Marketing Strategies - How to Write an RFP for Marketing Collateral Materials
Sunday, November 24, 2013
If your company needs marketing collateral, but doesn’t have in-house talent to create it, writing an RFP to distribute to agencies can be an effective means to find the best way to get the job done. Taking the time to write a very detailed RFP will help you find the marketing agency best suited to your needs. When your company and the marketing agency are on the same page from the start, there’s no need for unpleasant surprises.
Brief Company Introduction
Provide respondents with a brief overview of your organization, including any details relevant to the creation of your marketing collateral materials. Points to touch on may consist of company history, organizational mission, current challenges and an overview of your products and services. This helps the reader to get a better idea of what you’re looking for, so he can decide if he thinks his company could be a good fit for your marketing materials.
Schedule of Deadlines
Include a schedule of dates relevant to both candidate selection and project completion. This includes the RFP deadline, date finalists will be contacted for interviews, interview dates and any other relevant dates that candidates need to know. Also include the proposed project start dates, any known due dates and the final date that either all marketing collateral must be completed or a contract end date. This lets a candidate know your timeline from the start, so if she doesn’t think her company will be able to keep up, she won’t waste both your time and hers by responding to the RFP.
Scope of Work
Clearly state the type of marketing collateral your company needs. For example, if you need print materials like fact sheets, brochures, business cards and newsletters, list each item requested. Explain who your target market is and the goals you’re trying to achieve. Describe whether you’re looking to have a long-term, ongoing relationship with the company or simply want them to produce the requested marketing materials one time. Include your budget, so the marketing company can create a realistic proposal based on your pricing structure.
Clear Submission Guidelines
Tell respondents how you would like to receive the completed proposal. This can include instructions to mail a certain number of hard copies to your company, email the response or a combination of both. Many companies create a panel to review RFPs, so they request a certain number of copies so each member can have the proposal in front of them during group discussions.
Tags:
Marketing, Marketing Strategies
Brief Company Introduction
Provide respondents with a brief overview of your organization, including any details relevant to the creation of your marketing collateral materials. Points to touch on may consist of company history, organizational mission, current challenges and an overview of your products and services. This helps the reader to get a better idea of what you’re looking for, so he can decide if he thinks his company could be a good fit for your marketing materials.
Schedule of Deadlines
Include a schedule of dates relevant to both candidate selection and project completion. This includes the RFP deadline, date finalists will be contacted for interviews, interview dates and any other relevant dates that candidates need to know. Also include the proposed project start dates, any known due dates and the final date that either all marketing collateral must be completed or a contract end date. This lets a candidate know your timeline from the start, so if she doesn’t think her company will be able to keep up, she won’t waste both your time and hers by responding to the RFP.
Scope of Work
Clearly state the type of marketing collateral your company needs. For example, if you need print materials like fact sheets, brochures, business cards and newsletters, list each item requested. Explain who your target market is and the goals you’re trying to achieve. Describe whether you’re looking to have a long-term, ongoing relationship with the company or simply want them to produce the requested marketing materials one time. Include your budget, so the marketing company can create a realistic proposal based on your pricing structure.
Clear Submission Guidelines
Tell respondents how you would like to receive the completed proposal. This can include instructions to mail a certain number of hard copies to your company, email the response or a combination of both. Many companies create a panel to review RFPs, so they request a certain number of copies so each member can have the proposal in front of them during group discussions.
