Procurement - marketing services framework: buyer's guide

Framework period

The framework agreement commences on 1 September 2022 and will run for a period of four years until 31 August 2026.

Framework overview

The framework agreement is for the supply of marketing services. Framework suppliers will be required to provide the services under each of the following six lots:

• Lot 1 creative services above £50K
• Lot 2 creative services below £50K
• Lot 3 digital marketing services
• Lot 4 public relation services
• Lot 5 market research services
• Lot 6 events and video production services

Framework scope

Lot 1 and 2 – creative services above £50K and below £50K

Strategic creative advertising is delivered on a project basis and may include, either individually or in combination:

• strategic marketing planning
• target audience insight, this may be derived from bespoke research conducted from the research lot or directly
• development of the creative strategy and brief against Framework Public Body objectives
• development of a well-targeted creative approach utilising all identified marketing platforms and channels
• development of a clear, succinct creative proposition that is appropriately targeted, innovative and engaging 
• development, production and delivery of effective public information communication activities and commercial activities
• development, production and delivery of effective social marketing activities designed to generate measurable behavioural change or support commercial objectives
• development, production and delivery of effective marketing activities designed to support commercial objectives
• delivery of field marketing including the face to face engagement with the targeted consumer
• delivery of direct marketing services
• delivery of partnership marketing

Strategic planning:

• customer/market analysis, segmentation and targeting
• service development and design
• promotional and channel strategy and selection
• measurement setting and evaluation

Field marketing:

• auditing
• sampling/demonstrating
• merchandising
• sales
• roadshows/events/experiential marketing, including preparing creative work
• based on agreed strategy, and in some instances joint activity with framework public bodies
• mystery shopping
• data and IT
• support services
• evaluation against pre-set metrics, this may be further evaluated by independent research

Partnership marketing:

• partner identification and selection
• contracting of partnership activity
• brand licensing
• campaign co-ordination
• evaluation, including negotiating access to partnership data relevant to marketing activity

Direct marketing:

• augment and manage datasets as appropriate. Sourcing and managing databases as required, including collating customer lists, cleansing data, and updating records (including post campaign)
• provide accurate and timely management information
• achievement of results, as per agreed KPIs, including full evaluation
• segmentation

Lot 3 - digital marketing services

This framework agreement is for the supply of digital marketing services and the contractors will be required to provide the services listed under the following categories:

• digital marketing
• digital technical services
• search engine optimisation
• usability
• mobile

Digital marketing strategy:

The contractor must be able to demonstrate the ability to translate marketing objectives, including social marketing/behaviour change objectives, into strategies to develop campaigns that are digitally led or to provide digital activity to complement a wider campaign.

Partnership marketing:

Partnership marketing services may include, either individually or in combination:

• partner identification and selection
• background checks of any proposed Influencer partners, including past social media activity
• contracting of partnership activity
• brand licensing
• campaign co-ordination
• evaluation – including negotiating access to partnership data relevant to marketing activity

Digital technical services

Digital technical services may include either individually or in combination, technical support in the pursuit of the following activities:

• strategic digital communications development
• website scoping, design and build and hosting
• mobile and responsive design
• maintenance and support
• metrics analysis
• search engine optimisation
• usability testing and user research
• accessibility
• training and associated documentation
• digital advertising
• social media including traffic and sentiment reporting
• database and data management
• systems integration
• penetration and load testing

Lot 4 - public relation services

Public relations services covers the planning, creative approach, project delivery and evaluation of public relations activity and may include, either individually or in combination:

• strategic planning
• media relations and briefing
• media partnerships
• digital and social media and blogger relations
• partnerships and promotions
• content creation
• sponsorship activation
• stakeholder engagement and liaison
• crisis and issues management
• events and exhibition support
• media training for spokespeople
• evaluation and media monitoring
• press trip organisation
• media Intelligence
• implementation of media events

Lot 5 - market research services

The requirement covers the provision of design and implementation of research involving a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover insight, deliver evidence for proposed communications approaches (such as creative testing) and tracking of impact and effectiveness against audiences for public information and behaviour change communications. This work may encompass insight gathering, creative testing and evaluation for – advertising, digital, field marketing, partnership marketing, PR, products for change and a rage of new approaches. The services may include, either individually or in combination:

• market and consumer primary research
• business to business research
• secondary (desk) research
• marketing evaluation
• continuous tracking
• segmentation

Lot 6 - events and video production services

The requirement is to provide services in the areas of event management, exhibition management and technical audio visual services and video and production services.

• delivery of high quality professionally managed events, including virtual events
• maximising income generation opportunities through sponsorship provision
• responsibility and delivery of all project management tasks associated with the events including liaison with key stakeholders, partners and staff where appropriate
• project manage the design, build and life cycle management of collaborative partner’s exhibition displays
• to protect and enhance the collaborative partner’s brand and corporate image in large scale events
• to assist in meeting collaborative partner’s exhibition objectives and opportunities
• ensure corporate image is protected and maintained across all audio visual content (including presentations, video and podcasts)
• provide audio visual support services to key events and exhibitions either in a main contractor or sub-contractor role and professionally produced and delivered audio visual support, and
• programme development and production
• un-compressed fully digital non-linear online editing from a high definition format that delivers to the current BBC technical standards
• compressed off-line editing with editor
• the provision of computer graphics for titles and captions from packages such as adobe creative suite
• 3D or 2D effects and compositing
• providing media production support at events and conferences