Request for Proposals:
Strategic Marketing Services
Release Date: July 22, 2013
Proposals Due: August 6, 2013; 3:00 p.m. EST
Purpose
Philadelphia Works was created in July 2012 through a merger of two nonprofit organizations, to fund
and oversee the city’s workforce development system. We have completed a strategic plan and seek to
build our strategic marketing and communications capacity to implement it and build more awareness
of our role in the community. We anticipate contracting for marketing consulting services to complete
first a strategic marketing plan and then to execute it. .
Phase 1: Create a strategic marketing plan to drive successful implementation of our strategic plan and
ongoing communications with multiple customers and stakeholders. Mentor and guide staff to begin to
execute the plan. (August-October 2013)
Phase 2: Execute the multi-year strategic marketing and communications activities based on the plan
and budget, using a variety of consultants, staff and in-kind services (November 2013 – June 2015)
This RFP seeks full-service firms who can provide BOTH Phase 1 and Phase 2 services.
The budget for Phase 1 and for the first year of Phase 2 execution is approximately $100,000. We will
use the plan created during Phase 1 to fundraise for full, multi-year execution.
Organizational Background
The Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the Philadelphia Workforce Development
Corporation (PWDC) merged in July 2012 to create Philadelphia Works, a non-profit organization that
leads the city’s workforce development efforts. Philadelphia Works mission is to connect employers to a
skilled workforce and help individuals develop the skills needed to thrive in the workplace.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
What we do:
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Fund, oversee and provide technical assistance to service providers who offer career guidance,
job training, and job placement services to youth and adults.
Offer employers wage subsidies, employee training and re-training assistance, and work to help
their employees who have been laid off.
Conduct research on employment and workforce trends and provide our findings to businesses,
policy makers, service providers and the media.
Promote public policy that meets the needs of jobseekers and employers.
Create innovative partnerships and services to upgrade the skills of Philadelphians and meet
employers’ needs.
Philadelphia Works is supported by federal, state, city, and privately-raised employment and training
funds.
Our customers are both local employers who seek a qualified workforce and the young adults and job
seekers looking to find their next job or advance in their careers. However, we serve these customers
largely through contracting with service delivery partners. Major service providers include educational
institutions, PA CareerLink® Philadelphia (“one-stop” career centers open to the public), the EARN
system (serving only TANF recipients) and youth service providers working through the Philadelphia
Youth Network. Other stakeholders include economic development, education, employment and
training, and human service agencies throughout the city. The Mayor appoints our Board and CEO and
our plans must align with the Mayor’s agenda.
Philadelphia Works began operations on July 1, 2012. The merger achieved the goals of unifying the
governance structure into a single board of directors and of combining the policy/strategy expertise of
the WIB with the fiscal/operational responsibilities of PWDC.
The Philadelphia Works board initiated a strategic planning process in 2012 that engaged the board,
senior staff and stakeholders from more than 80 organizations/businesses, including two citywide
meetings to present the draft plan for input. The plan lays out five strategic priorities, with preliminary
workplans for nine two-year outcomes, leading to five-year goals. The full plan can be accessed here:
http://www.philaworks.org/philadelphia-works/local-plans-and-strategies.
Current Marketing and Communications Capacity
Of necessity, our first year of marketing and communications has focused on a limited number of tactics
designed to launch the organization in July 2012. Philadelphia Works created a new logo, tagline,
mission, document templates, style sheet for graphic presentation, and launched a new website in two
phases. We have built out a robust website section for job seekers. We expect this foundational work
to remain and do not seek to redesign or refresh the logo/brand we have established.
© 2013 Philadelphia Works, Inc. | All rights reserved.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
Our messaging to date has focused on the merger and our role as the “new” leader of workforce
development in the city. We are developing new messages related to our role leading the city’s efforts
to prepare more Philadelphians for work, to improve their economic well-being and meet employer
needs. We see workforce development as part of the city’s economic development activities, rather
than as primarily a social service.
We have a long-time relationship with Bellevue Communications who provides media relations
assistance and maintains a Facebook page and Twitter account. We expect this relationship to continue
through 2013.
