Introduction
It is in UWM’s best interests to coordinate purchases of advertising and the hiring of marketing and communications agencies to maximize efficiency, avoid duplicate or competing purchases, and achieve economies of scale. Coordination also ensures consistent messaging, fostering trust and improving the audience experience. This is true for all audiences, and particularly for prospective students and their families.
To ensure collaboration and coordination across units, UWM has established the following procurement practice for advertising, as well as marketing and communications agencies. This practice also will ensure that the university receives the best possible value and return on its investment.
Definitions
Procurement
Procurement is defined as the process of sourcing, agreeing to terms and conditions, and acquiring goods or services from an external source, whether for a price or for free.
Advertising
An advertisement includes any public message that promotes the university or a university program, unit, service or event. Advertising channels include, but are not limited to:
- Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, etc.)
- This includes “boosted posts”
- Television (broadcast, cable and streaming)
- Radio
- Streaming video
- Streaming audio
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Online news sites
- Digital advertising (Paid search, display, etc.)
- Billboards
- Bus wraps
- Murals on buildings
- Direct mail
- Sponsorships
Marketing and Communications Agencies
Marketing and communications are separate but complimentary endeavors. Marketing is goal-oriented. Examples include getting prospective students to sign up for a campus tour or apply to UWM. Communications focuses on conveying specific messages that may not be tied to any type of action. Common marketing and communications services offered by agencies include:
- Advertising/media buying
- Brand development
- Copywriting
- Graphic design
- Inbound/email marketing
- Experiential/event marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Market research
- Marketing strategy
- Digital marketing
- Photography
- Public relations
- Social media strategy and management
- Videography
- Web development
Roles and Responsibilities
UWM Purchasing
- Provides guidance on procurement practices in accordance with good business practices and state of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin System and campus laws, rules, policies, and guidelines.
- Leads the development, issuance, and award of Requests for Bids (RFB) and Requests for Proposals (RFP). These processes can take several months or up to a year to complete.
- Protects UWM employees from individual risk by reviewing and signing procurement contracts in accordance with state statutes and university policy.
- May serve as a liaison between UWM and vendors for contract compliance (terms and conditions, pricing, etc.).
- May serve as a liaison between UWM and other UW System campuses if the procurement will “piggyback” on a contract signed by another campus.
UWM Division of Marketing, Communications & University Relations (MarComm)
- Coordinates purchases of advertising and the contracting of marketing and communications agencies for all UWM units.
- Negotiates with advertisers to obtain the best possible price.
- May buy advertising space at volume and resell space to campus units.
- Reviews and approves all creative materials to ensure consistency in messaging.
- Designates which agencies may be hired to provide marketing and communications services.
Project Liaisons (Purchasers)
- Establish goals for the purchase.
- Determine funding.
- How much money is available?
- Obtain any approvals needed within their unit, such as from their vice chancellor, dean or department head.
- Provide funding string.
- Serve as the point of contact for the agency when one is hired.
- Provide MarComm with quarterly project updates, results reports, and any other information/data requested. Results reports are used to improve marketing strategy and tactics across the university.
Divisional Finance Officer (DFOs)
- Create purchase orders.
- Ensure invoices are paid.
MarComm Project Approval Process
All marketing projects involving advertising or contracting an agency must be approved by the UWM’s chief marketing officer before advertising is purchased or an agency is hired. Projects that involve communications work also must be approved by MarComm’s strategic communications director. Approval must be obtained before a purchasing request is submitted.
To obtain approval, the project liaison must submit a project summary that addresses key questions.
Questions for the Purchase of Advertising
- What is the goal? The more specific, the better. For example, “increasing the number of applicants from the Chicago DMA to the bachelor’s program in psychology” is a better, more achievable goal than “grow enrollment.”
- Provide market data to support this goal.
- How will success be measured?
- What are the KPIs?
- If the goal is to generate leads (usually defined as someone who has filled out a request for information form), how will those leads be followed up on, and by who? For example, is there a recruiter who will personally email people who submitted RFI forms to see if they have questions?
- How much money is available for the purchase? Does it need to be spent in a certain timeframe?
- What channels/vendors do you want to use? Examples: Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, digital display.
- Have ads already been created or does money need to be allocated for ad creation? Keep in mind that video ads cost several thousand dollars to create. Other ad types are much less expensive.
- Ads should direct people to a special type of web page called a landing page. Has one already been created? If so, does it need to be updated? If not, has money been allocated to create a landing page?
- If a landing page has already been created, include the URL in the project summary.
Questions for the Hiring of an Agency
- Which agency would the unit like to hire?
- What is the goal? The more specific, the better. For example, “create a Spanish-language video to air on Telemundo and raise visibility in the Spanish-speaking community” is better than “create a video that appeals to diverse audiences.”
- What services are needed to achieve this goal?
- Are these services that MarComm can provide? If MarComm can provide some, but not all of the services, which ones can it provide? Which ones can’t it provide?
- What added value would the agency bring? For example, it may have experience and expertise working with certain audiences. Be as specific and detailed as possible in outlining the added value.
- How much funding is available?
- What is the timeline for the project?
- How will success be measured?
- What are the KPIs?
- Include an agency proposal if one is available.
MarComm may approve the request, deny the request, or send it back to the project liaison for revision. Approved proposals will be backed by research, have achievable goals, and use university dollars efficiently and effectively.
Procurement Process
The procurement process begins after the project has been approved by MarComm in writing. Requests to buy advertising or contract marketing agencies should follow the contract and requisition process in almost all cases. In limited circumstances where vendors do not offer other options, advertising may be paid for with a credit card (purchasing card or p-card). Direct payment is not allowed, except in rare circumstances. It should only be done in consultation with MarComm and UWM Purchasing.
Contract and Requisition
Request a Contract
Upon receiving project approval from MarComm, the project liaison requests a contract from the advertising representative or agency (hereafter, the vendor) and sends the contract to their divisional finance officer. In choosing an agency, units will be directed to an existing contract to explore all the available options.
Create a Requisition
The divisional finance officer creates a requisition in ShopUW+. The requisition will go to a purchasing specialist in Procurement.
MarComm Approval
The purchasing specialist will send a comment via ShopUW+ to the chief marketing officer, who will reply with approval of the purchase. (If the project liaison has skipped the MarComm Project Approval Process, that process will begin at this point.)
Contract Signed
The purchasing specialist will vet and sign the contract.
Vendor Payment
The vendor will invoice UWM, including the requisition number (PO number). Invoices are sent to Accounts Payable at ap-invoices@uwm.edu. The divisional finance officer works with Accounts Payable to ensure payment is made.
P-Card Payments
P-cards should only be used with advertising platforms that don’t provide other means of payment.
MarComm Requests Use of P-Card
The chief marketing officer will send the approved proposal to the director of procurement, or their designee, with a recommendation on how long the p-card may be used for payment. For example, a recommendation might be, “Jane Smith should use her p-card to pay Meta for Facebook and Instagram advertising from July 1, 2023 to Nov. 30, 2023.” The project liaison will be copied on the email.
Purchasing Approval
The Director of Procurement or their designee will respond to the email, approving use of the p-card.
Make Payment
The p-card may be used to purchase the advertising. When p-card statements and receipts are uploaded to the UWM Purchasing Card Approval and Storage Submission Form (Streamline), the email with approval from the Director of Procurement or their designee must also be uploaded. Advertising purchases that do not include pre-approval from the Director of Procurement or their designee may be flagged during an audit.
Resources
List of divisional finance officers
UW-Madison marketing contract (Madison Master Agreement)