e.g. database, CRM platform, Naviance Answer: NC State is a decentralized institution, so not all info is central but is instead stored in a number of databases spread across campus. 1

2 4. Question: Can potential vendors gain access to "Read Only" access reports from Google Analytics, or other analytic reporting tools leveraged currently? Award: The awarded supplier will be provided access to this material. 5. Question: Are there specific lead and student goals already established for future digital campaigns, will that be collaboratively established with the chosen vendor, or will the chosen vendor be solely responsible for forecasting and modeling? Answer: The vendor will be responsible for proposing and carrying out campaigns both online and in traditional media. 6. Question: What is the admission process specifically around lead to student journey? e.g. marketing pieces, college fairs and high school visits, social media or webinar digital engagement, distance traveled, interviews Answer: A variety of advertising, sponsorship and 1-1 marketing activities are used to develop prospects, then a series of timed direct mail, , and social media are used to encourage them to apply. Then additional direct/ /social tactics are used to encourage them to fulfill (show up in the fall.) 7. Question: What forms of communications are currently leveraged when a lead enters the "potential student funnel," both print and digital? Answer: Yes. 8. Question: What specific degrees, schools, or internal messaging will be expected to be part of the digital plan? e.g. MBA vs MPA, School of Education vs School of Business, online vs traditional, graduate level vs undergraduate level Answer: It is difficult to say which products will be advertised. Marketing is decentralized at the institution as is the planning process. University Communications feels that by making a media buyer available is a good first step to establishing a more centralized or at least collaborative process. 9. Question: What success has the North Carolina State University seen with past enrollment efforts, whether traditional or digital? Answer: Marketing to prospective students has been a constant activity for the past 30 years at NC State. Enrollment numbers from past years may be viewed at: Question: Does the effective budget of $500,000 in previous plans include the cost of new creative and content development? Answer: No. Also, as was stated in the RFP scope, there is no guarantee NC State will spend $500,000 on advertising this year because planning and budgets are decentralized. That is about what was spent last year. 11. Question: Who will be included on your team for this project? What are their titles and roles? 2

3 Answer: Details to be provided to awarded supplier but the supplier s primary contacts will be professional marketing personnel from University Communications. 12. Question: If enrollments are a measure of the success of the program, will representatives from the admissions team regularly participate in planning and status updates Answer: Admissions will participate in planning admissions advertising campaigns. Again, a variety of offices such as Admissions, Distance ed. Athletics, etc. will advertise to a variety of audiences dependent upon specific their own campaign goals and needs. 13. Question: What range of commission rates has NCSU paid over the past year? Answer: NC State has never used commission rates to pay a media buyer before. 14. Question: What s the typical percentage breakdown of types of media (e.g., digital, print, radio, TV, etc.) placed over the past year? Answer: Percentages are difficult to determine since each office does its own planning. Centrally, last year we did about 1/4 TV, 1/4 online, 1/4 print, 1/4 out of home. We tend to do more TV when our football and B-ball teams are playing nationally televised games. 15. Question: What success metrics/kpis has NCSU tracked in previous media placement? What s important to NCSU in media placement? Answer: We look at a variety of indicators including enrollments, giving, awareness surveys and some anecdotal evidence. 16. Question: How many media campaigns have been run over the past year? Answer: probably 5-10 small to medium sized campaigns. How many do you intend to run for the projected $500,000 budget? Answer: about the same. Again, $500,000 is only a guess. Actual spend is dependent upon the independent plans of several independent marketing entities across campus. 17. Question: Is there an incumbent agency placing media for NCSU? Are they invited to respond to this RFP? If there is an incumbent media agency, why is this work going to RFP? Answer: There is no current agency 18. Question: What audience segments are you trying to reach? Please prioritize. Answer: See #2 19. Question: What geographies are you trying to reach? Please prioritize. Answer: To be determined, but currently in North Carolina and this region. Additional regions/cities may be targeted depending on budget, which as you may know has been delayed in the North Carolina legislature. 3

