ADDENDUM NO. 1 ISSUE DATE: January 10, 2018

Transcription

1 To: All Vendors Bidding on The College of New Jersey Digital Marketing Services AB From: Anup Kapur Finance & Business Services Date: January 10, 2018 ADDENDUM NO. 1 ISSUE DATE: January 10, Listed as a requirement is higher education digital marketing experience. Is that disqualifying criteria (for example, if the agency has higher education experience but not specifically in digital marketing, will they be considered unqualified)? TCNJ Response: We are seeking an agency with digital marketing experience in higher education. 2. Are there any current paid digital advertising programs in place? Or will the selected agency be creating them from the ground up? TCNJ Response: While there is some digital advertising occurring, the agency would likely be creating a new program. 3. The RFP requests fixed fees for services on 3-month, 6-month, and month-to-month timeframes. What are the digital advertising budgets for media spending (fees paid to advertising outlets) for those time periods? appropriate in this case. 4. What are the agency service fee budgets for those same time periods (3-month, 6- month, and month-to-month timeframes)? appropriate in this case. 5. One of the tasks in the scope of work is website user testing. Are you expecting formal user testing through focus groups, informal testing perhaps using existing TCNJ students, or only user experience input from the perspective of the agency selected? TCNJ Response: We are seeking agency guidance on the best method to approach this.

2 6. What are the Target Geographies you want to reach? TCNJ Response: TCNJ does not offer graduate housing, nor do we currently offer fully online programs, therefore the target market for most programs would be within a commutable distance to the Ewing, NJ campus. There is a possibility that we would want to reach students in certain other geographic areas (likely within NJ) for specific satellite program needs. 7. Geographically how many miles away from campus do your applicants/prospects come from? TCNJ Response: TCNJ does not offer graduate housing, nor do we currently offer fully online programs, therefore the target market for most programs would be within a commutable distance to the Ewing, NJ campus. 8. Typically, what size is your accepted student pool each year? TCNJ Response: This can vary by semester and given specific programs, however, there are approximately 500 graduate students enrolled in programs on campus each semester. 9. What is your current CMS? TCNJ Response: We do not have a CMS. 10. What are the specific programs you are looking to promote? TCNJ Response: We are seeking to promote graduate programs at TCNJ. See programs in Section III of RFP. (This does not include Graduate Global Programs.) 11. Are there landing pages currently for all of these programs? TCNJ Response: The main landing page for graduate is graduate.tcnj.edu, however, our Communications, Marketing, and Brand Management office is in the process of creating landing pages for each program, housed in the academic school sites. 12. What is the budget for this project? TCNJ Response: The budget for this project is to be determined. 13. Are you anticipating increasing your inquiry/applicant pools? If so, by how much? TCNJ Response: Yes. Not yet determined. 14. Is there an opportunity have a call prior to creating/submitting our RFP to glean additional information? TCNJ Response: No, please refer to RFP. 15. Are there any current digital marketing components that you are currently running? TCNJ Response: Yes, there are some digital marketing components that are being used. 16. If so, what is working well for you? What has worked well for you in the past? TCNJ Response: While we believe that Facebook has been helpful, we are seeking for an agency to assess and provide direction. 17. As part of this RFP, are you looking for help with Google Analytics consulting and/or dashboards? TCNJ Response: Potentially. 18. What feeder businesses or schools do you draw from? TCNJ Response: Varies. See #s 6 and 7 above. 19. What size is your current inquiry pool? TCNJ Response: Varies by program and point in time. 20. What is your applicant pool list size? TCNJ Response: Varies by program and point in time.

3 21. What is the monthly traffic to your site? TCNJ Response: This varies depending on time of year, but page views can range from ~8,000-20,000 per month. 22. (If multiple audiences) Can you prioritize the different audiences? TCNJ Response: All current program audiences are important. RFP, also, asks for agency to perform a general competitor, target audience and potential future markets analysis for TCNJ s graduate offerings, including top growth areas. 23. Page 8, Section 1 Scope of Solicitation a. Assessment of Existing web and marketing Please elaborate b. Are you wanting to do a website redesign of the current site or simply an assessment 23. Development of Communications Plans a. Please elaborate b. Is this related to the website redesign or the digital marketing campaigns 24. Page 9, Section III Scope of Work/Specifications Part 1 and 2 - Vendor is to perform analysis and User testing of the websites (part 1) and make recommendations to improve design (part 2) a. Is the vendor going to make the design changes themselves or will this be the responsibility of the TCNJ staff or additional project(s)? Part 1 says to base decision in context with current staffing and budget please provide staffing level and budget 25. Part 3 Please provide current budgets for the following digital spends i. Changes to the landing page ii. SEO iii. List Buys iv. marketing v. Pay-per-click vi. Paid search vii. Display Ads viii. Web based promotional material ix. Re-marketing x. Social Media appropriate. 26. Other a. Please explain purpose of the 3 pricing options - How long is this contract? b. Do you expect the vendor responses to address all aspects of the digital spend or is it acceptable that the respondent excludes a specific channel, i.e. social media or some other spend criteria, due to lack of capability or experience. 27. Is creative work (i.e. display banners) required as part of the RFP, or does TCNJ have an internal creative team or assets available?

