EVALUATION PERCEPTION MARKETING PROMOTION CAMPAIGN

Transcription

1 EVALUATION PERCEPTION MARKETING PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN THE UNITED STATES Invitation to Tender 1. Introduction The European Travel Commission (ETC) is a non-profit organisation responsible for the promotion of Europe as a tourist destination in extra-european markets. Over the past years, the organisation embraced a new approach to promote the brand Destination Europe, inspired by the principles of experiential marketing. Following the revamped VisitEurope.com portal and previous European Commission (EC) grant initiatives on the image of Europe as a tourism destination in major long-haul markets, this new approach has been designed to continue promoting Europe as a tourism destination and strengthening its competitive image in key overseas markets. The rapid advances in technology have created a new generation of tech-savvy consumers with access to a wide range of sources of information. At the same time, these consumers are increasingly exposed to countless promotional material through different media channels and devices which are significantly influencing the travellers decision to visit Europe. Consequently, ETC is increasingly challenged to create a deeper engagement between the brand Destination Europe and online consumers and to accurately demonstrate marketing impact. With a focus on pan-european experiences, ETC is capitalising on cooperation with key players from the private tourism sector to successfully promote Europe as a tourism destination and increase the flow of tourists to the region. Towards this end, and in line with the research activities proposed for the Destination Europe 2020 initiative, ETC will implement a pilot marketing campaign together with an online travel agency (Expedia Media Solutions), with the aim of increasing the visibility of Destination Europe and building strategic partnerships with key players from the private tourism industry. In general terms, ETC intends to evaluate the successful implementation of the joint promotion campaign among the travel population in the United States. The investigation shall serve to investigate and demonstrate the potential and the value of a sustainable joint marketing initiative through primary research. The project is designed as a deliverable under the ETC-EC initiative Destination Europe 2020 and is intended to deliver a full post-campaign analytical report, including accompanying deliverables. Results are collected for the benefit of the members of the European Travel Commission (see and will further feed into ETC s long-term strategy and contribute to the promotion of Europe as a tourist destination and strengthen its competitive image in overseas markets. 1

2 2. Purpose of the Study ETC expects this study to provide insights into the campaign users perception of the pilot campaign and assess the successful implementation, performance and degree of success of the pilot marketing campaign. The research should measure the perception and level of engagement of the exposed target market and should eventually prove the benefits of joint promotion activities to maximise value. ETC envisages the primary research to achieve the following objectives: Provide insights and a perception analysis resulting from the selected target markets exposure to the joint promotion marketing campaign; Identify attitudes and sentiment of a selected target market that inspires travel to Europe through the online marketing campaign; Shed light on the effectiveness of cooperative marketing activities with the private sector towards a sustainable promotion of Destination Europe in long-haul travel markets. 3. Structure and Content of the Report ETC expects this report to provide results on consumer s response to ETC s joint promotion marketing campaign and its new consolidated visual identity (logo and slogan) for Destination Europe. Results shall serve to analyse the correct implementation, effectiveness and degree of success of the marketing campaign. Based on the aforementioned objectives, ETC envisages the primary research to consist of one full post-campaign analytical report and a Power Point Presentation. Tentatively, the final report should cover the following areas: 1. Develop and implement a research methodology to track, scan and identify exposed online users to the marketing campaign. Establish a research system that will enable tracking of the exposed online users to the marketing campaign among a representative sample of consumers from the United States population. Set up a demographic segmentation system able to scan and identify main demographic characteristics/information from the exposed online users to the marketing campaign among a representative sample of consumers from the United States population. 2. A detailed analysis of the perception and the impact of the marketing online campaign on the selected target market. Develop and implement a sound research methodology that collects, captures and measures: The attitudes and the perception of the target market s experience on the marketing campaign and their propensity to travel internationally; and The views and sentiment on the consolidated visual identity Europe Whenever you are ready and the degree of success of the pilot campaign as such. 3. Deploy a set of strategic recommendations based on the outcomes of the research. Produce a portfolio of recommendations aimed at maximising the potential of the impact of the marketing pilot campaign. 2