4 20. Question: The RFP specifies the requirement for a complete media plan from agencies invited to present. Would you agree that the agency is the sole owner of the media plan unless they are chosen by NCSU to place the media? Or is it NCSU intent to take ownership of all media plans presented? Answer: Finalists may be asked to present hypothetical media plans based on a fictional campaign goal and budget. NC State does not intend to use any of these hypothetical plans in any way. However, bidders should be aware that because we are a state institution, any communication used by us in the conduct of university business is by state law a public document. Therefore, anything presented must be retained in case a public records request is made. 21. Question: Who is the current contractor and are they at the end of a 3 year contract? Answer: There is no current contractor. 22. Question: How is your current media plan allocated - % TV, %Radio, %Online, % Mobile, % Print, % Out of home, etc. Answer: See # Question: Does the estimated $500,000 spent on media in FY15 only include placement costs, or does it include fee to the agency? Answer: only placement. Again, $500,000 is only a guess. Actual spend is dependent upon the independent plans of several independent marketing entities across campus. 24. Question: What percent of the $500,000 spent on media in FY15 was allocated to the current media agency fees and expenses? Answer: None that I know of. Again, $500,000 is only a guess. Actual spend is dependent upon the independent plans of several independent marketing entities across campus. 25. Question: Outside of NC, in what other DMA s are you placing media? Answer: None currently 26. Question: If the University is going to provide all creative, what is the anticipated lead time once the media is determined? Answer: we have a stock of commercials already produced so we can often respond in a day if pressed. Same for print, though for many things, we will do fresh creative if time allows. Actual turnaround depends on the media. TV takes longer than print, etc. 27. Question: Does the University pay all media vendor invoices, or will the agency pay the vendors once payment is received from the University? Answer: The agency will pay the vendor once payment is received from the university. 28. Question: Does the certificate of insurance have to be included in the proposal or provided at the time of the award? Answer: A current COI is required demonstrating insurance currently in place with all required limits. The awarded supplier will need to provide a COI listing NC State as additionally insured. 4

5 29. Question: Does the reciprocal preference law disqualify us if we are based in Atlanta? Answer: North Carolina s reciprocal preference laws do not disqualify responses. For information regarding NC law, see the following link: Question: Do you currently have an agency of record? What is the status of the current agency of record? Answer: None 31. Question: May we get a copy of the last winning bid? Answer: The last bid was not for Media Buying. It was a more comprehensive proposal that encompassed more of the media creation work. 32. Question: Who is currently providing your creative? Answer: We do not have a comprehensive list. Creative is done in-house for central marketing tactics, but some non-central offices have local vendors they work with. The awarded supplier will be provided contact info for any creative agency prior to initiation of any campaign. 33. Question: While we certainly understand that the university does not guarantee the amount that will be spent on media, could you please provide the estimated spend over the past 3-5 fiscal years, understanding that FY 2014/15 was approximately $500,000? Answer: FY is representative of a typical FY. 34. Question: When is the anticipated contract start date? Answer: November 1 - approximately 35. Question: How many distinct campaigns were supported in FY 2014/15? If more than one, can you provide the estimated percentage breakdown for each campaign? Answer: We do not have that information due to the decentralized nature of marketing/advertising at NC State. 36. Question: Is there a central decision-making process in place? If not, please describe the decision-making process, including key stakeholders involved in the process. Answer: There is not central decision making process in place. I cannot describe something that does not exist. Marketing offices for various entities on campus will meet with you and/or be provided with your contact info. Each will be encouraged to contact you for assistance developing their own campaigns as needed. 37. Question: Reference - The Contractor shall present proposed schedules for media buys, based on current ratings or circulation information, within 10 working days of a request from the University. 10 days is a very tight turnaround for planning. Is this a definitive timetable or is there flexibility, especially for campaigns that require more due diligence in terms of strategy and resulting approach? Answer: There will be more flexibility for larger, multi-media campaigns. 38. Question: Would you consider alternative compensation models? For example, a fee-based structure that s more tightly connected to an approved scope-of-work? Answer: Because this is a public bid, we need to be able compare proposals. 39. Question: Could you provide a percentage breakdown by media channel/type for the $500,000 spent in FY 2014/15? 5

6 Answer: See # Question: Historically, what have been the University s key metrics of success for ad spend? How have those metrics been tracked? Do you anticipate these metrics shifting over the life of this contract? Answer: See #2 41. Question: Would you be open to a broader engagement, which would include an upfront strategic component? Answer: The entire scope University s current needs are outlined in the RFP document. We do not currently have a need for a broader scope. 42. Question: Is creative currently done in-house or does the university work with an outside agency? If an outside agency, who? Answer: See # Question: Can the bidding firm s financial stability information be submitted in confidence and remain private? Answer: Subject to the provisions of North Carolina public records laws. 6