4 28. Who does TCNJ consider its top 2-3 competitors? TCNJ Response: This can vary by program. 29. What is the budget range set for the digital marketing campaign and agency services? appropriate in this case. The budget for this project is to be determined. 30. Over the last two-years, have you seen an increase or decrease in enrollment, visit registration, and inbound inquiries? How significant have the changes been? TCNJ Response: This can vary by program. 31. What is the desired start date of the digital marketing campaigns? TCNJ Response: To be determined and could depend on agency recommendations. 32. The RFP asks for a 3-month, 6-month, and month-to-month cost proposal what is the desired length of the marketing effort? Is the TCNJ able to enter into a contract? 33. What marketing platform does TCNJ use to manage lead nurturing? Is this managed by the agency or internally? TCNJ Response: We do not have a CRM or CMS. 34. What CRM does TCNJ s OGAE use to manage prospective student flows? Does marketing or admissions control the CRM? TCNJ Response: We do not have a lead management platform. 35. The RFP mentions the development of communications plans. Is the awarded agency solely responsible for all communication with prospective students obtained by the digital marketing campaign? 36. Can you describe the team that the agency would interface with on a day-to-day basis? 37. Do you have a dedicated staff position that manages social content, posting and engagement? TCNJ Response: No 38. Can you describe the IT/Computing team structure that supports the marketing agency with analytics, tracking, landing pages, forms, etc. 39. What is the current media mix (%) across the primary channels you describe search, social, display retargeting, programmatic, social video, inbound? TCNJ Response: This can vary and not all channels are currently used. 40. Throughout your Scope an Spec items the RFP outlines assessment, research, planning, review and execution elements. These cannot be executed simultaneously. As several costly services are contingent on earlier item completion it is our intention to scope the initial assessment and strategic plan-building phase. Does that align with your expectations for a submission? If not please provide guidance. 41. Section III, item 4 calls for increased leads, applications and enrollments. What are TCNJ s current numbers for each of these metrics and what level of increase would constitute a successful engagement?

5 TCNJ Response: These can vary by program. 42. How do you intend to use the General competitor, target audience and potential future markets analysis called for under section III, item 7? What level of granularity will we need to provide to you to achieve that goal? TCNJ Response: This can vary. Please refer to RFP. 43. Our submission of a response to this RFP will void the prior proposal dated 10/24/17. Is there any problem with that? TCNJ Response: No. 44. The RFP calls for targeting of year-olds within 40 miles of campus. What % of current graduate enrollment fits that profile? Is there any reason to keep that profile as a hard rule? TCNJ Response: Varies. TCNJ does not offer graduate housing, nor do we currently offer fully online programs, therefore the target market for most programs would be within a commutable distance to the Ewing, NJ campus. There is a possibility that we would want to reach students in certain other geographic areas (likely within NJ) for specific satellite program needs. 45. What tactics are being deployed now to drive leads, applications and enrollment? What s working and what isn t? TCNJ Response: These can vary by program. 46. Does TCNJ have any problem with us using 3 rd party code to map the user experience on the existing site? TCNJ Response: Potentially. 46. Are you currently using google analytics? If not what analytics package is being used? TCNJ Response: To some extent. 47. What content management system are you using currently for the website? TCNJ Response: Wordpress 48. Will CMA be given access to your lead, application and enrollment data moving forward to calculate ROI? TCNJ Response: To be determined. 49. What budget is the school allotting for this RFP and the subsequent project? Reading your available documents there appear to be several marketing line items and We ll want to cost contain our analysis to align with your means. TCNJ Response: The budget for this project is to be determined. 50. Do you currently utilize/intend to utilize any print campaign materials/non-digital? TCNJ Response: Yes 51. Are you accepting partial submissions for this RFP (in the case that a vendor does not cover entire scope but the majority)? TCNJ Response: We are seeking one vendor. 52. Has TCNJ engaged firms to do this type of work previously? If so, will firms have access to related materials? TCNJ Response: OGAE has not engaged a firm for this work previously. 53. Does TCNJ have an identified budget for the projects laid out in the scope of this proposal? TCNJ Response: The budget for this project is to be determined.

6 54. Do bidders need to account for creative design for advertising or will TCNJ provide existing resources/assets? 55. Is TCNJ able to provide existing video assets? TCNJ Response: To be determined and dependent on use.