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22 June 2015
Request for Proposal to deliver a Digital Marketing Campaign in
August and September for Innovation is GREAT Electric Vehicle
Road Trip
1. Introduction
1.1
The British Embassy Tokyo (hereafter “the Embassy”), wishes to choose a Public
Relations Agency to promote the AEM Road Trip
1.2
The AEM Road Trip which is a working title is a tour around Japan of a Nissan LEAF. The
car will be driven by a number of drivers including some celebrities, as well as staff of
the Embassy, Nissan and other supplier companies along the route.
1.3
Innovation is GREAT is a wider year-long campaign run by the British Embassy in Tokyo.
The AEM Road Trip is one element of the campaign.
1.4
This is your chance to be part of an exciting project, working with a small team of
creative people alongside the well-established GREAT brand.
1.5
Please note the short timeframe attached to this RFP.
1.6
The wider Innovation is GREAT campaign will provide further potential opportunities for
PR projects later in the year.
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2. Description of the work the Embassy requires
2.1
The requirement is to design & deliver a focused and targeted PR Campaign through
social media from August 17 to September 25 to support the Embassy in promoting
to Japanese and British business and consumer audiences the exciting work of
manufacturing in the UK.
2.2
The campaign will have three distinct deliverables:
a. A PR Campaign designed by your company
b. A name for the tour proposed by your company
c. A social media channel (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) created by your company in
support of the campaign. Within the social media campaign will be the following:
i. Pre-tour: To create buzz amongst the audience, your company
will run a “Name the LEAF” competition; one winner will be
selected from amongst the entries and will be used to create a
persona for the car.
ii. Tour: Daily tweets (morning, afternoon, early evening) to update
progress through the tour, run concurrently with “Spot the LEAF”
photo contest linked to other social media channels and the
Innovation is GREAT blog site: http://www.innovationisgreatjp.com/
iii. Post-tour: Social media to wrap up the tour and encourage
further engagement with the wider Innovation is GREAT
campaign.
2.3
See Appendices for the objectives and full details of the Electric Vehicle Road Trip.
2.4
Your proposal should total to 20,000 GBP (or 3.7 million yen calculated at a Rate of
Exchange of 185.00 to the pound), and inclusive of VAT.
2.5
Although it cannot be confirmed at this stage, there is potential for future opportunities
to extend the partnership with the successful supplier.
3. Indicative Timetable
3.1
The anticipated timetable for this competition is as follows. The Embassy reserves the
right to vary this timetable.
Date and Time
Circulate this specification
22 June 2015
Confirmation by email of whether your
26 June 2015
firm intends to bid
Deadline for receipt of queries about
26 June 2015
specification
Questions and answers to queries
30 June 2015
circulated by the Embassy to all bidders
(names not disclosed)
Deadline for receipt of bids
3 July 2015
Evaluation of written bids
6-7 July 2015
Telephone Interview for short listed
8-9 July 2015
candidates (only if required, no
presentation needed)
Selection of preferred supplier
10 July 2015
Weekly meetings with supplier
13 July 2015-
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Scheduled Start of Campaign
Scheduled End of Campaign
Campaign Wrap-Up
17 August 2015
18 September 2015
25 September 2015
4. Procedure for returning your response
4.1
Please submit your response to Karl O’Callaghan, UKTI, British Embassy Tokyo karl.ocallaghan@fco.gov.uk by 1700 JST (Japan Standard Time) on Friday 3 July 2015.
The Embassy reserves the right to reject any response received after this deadline.
4.2
The Embassy shall have the right to disqualify any and all incomplete bid. The Embassy
shall also have the right to disqualify any company if it later becomes aware of any
omission or misrepresentation in its response to any question.
5. Evaluation of Responses
5.1
The Embassy will select the applicant that provides the most economically advantageous
and operationally effective bid to be its preferred supplier.
5.2
In your response to the questions below you will need to:
a. demonstrate that you have the appropriate qualities and resources to successfully deliver
the Embassy’s requirement within the time frames & budget required;
b. identify and describe the individuals who will carry out the work;
c. set out your delivery plans, objectives and metrics with timeframes; and
d. explain how you will break down the total cost for the work you do
5.3
Your answers should be in PDF format, and be limited to 500 words for each question.
5.4
Please do not enclose generic marketing brochures unless their content is directly
relevant to the answer to a question (e.g. an individual‟s curriculum vitae).
5.5
Where questions are scored your response will be marked on a scale of 0-5 where
0. Unacceptable
1. Weak - well below expectations
2. Unsatisfactory - below expectations
3. Meets expectations
4. Good – exceeds expectations
5. Outstanding – considerably above expectations
5.6
For scored questions a weighting showing the relative importance of each is given. Your
score for each question from each evaluator will be ascertained by multiplying the score
awarded by the applicable weighting. Your total score will be the aggregate of the
weighted scores awarded by all of the evaluators.
