Purchasing Department 4400 University Drive, Mailstop 3C5 Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703.993.2580 Fax: 703.993.2589 http://fiscal.gmu.edu/purchasing/ RFP ADDENDUM I: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Date: May 30, 2017 Reference: RFP GMU-1434-17 Title: Digital Advertising Services RFP Issued: May 16, 2017 RFP Due Date: June 14, 2017 @ 2:00 PM EST The following changes are hereby incorporated into the aforementioned RFP: 1. Page 7, XI, B, 5: References: CHANGE: Higher education institutions to arts and entertainment/performing arts venues as written below. Provide a list of at least three (3) references that demonstrates the your firm s qualifications, preferably from other comparable arts and entertainment/performing arts venues your company is/has provided services with and that are similar in size and scope to that which has been described herein. Include a contact name, contact title, phone number, and email address for each reference and indicate the length of service. Herein are the answers to questions received by the designated date/time identified in the RFP. Offeror shall acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by completing the signature section below and shall include the signed addendum in his/her proposal. I hereby acknowledge receipt of Addendum I- RFP# GMU-1434-17 for Digital Advertising Services NAME OF Offeror NAME (Print or Type) SIGNATURE DATE Responses are in RED. 1. Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like, from India or Canada) A. Yes 2. Whether we need to come over there for meetings? A. No, video or phone is sufficient.
3. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada) A. Yes 4. Can we submit the proposals via email? A. No, please refer to the cover page of the solicitation. 5. How many events do you anticipate being supported with digital media? A. Approximately 50 per season (sept-may) 6. What is the average budget per show? A. It varies. We allocate budget depending on number of performances for each show, plausible sales, and other strategic factors. 7. What is the typical geography for campaigns? i.e. 60 mile radius A. 25 mile radius or less 8. Will the offeror provide creative support or will all assets be provided by GMU? A. Please respond with capabilities related to creative support. To this point, we have supplied all creative assets. 9. I'm inquiring whether there is an incumbent firm that has provided services in the past, comparable to this current RFP. If so, may I get a copy of their contract, under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)? A. This is a new solicitation. Purchase orders were previously issued to 87AM starting in May of 2015 totaling $78,800. 10. Will a representative of our firm need to be physically present at a GMU facility, for the duration of the Contract? A. no 11. Can you provide guidance / demographic breakdown on the target audience(s) for these scope of services? A. Audience varies depending on campaign and objective. For most campaigns, we are looking for likely arts buyers. Typically, this audience is highly educated with some disposable income. Some campaigns may target other audiences such as families. 12. Are there any quantifiable metrics of success for this scope of services in the near term and long term (i.e. ticket sales, subscription renewals)? A. Yes, we measure conversions to both single tickets and subscription sales/renewals to monitor success and growth. We also want to continue to expand awareness of the venues in the northern Virginia community. 13. We understand that marketing for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center are part of this scope. Based on this, is one venue considered a higher priority / has the most opportunity for growth? A. They are of equal importance. There are more performances to promote and resources to support advertising for the Center for the Arts. 14. Which of the current subscriptions options (listed on this site http://hyltoncenter.org/subscribe/) has been the most successful to date / least successful? Is there a particular subscription model that CVPA is looking to grow?
A. They have all been successful, depending how you define success. We believe that the chooseyour-own subscriptions have the most opportunities for growth and patron upgrades. 15. Is enrollment marketing for the degree programs at CVPA within the scope of these services? If yes, can you provide insight into quantifiable goals (i.e. X% increase in enrollment), and how these goals relate to past performance metrics? A. It is possible, but undefined at this point. If this does happen in the next couple of years, it will be on a small scale. 16. Who do you consider your competitors and peers (i.e. local arts venues, other universities, etc.)? A. Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Strathmore, Signature Theatre, Clarice Smith. Competition in the field of live events, of course, can be expanded to anything people choose to do with their time, though. 17. What platforms does CVPA use for paid digital? Will the selected agency have access to these platforms / be responsible for managing, or will we work through a CVPA contact who will facilitate? A. The selected agency will have access to Facebook accounts and be responsible for managing paid campaigns through facebook. The selected agency will advise about platforms for digital display campaigns and manage those campaigns. If search campaigns are included in the work, the agency will have access to those accounts or work through their own. 18. Can you provide insight into any 3rd party systems that CVPA uses that would be relevant to this scope of work (i.e. CRM, email platform, text messaging, website CMS, paid advertising, analytics)? A. We do all ticketing through Tickets.com. It will be required to collaborate with Tickets.com to track conversions. Our websites are currently old-school html/dreamweaver. We are in the process of moving to a Drupal system developed by the University. We track analytics using Google analytics. 19. Can you provide guidance on the type of analytics that the CVPA is currently tracking / measuring? A. Web analytics tracking currently includes traffic, time on site, final destination (eg Tickets.com), conversions, referrals, etc. 20. Can we obtain 3-6 months of website analytics (sessions, users, page views, page/session, average session duration, bounce rate and top visited pages by sessions)? A. No. We are in the process of a website overhaul and unfortunately, we are learning that our analytics were not as thorough as previously believed. 21. Does CVPA have a current agency of record for these services? If yes, are they up for review? Or have any of these services been provided in-house? 22. Can you provide guidance on the expected budget (both for agency and media fees)? A. Not at this time. 23. To what address should proposal submissions be mailed? A. Refer to the cover page of the solicitation. 4400 University Dr. MSN 3C5, Fairfax, VA 22030. 24. Is there an incumbent for this work? 25. Who is the incumbent for this work?
