Always Stuck with the wrong digital marketing agency? Probably, it’s your fault.
Most if not all of you have worked with a digital marketing agency and thought these guys are such idiots. Yet, you had hired them looking at their work and doing some sort of background check. So, what went wrong?
There is a serious lack of discipline when we go about hiring third party agencies, vendors or for that matter even when we put up an advertisement for a Job Opening. We at IOSIGNITE get emails that read, “we are looking for an agency to help us generate more leads for admission.”
‘til the time you don’t know what you really want and need, you will never get a partner that can solve the problem you truly face. Only people who respond to emails that read ‘we need more leads’ are the people who say ‘running facebook ads will solve all your problems’ Lack of admissions cannot be fixed by only generating more leads just like hairfall can’t be fixed by shampooing a million times.
There is a chronic reason behind both: why the seats are empty, the hair is falling. You need to first admit that you have a problem. One needs to do tests to figure out what the issue is work on it, get the right help and wait for positive results to show in the coming years. What am I talking about? Both Hairfall and Admissions. That head spa session is not helping with your hair fall if you have Cancer.
How to attract the right people/agencies to you? Write a good Request for Proposal. Here is an example, our London team received this from Albright College a few years ago. Our India team received a similar one from Victoria University, Australia last week, who are setting up a Centre of Excellence in Gujarat in collaboration with Ganpat University. That made me think, why don’t we see such detailed request for proposals from Indian Institutions…
Albright College, a selective, national liberal arts college enrolling 1,700 full-time undergraduates and more than 800 adult learners and graduate students, invites you to submit a proposal for comprehensive market research services related to positioning and brand identity.
BACKGROUND
“We are focused on supporting a strong integrated and compelling brand identity. In a crowded and noisy marketplace, Albright must tell its story and promote its distinctive mission, vision, and values with clarity and consistency. We must use all available tools to convey our message, and we must secure the support of all who can be allies in sharing that message – beginning most obviously with faculty, staff, and students, but also extending to alumni, parents of current and former students, friends in the community, and others.
“Our message must be rooted with absolute integrity in who we are and what we do well and then must be repeated by all who are charged with conveying it. We must devote appropriate resources to this task and be committed to continually refreshing and renewing our story as new media emerge.”
–Albright College Strategic Plan 2015-2020: Charting a Course for the 2022 Graduate and Beyond
Albright College has not conducted comprehensive research among its major stakeholder groups in more than 15 years. With the College articulating as one of its strategic goals the advancement of an integrated, compelling brand identity, the time is right to compile and analyze enough data to allow us to discern our actual market position and understand our differentiation points, strengths, and weaknesses. Up to now, we have relied on speculation, anecdotes, and hunches, but the stakes are simply too high to forego evidence-based decision making.
The need for a strong, credible brand identity has only increased since the College’s implementation of a new financial aid policy under which we pledge to meet 100 percent of institutional determined financial need for all incoming freshmen. One aim of this policy is to strengthen Albright’s financial position by attracting more students with the resources to contribute a greater portion of their tuition. An accurate, compelling brand identity will help us target such students with more compelling messaging. Data generated by research would give us a more accurate foundation on which to develop such genuine and authentic messaging that resonates with the desired audiences.
DELIVERABLES
Quantitative and qualitative research that identifies existing market position
Analysis of effectiveness of existing marketing communications
Identification of gaps between perceived and actual market positions
Recommended positioning strategies (e.g. brand promise, differentiation points, marketing initiatives, etc.) to close the perception gap and strengthen brand identity
BUDGET AND TIMELINE
The College has allocated $100,000 for this project. We hope to choose a vendor by the end of November, with work starting immediately afterward and the deliverables in our hands by the end of February 2017.
PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE
Information on your firm’s capabilities, core competencies, and leadership
A description of the process your firm will follow to complete this project
Names and biographical information of those who will be assigned to this project should we accept your proposal
References form current and former clients relevant to this project
Examples of successful research projects in higher education or closely related field
Cost estimates and timelines
ABOUT ALBRIGHT COLLEGE
Founded in 1856, Albright College is a selective, national liberal arts college enrolling 1,700 full-time undergraduates and more than 800 adult learners and graduate students. The College’s flexible interdisciplinary curriculum, strengthened by a close-knit residential learning environment, encourages students to combine majors and disciplines to create individualized academic programs. Close faculty mentorship, numerous experiential learning options, and a diverse, supportive community of scholars and learners help students exceed their own expectations and graduate with a commitment to a lifetime of service and learning. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania.
For more about the College, see “The Albright Advantage,” at http://www.albright.edu/about/president.html.
The firm chosen to complete this project will work with a variety of College constituent groups, but most of all the Office of College Relations and Marketing. The associate vice president oversees a staff of seven: a director of publications; a web manager; a manager of news and new media; an art director; two graphic designers; and a public relations assistant. The office is responsible for institutional branding and identity; marketing and advertising; publications design and production; the College magazine; crisis communications; leadership communications; development communications; media relations; website maintenance; and institutional social media.
Direct questions to:
Thomas W. Durso
Associate Vice President for College Relations and Marketing Albright College
Why do this? This will get the right marketing agency excited and the bunch of idiots masquerading as Digital Marketing Prodigies go silent. You will receive one to three replies, but they will be from those who can truly help.
October - 11,2019 | Posted by: Iosignite