3 The awarded tenderer will work closely with the campaign developers to establish the required pre-campaign technical setup for the monitoring so that the perception and success of the campaign can be measured and to effectively achieve the overall objectives of the project. ETC is open to evaluating proposals suggesting a methodological approach that fulfils the above-mentioned objectives and are in compliance with the budget and requirements specified in this Invitation to Tender. 4. Timescale, Budget & Deliverables 4.1 Timescale The project should be completed and ready for approval within four months from the date of commissioning. The tenderer should accommodate in his/her time plan ETC s revision of methodological concepts and deliverables. A kick-off meeting will be held in a major European city with the awarded consultant(s). Travel and hospitality expenses for the official participation in the meeting are to be borne by the awarded consultant(s). A videoconference could be conceived for an agency based outside of Europe. 4.2 Budget & Terms of Payment ETC has allocated a maximum fixed budget of Euro 50,000 (inclusive of VAT if applicable), and the proposal should be made within this budgetary constraint. All prices should be quoted in Euro. The contract will be issued in accordance with ETC s rules and procedures. This exercise commissioned by ETC qualifies as "marketing services" and is therefore subject to Belgian VAT. Please note that ETC should only effectively charge VAT to Belgian companies providing such services. If companies rendering the service qualify as normal VAT taxable businesses, ETC will not have to pay VAT if the companies are not registered in Belgium. According to ETC standard procedures, the payments for the work will be made as follows: - 30% - on commissioning and approval of a detailed delivery schedule of the project. - 40% - following submission of the study and its approval by ETC (N.B. This payment will only be made after all editing requests have been integrated into a final draft that has been approved by the commissioning organisation). - 30% - the final payment will be made only after completion and approval of the deliverables as specified in Deliverables & Presentation of the Results The organisation or individual(s) commissioned will be expected to include the following information (and any relevant costs) in the offer: 3

4 - A preliminary summary report with a brief overview of the initial outcomes of the research. - A full report in electronic format (Word), with the main outcomes of the research; the report should include: o An executive summary; o Detailed presentation of the main results; o A detailed description of the applied methodology/ies (as an annex); o Full specifications in Annex as applicable. - A PowerPoint presentation. - In addition to the PowerPoint presentation, the consultant should asses the possibility of providing an oral presentation at the ETC Offices to showcase the main outcomes of the study and provide technical recommendations. Should there be a possibility of providing an oral presentation, the awarded consultant should accommodate the costs of the same in the detailed budget composition for the development of the overall project. The final report should be in British English (as opposed to American English). The commissioned tenderer is responsible for ensuring that the final document is of sufficiently high quality (both the English language and editing) to enable speedy publication without further editing. 5. Proposals and Tender Evaluation 5.1 Proposals The proposal should include a: - Detailed description of the primary research methodologies to track, scan and identify exposed online users to the marketing campaign. - Detailed description of the approach to assess the perception of the campaign and thus its degree of success and achieve the above-mentioned objectives. - References to similar projects (if applicable) - Detailed breakdown of prices for the basic requirements and additional options. - Detailed timeline for the completion of the study. - Statement of financial viability. - The CV of the people involved in the project. The provision of detailed information is considered a plus. For this specific tender, consultants are invited to annex material (i.e. extracts of previous work, screenshots, etc.) that proves their capability to provide results in a way that is both appealing and highly illustrative. Proposals should be submitted in electronic format, not exceeding 20 pages, to the persons listed below by 14:00 (CET) on 12 th July 2016 at the latest: Project leader: Ms Jennifer Iduh, ETC Executive Unit, Brussels: jennifer.iduh@visiteurope.com Representative of the commissioning body: Mr. Eduardo Santander, ETC Executive Unit, Brussels: eduardo.santander@visiteurope.com 5.2 Tender Evaluation 4

5 The contract will be awarded on the basis of the consultant's proven ability to deliver on the stated objectives. The selection criteria used will include, inter alia: - The relevant experience of the project team, with an emphasis on know-how research methodologies - The methodology to conduct the tracking and identification of exposed online users - The approach to collect and analyse primary research data - The level of innovation and imagination brought to the project, the methodology and its solution. - The commitment to deliver results within the allotted timeframe and budget. - Economic viability value for money. ETC reserves the right to decline from all tenders. 6. Miscellaneous Please note that ETC will be the exclusive owner of the deliverables, and is free to decide on their use. The consultant will be responsible for conducting the research in the appropriate language for the sample (and any translating / interpreting that is required). Brussels, 21 June 2016 Mr. Eduardo Santander Executive Director ETC Executive Unit 61 Rue du Marché aux Herbes 1000 Brussels Belgium 5