26. Are you currently working with a third-party ad tracker or have you in the past? A. Yes, our ads have been tracked with tools such as sizmek. 27. What are the historical budget allocations for this work? What is the historical spend on media buys? A. Not available. 28. Will creative be provided by GMU or another vendor? A. Please respond with capabilities related to creative support. To this point, we have supplied all creative assets. 29. What shows or events are you looking to promote? Are there any upcoming high profile events you are looking to promote? A. Promoted events include some or all of Great Performances at Mason (Center for the Arts), Hylton Presents (Hylton Center) and Hylton Extra (Hylton Center). Most events are of approximately similar weight. 30. What are the anticipated in-market dates for any media? A. This contract would be year-round with more campaigns running Sept-April. 31. What platform are you using for ticket sales? Is it tickets.com? A. Tickets.com 32. Have there been previous issues with integrating with tracking pixels? A. Yes and no. We seem to have worked through it and the ticketing company is certainly familiar with these processes. 33. Is there an incumbent currently providing these services? 34. Was there a strategic or organizational change that has caused George Mason University to seek a firm to provide these services? A. No. 35. Will the advertising budget for this year be similar in size to what was spent over the past few years? What is the estimated Digital Advertising budget for the period pf performance? A. We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year) that requires a formal RFP process. 36. Is George Mason University able to summarize one or more of its most significant communications and/or advertising challenges for the College of Visual and Performing Arts? A. Communicating a wide variety of performances in an expensive media market with a relatively small budget. 37. Are you open to working with a full service advertising agency or are you looking for a smaller media buying only firm? A. Any firms with capabilities as specified in the RFP are welcome to respond. 38. Will you entertain working with a firm that has a broad range in of advertising, media and consumer engagement expertise, including the performing arts and entertainment? A. Any firms with capabilities as specified in the RFP are welcome to respond.
39. Would you be open to working with two firms working in partnership to provide the best service? A. We intend to award to one company. If you plan to partner or subcontract with another firm you should clearly state that in your response. 40. Is there presently an incumbent performing these services. If yes, who? 41. What role will Monumental Sports play in the operation of the facilities and the ticket sales, advertising, concessions and associated revenue sources for the live entertainment venues? A. None 42. What is the anticipated media budget? A. Not available. 43. On average, what are the number of events advertised at the Center for the Arts, and the Hylton Performing Arts Center respectively? A. Center for the Arts approximately 40-50 per season; Hylton Center approximately 25 per season 44. In Section IX, Statement of Needs, you note that services shall include social media advertising. Will Mason be providing content (particularly copy), or will the contractor need to draft the content for each platform for Mason's review and approval prior to launch? A. We are open to both approaches. 45. In Section IX, Statement of Needs, you note that the contractor should specialize in advertising for arts and entertainment. Will points consideration in scoring be given to offerors who have digital advertising expertise for educational institutions instead of arts and entertainment? A. Arts and entertainment/performing arts venues. See addendum on page 1. 46. In Section IX, Statement of Needs, you note that the contractor must accomplish integrated marketing with a focus on ticket sales, subscription sales and renewals, as well as awareness. Are there benchmark performance goals (either based on conversion rates as a percentage or net ticket sales) that you can share? A. Of course, we expect a positive ROI on all digital campaigns. We understand that awareness is more nebulous to measure. A larger subscriber base as well as higher ticket revenue for individual performances is desired. 47. In Section IX, State of Needs, Point D, you request that data and analysis be provided on a regular basis. Can you define the preferred reporting schedule (weekly, monthly, e.g.) that you would like the contractor to follow? A. Those schedules should be recommended by the vendor, but established in collaboration with CVPA staff. 48. General: Is there an incumbent contractor? 49. General: Is there a contract budget for the first option year you can share? If not, can you share the estimated budget (out of pockets only) for past digital advertising campaigns? A. We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year) that requires a formal RFP process. Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns.
