Questions and Answers

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Digital Social Media Marketing Campaign

Solicitation: 2009-Q-11489

Questions and Answers Technical Questions

1. What other non-digital strategy/tactics are being utilized to distribute the SGR? We want to understand how digital fits within the overall campaign strategy to provide better media synergy and determine how to best measure digital’s impact.

Media kit, consumer brochure, executive summary, pdf on www.cdc.gov/tobacco and on the Surgeon General’s Web site, digital story, Web-based “The Effects of Tobacco Use on the Human Body” (animation and illustration), and collaboration with states and partners. The full SGR and plain language summary will be available in print and on the CDC Web site.

2. The RFQ specifies targeting mainly cardiologists. Is there any objection to also targeting primary care physicians and nurses?

No.

3. When will the 2009 SGR materials be made available to the selected contractor?

When the award is made.

4. For analysis and planning purposes, would we have access to the Omniture web analytics data for www.cdc.gov/tobacco?

Yes.

5. To clarify, will the “150-180 feeds” be written/pulled by the selected contractor based on 5-10 key messages and distributed to the OSH’s social media properties?

Yes.

6. Will there be video and audio assets available to help promote the 2009 SGR?

Yes.

7. Will the social networking sites be monitored/moderated by an employee(s) of the OSH… or by the selected contractor?

By CDC, in consultation with the contractor.

8. Statement of Work paragraph 12.B, page 36 of 37 indicates a footnote “1” as follows: “…..to perform round-the-clock1 requirements…..”. However, there is no footnote at the bottom of page 37. Please provide the text of the missing footnote.

Please disregard.

9. Will the contractor be building a “new” social networking site for this initiative or utilizing existing social networking sites?

Existing social networking sites.

10. If using existing sites, would the contractor be creating three different presences for each particular site/audience segment, e.g. three facebook walls, one for doctors, one for the general public, and one for policy makers?

Yes.

11. The RFQ names three sites as examples (Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace), but the ability to develop a presence requires a different skill set for each platform. Are there specific social platforms that must be included, or is the ability to strategically choose where to have a presence part of the requirements?

Strategic placement based on the intended audience.

12. Please clarify “ability to upload all homepages into the Internet social network environment.” Do you wish to create content on your site and have it populate across your presence on social networks?

Across social networks.

13. Please clarify what is desired by “feeds”. What types of content?

Key messages (5-10) developed by the contractor, in collaboration with CDC.

14. What does “follow audience responses using self-reported information” mean? What constitutes “following”?

Monitor social network sites with CDC.

15. The RFQ states as a requirement that the contractor be able to analyze and measure the number of internet encounters of key messages; what does and does not constitute an “internet encounter”?

We anticipate that the contractor will be able to assess audience awareness of key messages by monitoring social media sites.

16. The RFQ states as a requirement that the contractor be able to “broadcast audio, video and picture messages to smart phones”; does this mean MMS or SMS type messaging? Is there a list of specific supported devices that must be included?

MMS and/or SMS are options. No specific list of devices is required.

17. The RFQ states in the scope of work that the contractor will explore existing multimedia assets and recommend possible future deployment of appropriate content. How many existing assets are there? How will the contractor be given access to these assets for exploration?

Three assets provided in electronic file formats at the time of the award.

18. The RFQ timeline suggests the CDC is predisposed to a particular approach to social media. Is there an opportunity to shape the approach based on the project goals, i.e., what behaviors do you want to change, what do you want people to do with the Surgeon’s General’s report, what are the target numbers for dissemination of the Surgeon General’s report, etc.?

Yes.

19. Would you consider contracting with more than one vendor? For example, a second vendor who can deliver the components that do not follow under the part of the deliverable that requires experience serving specific programs and securing visas?

No. Visas are not applicable. This is a domestic project.

20. Are there current social marketing sites that are hosted by the CDC?

21. Is there a budget set aside for this campaign?

22. Is there any requirement for contractor staff to be onsite at CDC?

No.

23. Are there any firms that CDC is currently using that are capable of providing social media capabilities? Will they be bidding on this proposal?

Don’t know.

24. Can you define the CDC’s standard creative development/production approval process and give us a feel for historical timings on project approvals?

Our review process can take anywhere from 3 to 9 months. It begins with branch management and then goes to scientific review for content approval. Sometimes there is a requirement for HHS approval.

25. Are there any legal restrictions around distribution and publications (i.e. once we distribute socially, can the documents be redistributed by tertiary parties without restriction)?

Yes.

26. Is there a blacklist of sites/tactics that are looked down upon?

Yes.

27. Aside from social media is there a marketing calendar for the 2009 SGR release that indicates corresponding activities (Press Releases, Print, TV, Radio, etc.)?

Yes.

28. Does the CDC have existing research on the target audience and will this be shared upon award?

Yes.

29. The RFP has some very specific statements about what you think you need to occur within the campaign (ie. 50-60 feeds per audiences for 3 audiences), is this because you are basing your needs on the same or similar campaign that has already occurred?

No.

30. If so, what was the nature of the campaign that you are modeling your needs after? And was that campaign performed for the CDC?

Not applicable.

31. If it was performed for the CDC, who conducted that campaign? And are they considered an incumbent for this effort?

Not applicable.

32. Do you see any of the campaign being achieved through purchases of online media, in order to drive traffic to the various social media venues?

Possibly.

33. What portion of the campaign should be allocated for online media buys to support the social sites?

Recommendations from the awardee.

34. What form of “self reported” information are you referring to in Item 4 Technical Requirements, bullet 5? Does this simply mean surveys?

To be determined, in collaboration with CDC.