5.7
Some of the questions are not scored. All that is necessary is that the requested
Information is provided. Failure to provide the information may lead to your bid being
disqualified.
Evaluation Questions
Section A - Qualities and Resources
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Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 1 Please demonstrate that you understand what
it is that the Embassy requires and indicate where you have
had previous experience of successfully undertaking such work
(weighting x 3)
Please demonstrate that you have the capability to deliver what the Embassy
requires within the budget/timeframes outlined, which aspect of the work you
anticipate being the most challenging and how you propose to manage these
aspects in particular (weighting x 3)
Please indicate what your expectations would be of the Embassy in terms of
engagement and support (weighting x 2)
Please describe the key activity strands of the PR Campaign you will design and
deliver, along with a rough delivery schedule between the dates of the campaign
(weighting x 3)
Please give a breakdown of the expected target outcomes in terms of social
media followers to channels created, increased followers to Innovation is GREAT
blog site in the scope of tender below, how you will classify these outcomes
(where required), and how you will measure/monitor the outcomes (weighting x
3)
Please indicate whether or not you have a bank account in Japan (not scored)
Section B - Personnel
Question 7 Please identify the individuals to whom you would, if successful, allocate the
work under the contact and provide a brief summary of their skills and
experience (weighting x 1)
Question 8 Please indicate who would be the overall project manager on your side (not
scored)
Section C - Charging
Question 9 Please specify a simple headline breakdown of cost against required work (exVAT and incl. VAT costs) up to a total cost of 20,000 GBP or JPY equivalent at
stated ROE (inc VAT) (weighting x3)
5.8
Following evaluation of the written responses the Embassy (at its discretion) may ask the
best firms to join a telephone conference/call with the Japan team. This will:
(a) enable you to explain your approach to performing the work (if selected);
(b) allow the Embassy to test statements made in the written response.
6. Conflict of Interest
6.1
A conflict of interest could arise if you are in a commercial or other relationship with any
other government agencies or organisations, including other Embassies. You should state
this in your response where a conflict of interest may occur.
7. Decision not to participate
7.1
If, for conflict of interest or other reasons, you decide that you are not going to enter a
response please notify us by email: karl.ocallaghan@fco.gov.uk by 3 July 2015
8. Terms and conditions applying to RFP
8.1
In submitting a response it will be implied that you accept all the provisions of this
specification including these conditions.
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8.2
The information contained in this specification is
believed to be correct at the time of issue but the Embassy
will not accept any liability for its accuracy, adequacy or completeness and
no warranty is given as such. This exclusion does not extend to any fraudulent
misrepresentation made by or on behalf of the Embassy.
8.3
By issuing this specification the Embassy is not bound in any way to enter into any
contractual or other arrangement with you or any other party.
8.4
It is intended that selection of the Embassy’s preferred supplier will take place in
accordance with the provisions of this specification but the Embassy reserves the right to
terminate, amend or vary the procurement process by notice to all participants in writing.
The Embassy will accept no liability for any losses (including but not limited to your bid
costs) caused to you as a result of this.
8.5
You will not be entitled to claim from the Embassy any cost or expenses that you may
incur in preparing your response.
8.6
All information supplied to you by the Embassy, either in writing or orally, must be
treated in confidence and not disclosed to any third party unless and until the
information is in the public domain (see 8.7 and 8.8).
8.7
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information
Regulations 2004 (“EIR”) apply to the Embassy. You should be aware of the Embassy’s
obligations and responsibilities under FOIA
(http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/contents) or EIR
(http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3391/contents/made) to disclose, on written
request, recorded information held by the Embassy. Information provided by you in
connection with this procurement exercise, or in any contract that may be awarded as a
result, may therefore have to be disclosed by the Embassy in response to such a request,
unless the Embassy decides that one of the statutory exemptions under the FOIA or the
EIR applies. For example if you wish to designate information supplied as part of this
response as confidential or if you believe its disclosure would be prejudicial to anyone’s
commercial interests, you must provide clear and specific detail as to the precise
elements which are confidential or prejudicial. However, this alone may not prevent
disclosure if, in the Embassy’s reasonable opinion, publication is required by applicable
legislation.
8.8
The UK Government’s transparency agenda requires that tender documents including
those (like this) used to elicit responses in a competition are published on a designated,
publicly searchable web site. The same applies to any call off contract entered into by
the Embassy with its preferred supplier once this competition is complete. By submitting
a response in this tender, you agree that your participation will be made public if you are
successful. The answers you give to the questions contained in this document will not be
published on the web site (but may fall to be disclosed under FOIA or EIR (see above)).
Where tender documents issued by the Embassy or contracts with its suppliers are
published the Embassy will redact them as it thinks necessary, having regard (inter alia)
to the exemptions/exceptions in the FOIA or EIR.