50. Is there a need for enrollment marketing for programs in support of these events? A. No 51. What are the Target Geographies you want to reach? A. 25 mile radius around venues or less 52. Are you interested in both SEO and PPC advertising? A. Please respond with all applicable capabilities. 53. If SEO included, what is your CMS is? A. Our websites are currently old-school html/dreamweaver. We are in the process of moving to a Drupal system developed by the University. 54. What is the budget for this project? A. We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year) that requires a formal RFP process. Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns. 54. Are there any current digital marketing components that you are currently running? If so, what is working well for you? What has worked well for you in the past? A. Yes, the efforts outlined in the RFP reflect our current strategy. We are open to recommendations from applying vendors. 55. What is your list size for CRM Targeting? A. This depends on the campaign, venue, etc. We have databases of approximately 45,000 (Center for the Arts) and 20,000 (Hylton Center). 56. Can you provide the types of business/locations that you re looking to reach in terms of geofencing? A. Our own venue(s) and possibly competitor venues. 57. What types of events (eg: concerts, art shows, etc.) do you have at these venues? A. Program information is available at cfa.gmu.edu and HyltonCenter.org. 58. Can you confirm duration of 12 months for this project and advise anticipated start date? A. Refer to section VIII, period of performance, on page 4. The anticipated start date is August or September 2017. 59. Is there an opportunity have a call prior to creating/submitting our RFP to glean additional information? A. No 60. Page 10, Section XV(B)(12) forbids subcontracting the work without Mason s Purchasing office s prior written consent. Can offerors interpret this provision to exclude things such has media buys, and those services can be pre-approved at the contract administrator or program manager level? A. Correct. 61. Page 17, Section IX(W) asks for the contractor to represent and warrant that "it will not violate or infringe any intellectual property right... ( IP Rep/Wty ). Given part of the proposed Statement of Needs requires the Contractor to work closely with Mason staff to develop keywords, should: (i) the IP Rep/Wty only apply to material supplied by LMO and not Mason staff?; and (ii) how can a Contractor guarantee (i.e., warrant) a keyword recommended during the contract will not infringe a third party s trademark rights in the future because a third party can develop trademark rights in a keyword long after the Contractor s services are provided to Mason, and therefore such acquisition
of rights by a third party in the future would put the contractor in breach of its warranty? A. Clarification and negotiation of terms and conditions will take place if an offeror is advanced to the negotiations stage. 62. Page 17, Section IX(W) asks for the contractor to indemnify Mason against any claim of infringement of intellectual property rights which may arise under this contract.. If the Contractor is working closely with Mason staff to develop copy and keywords, and Mason staff has final authority on what keywords and copy is used, shouldn t the Contractor s obligation be limited to its own actions? Please note there have been trademark infringement lawsuits based upon use of competitor s trademarks as keywords. A. Clarification and negotiation of terms and conditions will take place if an offeror is advanced to the negotiations stage. 63. Looking over the RFP for Digital Advertising Services, one item I don t see mentioned is the region you d like to reach with this Digital Advertising. That has a major impact on cost, as our target could be the Fairfax and Prince William County areas, all of Northern Virginia, or additional area up to and including nationwide. For similar venues, we often target people who live within a 3-hour drive of the venue. Should we start with that? A. 25-mile radius of each venue is sufficient. 64. Would it be possible to send us the list of programming from your 2017-18 season for both the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Art Center? We would like to understand the scope of your season to price this accurately, so it would be helpful to understand how much programming you'd want our help selling. A. This information is available at cfa.gmu.edu and HyltonCenter.org. 65. What ticketing platform(s) do you use for each website? A. Tickets.com 66. Would it be possible to submit this proposal via email instead of sending hard copies? A. No, please refer to the cover page of the solicitation. 67. Do both the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center file taxes along with GMU? I am asking to assess if either venue are eligible for a Google Grant account (universities and PACs the file along with their university partner are not eligible). A. We are not eligible for a Google Grant. (Sad!) 68. What would be the actual digital advertising budget CVPA would like to spend monthly per platform? A. The vendor should be prepared to advise allocation of budget per platform. Overall, We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year). Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns. 69. What has CVPA previously spent on digital advertising more specifically what was the amount per platform? A. Overall, we are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year). Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns. Previously, we have split the budget between various facebook campaigns, digital display (via ad networks), and search ads dependent on the strategy, creative, and budget for each campaign. 70. Which platforms would CVPA like the agency to post the digital ads?