In anticipation of the merger, we engaged consultants to assess and offer recommendations to guide
and market our business engagement activities, but their plan has awaited full implementation until a
Director was hired in February 2013. That Director has a sales and marketing background and is just
beginning to develop tools and messages needed to reach new employers. The employer and business
services section of the website will need to be revised as well.
We have not yet developed a strategy to guide our ongoing marketing, and have just begun to clarify
our outreach goals and prioritize our target markets. We have waited to create collateral printed
material, email newsletters, blogs or other methods to communicate our goals or activities to our
multiple constituencies. We do not currently have a system or database to create updated distribution
lists. Our website delivers information, but we have not yet used it interactively to capture data or
respond to visitors. Our staff have learned on the job, with limited expertise in marketing and
communications, design or copyediting. We anticipate hiring an experienced marketing manager in
September July 2013 who can create in-house capacity and work with consultants to implement a
marketing strategy once it is developed.
In sum, we lack an overall strategy or plan to guide the staff’s work and the choice of which marketing
tactics to implement.
Organizational Goals that Require Marketing Activities
We seek to meet the following organizational goals that will require marketing activities:
A. Communicate the results of our strategic planning process to stakeholders and customers.
B. Keep stakeholders/partners/public informed of the progress made toward the two-year and
five-year benchmarks of the strategic plan.
C. Engage new partners, beginning with employers, to sign a “compact” committing their resources
to meeting strategic plan goals.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
D. Conduct outreach to employers, job seekers and service providers to achieve the plan’s twoyear outcomes. For example, one outcome is to increase small business use of workforce system
services. Another is to create a citywide “challenge” campaign to involve faith-based and
neighborhood organizations to help Philadelphians use web-based literacy and workforce
readiness etools so they can qualify for post-secondary training, education and jobs.
E. Clarify how to distinguish between the Philadelphia Works brand and the PA CareerLink®
Philadelphia brand in all communications, especially with prospective employer and job seeker
customers.
F. Inform and engage new stakeholders we identify, who have not yet heard of or benefitted from
our expertise or workforce system services.
G. Deliver workforce program research results and labor market information and analysis that
helps employers, public officials, educators and service providers to improve their
services/policies and understand the local labor market. Become the “go to” source for this
information.
Deliverables and Scope of Work
During Phase 1, the consultant will create for Philadelphia Works our first comprehensive marketing
plan to meet our organizational goals. We will then use the plan to assemble the resources (funding, inkind expertise and Phase 2 creative services) needed to implement it.
During this consulting arrangement, we expect the consultant will first learn about current capacity and
organizational goals. This would require the consultant to:
 get up to speed quickly on the content of the strategic plan and the report on increasing
employer use of business services, prepared by the Fox EMC Consulting Team
 understand our priority stakeholder groups
 review all existing marketing materials, website and social media, relevant materials
from our predecessor organizations, and materials used by other large city workforce
boards.
 conduct any necessary market research
For Phase 1 we seek a consultant who will deliver:
1. A marketing and communications plan focused on helping Philadelphia Works meet its
organizational goals. This plan will include:
a. Marketing objectives, strategies and tactics, that can be phased in as funds become
available (initial budget approximately $100,000)
b. Brand guidelines based on a review of the current brand
c. Proposed message platform
© 2013 Philadelphia Works, Inc. | All rights reserved.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
d. Specific recommendations for how to manage the brand relationship and messaging
between Philadelphia Works and PA CareerLink® Philadelphia.
e. Estimated budget and timeline for plan implementation.
2. Other recommendations, based on what the consultant learns.
3. As a new organization in a start-up phase, we also seek to build a relationship with a consultant
to guide how we should approach and expand our capacity to conduct strategic marketing and
communications. To the extent possible, we would also expect the consultant to deliver:
 Mentoring of Philadelphia Works staff responsible for marketing function
 Ongoing expertise to assist with the selection and management of creative firms to
implement the marketing plan, if expertise is needed beyond what the consultant can
provide or to take advantage of pro bono or in-kind services.
In their proposal, the consultant should describe their core strengths, which services they would provide
directly and which partners or subcontractors would provide.
Budget and Timeframe
We anticipate that the consultant’s initial work and consulting timeframe will proceed along this
timeline.
