Marketing Services RFP

About this position

A-Way Express is seeking a consulting or agency partner to help us develop our marketing communications capacity. The primary outcome of the engagement will be a 2-year integrated marketing communications plan. The ideal partner will coach our staff as the plan is implemented, transferring skills that will enable us to sustain our marketing communications program beyond the term of the consulting engagement.

Background

A-Way Express is one of Canada’s earliest employment social enterprises. Since 1987, we have operated a courier business that employs people with lived experience of mental illness & addictions.

Little formal marketing has been undertaken over the years. However, A-Way Express is well regarded by loyal customers. Our courier service has a 4.6-star rating on Google Reviews and we are a Toronto Star Reader’s Choice Award Winner.

In 2020, A-Way received excellent brand strategy advice and we refined our value proposition. We are recipients of a Google Ads Grant which we are now supplementing with paid search ads. Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the courier industry. A-Way Express has attracted many new customers over the past several months. We wish to retain these new customers and position ourselves for further growth.

A-Way’s marketing communications priorities for the next two years:

• Brand amplification
• Targeted customer acquisition
• Current customer retention
• Staff skill development

We are novice marketers seeking partnership with a practical consultant or agency who will walk with us as we learn to refine our messaging, develop our marketing assets, integrate tactics and track results. The focus of this project should be on building a foundation. We are not ready for a complex branding exercises, a 50-page written marketing plan or a big-bang promotional campaign.  

Project goals

1. Establish key marketing messages across all channels
2. Set content guidelines for social, email and web marketing and work with staff to gather and/or create low-cost content
3. Update A-Way’s corporate identity package – letterhead, invoices, e-blast template, branded clothing and courier equipment, postcards, business cards, delivery vehicle wraps, building signage etc.
4. Refresh website content including SEO update
5. Develop a 2-year tactical marketing activity calendar that integrates existing marketing activities including our Google Ads Grant, paid search and/or display ads, email marketing, website and social marketing content
6. Skills transfer to staff who will implement the tactical plan and maintain marketing assets beyond 2 years. Skills transfer should include some staff training/coaching as well as regular meetings in the first 6 months of plan implementation
7. Create marketing activity tracking tools and teach staff to make fact-based plan adjustments in order to meet business goals

Draft Workplan (to be refined with the selected partner)   

Phase I – Marketing plan development  (March 2021)

• Review current marketing activity and assets, brand guidelines
• Establish key messages
• Prepare a 2year, tactical marketing communications plan with costing

Phase II – Content Creation and Marketing Asset Development  (Mar/Apr 2021)

• Corporate Identify Package
• Website refresh
• Establish online and social marketing content guidelines and work with staff to gather and/or develop content that supports the marketing plan

Phase III – Skills Transfer  (May/Jun 2021)

• Train/coach staff to deliver the integrated marketing communications plan
• Develop marketing activity tracking tools

Phase IV – Program Monitoring

• Monthly checkin’s to review marketing plan results
• Provide advice and decision support when marketing program adjustments are required

Request for Proposals

If you are interested in working with the A-Way Express team to develop our marketing capacity, please submit a proposal to Katherine Roos, Executive Director via email at katherine@awayexpress.ca no later than 5pm on Monday, March 1, 2021. Proposals should be no longer than 10 pages including pricing and attachments. References are required as well as marketing communications experience with small not-for-profit organizations.