8.9
The preferred supplier will be required to enter into a formal agreement.
8.10
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The successful bidder will be expected to have:
A track record of delivering successful Digital Marketing campaigns in a short timeframe
Experience of developing social media platforms to increase attention to their business
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Experience of digital marketing to a B2C and B2B audience
Ability to deliver this campaign to a Japan and UK audience
9. Payment
9.1
Payment will be made into a Japanese bank account from the British Embassy Accounts
on the basis of an e-invoice receipt in PDF within 30 days of receipt.
10. Contract management arrangements
10.1 Weekly meeting between the supplier and the Embassy will be required to monitor
progress and deliverables in the lead-up to and during the campaign.
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APPENDIX A:
Delivery dates
Project Title
Lead contact
Region / Market
Language
Brand requirement
Project overview
(Please indicate if
this includes Brand
and Comms)
Campaign Scope
Before:
Name the LEAF Competition – August 17 to 31 followed by social
media activity leading up to tour
During:
Roadshow – September 8 to 18 – Spot the LEAF Photo
Competition during the tour itself
After:
Wrap-Up – September 18 to 25
Electric Vehicle Road Trip – working title – suggestions for a title with
the bid will also be appreciated
Karl O’Callaghan karl.ocallaghan@mobile.ukti.gov.uk;
Hisayo Aoki hisayo.aoki@fco.gov.uk
Primary target: Business and consumers in Japan; Business in the
UK;
Secondary target: Consumers in the UK
Japanese and English
Social media; PR/press; Brand collateral to be provided by the
Embassy
The brand is the Japan local version of “Innovation is GREAT”. Comms is a
key aspect of this project. We will need a PR agency that has strong links in
Japan, but that will also have reach in the UK to share the message with the
public there too.
The concept is that a Nissan Leaf which was built in the UK has made a trip
from its home in the UK to visit its family here in Japan. The Nissan
Sunderland plant is home to the UK’s and Europe’s largest automotive
manufacturing site. UK manufacturing with the partnership of Japanese
expertise and innovation is thriving. Come and see the Nissan Leaf’s
homecoming.
The car itself an electric vehicle, will be branded with “Innovation is GREAT”
and will travel from Tokyo to Osaka and back through the mountains of
Japan, stopping by at Nissan HQ and then back to the Embassy.
The road trip will take place in September. A number of drivers will take the
car around Japan. These include celebrities (British Japan F3 driver Struan
Moore), Embassy staff (including the Ambassador), Nissan staff and
suppliers along the route.
Prior to the road trip, there will be a competition to name the car in June
2015 through social media (a dedicated Twitter channel run by the PR
company and supported by Embassy or Nissan channels, as well as those of
multipliers including the drivers’ and suppliers’ networks).
During the road trip, there will be regular daily tweets (at least three a day
– morning, afternoon, early evening) from focal points along the way –
supplier sites (for the serious business messages) and touristic sites (to
capture and maintain the public imagination). We will run a “Spot the LEAF”
photo contest throughout the campaign. The PR agency will be responsible
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for leading the social media campaign.
Key objectives
To promote the UK as leaders in the manufacturing sector, whilst also
dispelling the myth that the UK no longer has a thriving manufacturing
sector.
Social media campaign to reach 100,000 Japanese members of the
public, including 20% business people; to reach 10,000 British
members of the public.
Paid advertising through Nikkei BP (a Japanese media company) has
already been agreed by our M&C team. The paid ads will run through
June for five weeks into early July. Naoya Sano is leading.
Audience
Channels
8 investment leads and 10 service deliveries as a result of this
campaign.
General public in Japan and the UK; business decision makers in
Japan
What channels do you think are required to deliver the campaign?
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Deliverables
How will you
measure the
success of this
activity
Constraints/risks
Budget
Digital: advertising, , online content e.g. GOVUK and
Innovation is GREAT Japan blog site
Social
PR / press
Content including editorial and copyrighting
Video / YouTube / Periscope / Meerkat or similar
Email marketing
Events collateral
Photography
Is engagement needed with any of the following:
 Stakeholders
 Intermediaries
 Multipliers
 Partners
Bid document covering all aspects outlined in RFP – by July 3
Name the Leaf Competition site and back-end vehicle for receipt of
applications (including voting for favourite name) – by August 3
Social media PR strategy including tweet – by August 3
Photo Contest site and back-end vehicle for receipt of applications by
August 28
Campaign execution throughout agreed period
See key objectives.
Traffic; Regulations at famous sites; Drivers insurance; Schedule of
drivers
20,000 GBP / 3,700,000 JPY (Rate of Exchange set at 185.00 JPY)
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APPENDIX B
Tentative route – OUT (Tokyo  Kobe)
Tentative route – BACK (Kobe  Yokohama  Tokyo)