A. The selected agency will have access to Facebook accounts and be responsible for managing paid campaigns through facebook. The selected agency will advise about platforms for digital display campaigns and manage those campaigns. If search campaigns are included in the work, the agency will have access to those accounts or work through their own. 71. How often would CVPA like to receive reporting, i.e weekly, monthly, quarterly? A. Those schedules should be recommended by the vendor, but established in collaboration with CVPA staff. 72. Is this RFP a set-aside for Virginia SWAM-certified businesses? A. No. 73. Is GMU looking to work with an agency that can plan, place and optimize its digital advertising buys? Or is GMU looking to work with a digital advertising platform? A. an agency that can plan, place and optimize its digital advertising 74. Who is the incumbent for this contract opportunity? 75. Who is the target audience for these campaigns? Who are your loyal attendees? Who else would you like to attract? How do the attendees for the Fairfax and Prince William centers differ other than geography? A. Audience varies depending on campaign and objective. For most campaigns, we are looking for likely arts buyers. Typically, this audience is highly educated with some disposable income. Some campaigns may target other audiences such as families. The Center for the Arts is more closely linked to George Mason University and identified as such. The Hylton Center is more firmly part of the community DNA, with many invested resident arts partners, etc. 76. What are your goals for these campaigns? A. Ticket sales and subscription conversions; increased awareness 77. How will you measure success for these campaigns? A. Of course, we expect a positive ROI on all digital campaigns. We understand that awareness is more nebulous to measure. A larger subscriber base as well as higher ticket revenue for individual performances is desired. 78. Since you are a school for visual arts, how will your internal teams/students collaborate with the selected contractor? Will they provide creative? A. We have graphic designers on our marketing team, who typically provide the creative assets. 79. What is the proposed annual budget for this contract opportunity? A. We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year) that requires a formal RFP process. Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns. 80. How many events will be promoted under this contract? A. Approximately 50 events per season (sept-may) 81. What is the budget George Mason has allocated for this proposal? For Labor and the Ad buy/out-ofpockets? A. We are looking to increase the budget to a level (above $50k per year) that requires a formal RFP process. Previously, we have spent less than $50k per fiscal year on digital campaigns.
82. Is the existing budget allocated by channel or will you leave it up to the agency to allocate as needed by channel and performance? A. The vendor should be prepared to advise allocation of budget per channel. 83. Is there a preference for fee structure (e.g., flat fee, % of spend, etc.). A. no 84. Are RFP s reserved exclusively for SWaM businesses? A. No, this RFP is not. 85. Will GMU require meetings to be in person or can they be conducted over the phone? A. Phone or video is sufficient 86. How do you see the role of the agency more strategy, executional, both? A. both 87. Is there a format GMU would like used for advertising campaign schedules and plans? A. The vendor should be prepared to advise on schedules and plans in collaboration with CVPA staff. 88. What CRM tool does GMU employ? Will agency have access to the CRM? A. Currently, our patron database is managed through Tickets.com which is not a robust CRM. That could change within the fiscal year, though. 89. What is your level of familiarity with running these campaigns in the past? A. We have been increasing our digital advertising over the last 3 years and are comfortable navigating strategic and tactical decisions relating to social, search and display campaigns. 90. Should the proposal assume all creative needs be managed and produced by GMU including social media assets? How are creative assets managed and facilitated for the ad buy? A. Please respond with capabilities related to creative support. To this point, we have supplied all creative assets. 91. How many events will need to be promoted for each venue per year? Is there a schedule of events you can share for our review? A. Approximately 50 events per season (sept-may). Program information is available at cfa.gmu.edu and hyltoncenter.org 92. Will these programs run year-round? Is there an offseason? A. Sept-may, but subscription campaigns run in between 93. What subscriptions does GMU offer? A. This information is available at cfa.gmu.edu and hyltoncenter.org 94. What is the overall business goal of GMU s advertising efforts? A. Conversions to single ticket sales, subscriptions, and awareness 95. How does GMU identify, segment and prioritize their key audiences? A. We have loyalists to our arts programming/venues and then beyond that, it is largely driven by the programming offered.
96. What third-party vendors, in addition to tickets.com, are relevant for this project? Have you previously worked with a third-party to execute ad campaigns? A. We do all ticketing through Tickets.com. It will be required to collaborate with Tickets.com to track conversions. Our websites are currently old-school html/dreamweaver. We are in the process of moving to a Drupal system developed by the University. We track analytics using Google analytics. See # 9 for the second part of this question. 97. How does GMU expect Geofencing campaigns to function? On campus or regionally? A. At our venues and possible competitor venues 98. How does GMU currently measure the success of existing advertising efforts? A. Conversions, ticket sales, subscriptions. Methodologies vary depending on media outlet/channel 99. What are the College of Visual and Performing Art s KPI s? A. Subscriber households/revenue; renewal rates; tickets/revenue per performance; overall visitor foot traffic per season; 100. What is the expected reporting frequency? Desired format of reporting? A. Those schedules should be recommended by the vendor, but established in collaboration with CVPA staff.