Title
Contract for Marketing Services (B)
Explanation
As an enterprise of the City, GRU promotes products and services that help customers live well and work smart.
In the past, GRU has contracted with full-service marketing and communications agencies. This has benefited GRU through discounted media opportunities, and by taking advantage of low-cost public relations efforts. The recent contract with our agency of record expired and in order to continue to provide the most cost-effective communication and marketing efforts, GRU desires to again secure the services of a full-service agency.
A Request for proposal (RFP) was issued to forty-two firms providing these services. Sixteen responses were received and those proposals were evaluated in accordance with the criteria established in the RFP. The Zimmerman Agency is the highest rated firm. A tabulation of the evaluation results is attached for your information. The initial term of the contract will be a period of three years. A provision will be included for two, twelve-month extensions by mutual agreement.
The Zimmerman Agency has over sixteen years of proven experience providing these services to governmental agencies and utility companies, including several green energy utility clients and a municipal utility client. They will assist us in promoting our competitive services such as GRUCom, GRU.Net and Natural Gas. We will also use the agency's expertise to promote programs such as green energy and energy conservation.
Recommendations
The City Commission: 1) authorize the General Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute a three-year contract with The Zimmerman Agency for marketing and communications services, subject to approval of the City Attorney as to form and legality; and 2) approve the issuance of a purchase order to The Zimmerman Agency for FY 2002 in the not to exceed amount of $65,100 and during subsequent years of the initial contract term in amounts not to exce...
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