The NWDA is looking to recruit between five and ten digital and new media agencies, as it aims to move more of its marketing online and increasingly target consumer rather than business markets.
The move is a significant one for the regional development body, providing tangible recognition that web based channels are becoming increasingly important to the way in which it disseminates its messages.
As such bosses at NWDA HQ are openly “genuinely excited” by the possibilities of the internet going forward and are seeking to work closely with teams that can propose best fit solutions, as well as answering prescriptive pitches. This admission seems to suggest that the agency is looking for ‘partners’ rather than simply suppliers.
Currently the NWDA works with a ‘panel’ (as they call their various sector rosters) of Rippleffect, KMP, Reading Room, Elevator, Interactive Dimension, Connect and Amaze. As with all their suppliers these agencies will have to re-pitch as part of the review if they wish to extend the current relationship.
Speaking to How-Do, a spokesperson for the body revealed that, for the first time, they would be seeking to recruit specialist teams across specific digital sub-sectors. He explained:
“Traditionally there has been one e-media panel servicing all of our e-media needs. For the new panel we are now looking for companies with different specialist disciplines including; domain management services; search engine marketing and PPC advertising; digital marketing; interactive agencies; and technology solutions.”
They added: “This is a significant area for us, with more and more of our marketing moving online, especially within the area of tourism.”
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The spokesperson would not be drawn on the specific budgets, however, noting that they were not rigid moving forwards.
More information was garnered from a document seen by How-Do that confirmed that the new panel would be in place for 3 years (with options to extend up to a maximum of 4).
It also relayed that the roster agencies may be able to take advantage of work with external organisations on projects funded by the NWDA, adding that “we are looking for strategists and creative thinkers as much as bullet-proof developers.”
There was also written confirmation that “for the forthcoming period there will be greater emphasis on B2C marketing, particularly in relation to promoting our tourism offerings to consumers.”
Agencies will be invited to tender, following a pre-qualification questionnaire, from 13 February. Interviews and presentations will commence in April, with the final decision being announced in early May.
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