Title
Media Buying Services for Charlotte Water Educational Media Campaign
Action
Action:
A. Approve a contract with The Agency Marketing Group for media buying services for an initial term of one year, and
B. Authorize the City Manager to renew the contract for up to one additional, one-year term with no price adjustments and to amend the contract consistent with the City’s business needs and the purpose for which the contract was approved.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Barry Shearin, Charlotte Water
Explanation
§ Charlotte Water conducts water conservation, sanitary sewer overflow, and water leak reduction education campaigns to:
- Increase public awareness of water conservation issues as they relate to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County;
- Increase public awareness of sanitary sewer overflows in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County;
- Satisfy Clean Water Act requirements to increase public action that leads to reductions in sanitary sewer overflows;
- Increase reporting of water and sewer issues; and
- Encourage behavior change that results in utility cost avoidance such as paperless billing.
§ The Agency Marketing Group will provide media buying services in a strategic combination of various media placements to maximize impact and effectiveness. Media placement is one tool of a multi-prong educational effort designed to change customer behavior, protect the environment and increase customer satisfaction. The media buy may include placement in television, radio, print and other mediums as appropriate.
§ The Agency Marketing Group will be compensated for its media buying services through a standard commission of 15% received directly from the media companies with whom the creative material is placed. In addition, the City will expect The Agency Marketing Group to vigorously pursue opportunities for free media placement. This free media placement may be in the form of public service announcements or placement extensions, among other possibilities.
§ A media placement plan is the first deliverable required by the contract.
§ On September 2, 2015, Charlotte Water issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for media buying services. In response to the RFQ, the City received two proposals from interested service providers.
§ The Project Team evaluated the proposals and determined that The Agency Marketing Group best meets the City’s needs in terms of qualifications, experience, and responsiveness to RFQ requirements.
§ Estimated contract expenditures are $120,000 annually.
Charlotte Business INClusion
No subcontracting goal was established because there are no subcontracting opportunities (Part C: Section 2.1(a) of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy). The Agency Marketing Group is a City SBE.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Charlotte Water Operating Budget