Milestone
Philadelphia Works solicits proposals from consultants to
deliver Phase 1 services
Proposals Due
Philadelphia Works reviews proposals and selects consultant
(optional interviews)
Contract negotiated and signed
Consultant delivers marketing plan and messaging
recommendations
Staff/board reviews marketing plan and messaging
Authorize implementation of top priority strategies;
Consultant develops communications materials
Launch or go public with first campaign/initiative/messaging
Estimated Dates (2013)
July 22-Aug7
Aug 6
Aug 7-23
Aug 23- Sept 6
Sept-Nov
Nov-Dec
December
January 2014
Given the scope of work and deliverables outlined above, the Phase 1 consultant should propose an
alternative timeframe, if needed.
The budget for Phase 1 and the first year of Phase 2 execution is approximately $100,000. Based on the
scope of work and deliverables above, the consultant must present a Phase 1 budget, and indicate how
© 2013 Philadelphia Works, Inc. | All rights reserved.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
much of the initial budget will be available for Phase 2 execution. The consultant should also provide a
proposed payment schedule.
Qualifications
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At least 5 years demonstrated experience in advising clients and executing marketing, branding,
development of communication strategies, and/or messaging
Demonstrated strategic communications planning skills
Expert knowledge of integrated brand communications including digital (SEO and email) and
social media
Demonstrate that plans you have developed have been successfully implemented by clients
Strong teamwork orientation in working with clients
Ability to creatively and strategically think about and approach problems and assigned projects
Experience working in or with the nonprofit sector is preferred
Experience in/knowledge of economic development, workforce development, foundations
and/or intermediary organizations is strongly preferred
Outstanding written and oral communication skills
Excellent project management ability
Selection and Evaluation
A team of staff and volunteer marketing professionals will evaluate proposals.
The decision for award will be based on demonstrated ability and qualifications to deliver on the scope
of work. Preference will be extended to Philadelphia-based consultants, but regional or national
consultants will be considered as well. Preference will also be extended to business enterprises that are
owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. Selected finalists may be asked to make
presentations to our staff. Philadelphia Works reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, and to
make awards in the best interest of the organization. More than one contract may result from this RFP.
All proposals will be kept confidential within the organization.
How to Apply
Respondents must include the following as part of their proposal:
1. A narrative that describes your approach to this assignment as outlined in the Scope of
Work/Deliverables section.
2. Respondents to this RFP are encouraged to recommend additional or alternative activities to the
Scope of Work outlined above if they believe it would be more appropriate to this project
3. A timeline/workplan for the project
.
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Request for Proposals: Strategic Marketing Services, July 2013
4. Designated staff/partners/subcontractors for Phases 1 and 2. Brief biographies/qualifications of
staff/partners/subcontractors identified to provide services.
5. Itemized budget, broken out for each Phase and each aspect of the work. Pricing information
should include the basis for payment such as hourly rates and number of hours needed for each
deliverable. The consultant should indicate their proposed rate for project management and for
delivery of any services they plan to offer directly, during phase two.
6. Indicate if you are able to provide any services at a discount or pro bono, such as staff
mentoring and ongoing expertise.
7. Preferred payment structure (Please note: Philadelphia Works will develop a mutually agreeable
schedule of payments in connection with completion of deliverables during the process and
upon the delivery of an itemized invoice.)
8. Describe any specific experience or knowledge of workforce development, economic
development, foundations or intermediary organizations that deliver intangible services.
9. Detailed description of recent clients and projects as they relate to conducting similar work (or
links to a portfolio).
10. An example of a marketing plan.
11. A minimum of two references (with contact information) from organizations for which you have
provided marketing planning consulting services in the recent past.
12. Contact name, phone number, email address and mailing address of the lead staff responsible
for filing the proposal.
Deadline for receipt of proposals is Tuesday August 6, 2013 at 3:00 pm EST. All proposals should be
submitted electronically to rrandall@philaworks.org with the subject line “Marketing RFP.”
Questions about the RFP or requests for more information should be directed to Sue Hoffman, Senior
Associate, at shoffman@philaworks.org. . All answers to questions about the content and/or process of
this RFP will be posted on our website at http://www.philaworks.org/about-us/procurementopportunities.
Philadelphia Works expects to make a timely decision to select a communications consultant on or
about August 23, 2013. Philadelphia Works will negotiate all contract terms upon selection.