35. Are we locked into the concept of creating a separate account for each audience (health professionals, policy makers, and public) on all social networks we join? It would seem to involve a lot of overlap in some social platforms.

No.

36. How did you come up with the number of feeds per audience (50-60 feeds for three primary audiences)?

Estimate was based on time constraints and budget.

37. The number of feeds (50-60) would seem somewhat limiting for a social platform such as Twitter, is the feed quantity intended to represent the number of RSS “stories” or “releases” that would be fed to online media outlets? And not to literally represent the total number of various types of feeds that could be created for all of your social media sites?

The feed quantity refers to the number of releases fed to online media outlets.

38. Can you give us an idea of the quantity and type of resources that might be made available to users of the various social sites, that would require remediation?

Messages need to be produced in compliance with 508 requirements.

39. The contract indicates that it would end in December 2009. What will happen to the social sites, and their upkeep, in the periods that follow December 31st, 2009?

Contractor will not be required for upkeep after December 31, 2009.

40. Is there any opportunity for us to continue the contract, or at least the effort, after December 31st, 2009?

A new solicitation would be required.

41. If you are looking to post each of the three audiences to a specific number of feeds, was there prior research conducted to assure there were relevant and strategic networks to meet that number?

No.

42. If we were to create a Twitter site, would you provide a person to update that site everyday? Or would you want us to undertake that effort and expense on an ongoing basis for the duration of the contract?

How the site is to be monitored is based on a recommendation of the contractor.

43. Do the 5-10 messages we create need to support or coincide with messages being used in another media?

Yes.

44. Do you believe that you will need a separate mobile site, for Smartphones and iPhones?

This will be based in part on recommendations from the awardee.

45. Do you believe you will utilize an iPhone application (iPhone app) in this effort?

To be determined, based in part on recommendations from the awardee.

46. There is no mention of the campaign development in the requirements… or is it your intention that the development of the 5-10 messages is the campaign development?

Yes.

47. Is it your intention (or goal) for us to develop audio and video that will be broadcast to mobile devices?

No.

48. Is it your intention (or goal) for the vendor to develop audio and video resources to be implemented on the various social sites? If so, can you give us an idea of the quantity and nature of those resource needs, so we can include them in the Firm Fixed Price?

No.

49. What do you consider the age range of the “general public” materials? Do we need to develop content that would be suitable (and separate) for a teen, tween, or youth audience?

The general public ranges from 18 to 54. Yes.

50. The 508 Standards provide a clause that states that materials or resources do not need to be remediated (or altered in anyway) if that effort constitutes an “undue burden”. Is there a cost factor or effort factor that CDC uses as a guideline for determining is a requirement and subsequent effort to satisfy that requirement is an “undue burden”? This could be critical in satisfy the 508 requirements you have put forth.

No guideline exists at this time.

51. Are the deliverable dates listed in Section 5. Deliverables under the Statement of Work tied to specific events internally within CDC or from external parties, such as the Surgeon General?

Both.

52. Where is the content coming from & in what format?

CDC; in various electronic formats.

53. How did you arrive at the 50-60 feeds per each audience? Is the content being released in a series of reports? Is their [typo] ancillary content that is released after the SG's report?

Time constraints and budget considerations.

54. Are their [typo] different access level/levels of sophistication for the three segments (public, physicians, policy makers)?

Yes.

55. Is your intention to outsource the web content role or will someone internally be pushing this content?

This will be done internally.

56. Who is hosting (files, etc)?

CDC.

57. From a strategy perspective, what are you trying to accomplish - awareness? create more/modern avenues of content dissemination?

Both.

58. Will we have access/ability to survey any of the segment members to find out what they want/benefits/etc?

To be determined, in collaboration with CDC.

Questions on 508 Standards

1. The 508 Standards provide a clause that states that materials or resources do not need to be remediated (or altered in anyway) if that effort constitutes an “undue burden”. Is there a cost factor or effort factor that CDC uses as a guideline for determining is a requirement and subsequent effort to satisfy that requirement is an “undue burden”? This could be critical in satisfy the 508 requirements you have put forth.

CDC will not be providing an undue burden exception for this activity. Offerers should consider costs of compliance in determining their response to this solicitation.

2. Page 34 of 37 – #7, item b.) Section 508 – You mentioned that regardless of format all electronic materials must be 508 compliant, but materials that are uploaded to social media sites are seldom 508 compliant – ie.) videos uploaded to Facebook by web visitors would not have captioning or an alternative html script accompany them, and these videos would, therefore, not be 508 compliant, but are being offered as content on a Facebook pages managed by the CDC (or by us as a CDC agent). Is your intention that no materials on the social media site, whether created by the CDC, its agent (us) or specifically by a website visitor ( a user) can violate 508 standards?

Materials created by CDC or its agents must meet Section 508 compliancy standards. Where the technology does not allow for accessibility, and NO OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL OPTION is available, the Project Officer may, at their discretion, specify an alternative means of conformance in that instance. For the facebook example given, this might mean linking to YouTube videos that are captioned, in place of using the inaccessible facebook built-in video tool. Materials created by consumers may be in any format and may not be fully compliant. CDC and its agents should request that consumers post accessible materials, and provide information to assist consumers in posting such accessible content, however CDC considers making materials not created by or - under contract, agreement, or grant – for CDC to be covered under the fundamental alteration exception outlined in 36 CFR 1194.3 (e)

3. What is your policy on 508 standards as applied to “user-generated” content?

Materials created by consumers (user generated) may be in any format and may not be fully compliant. CDC and its agents should request that consumers post accessible materials, and provide information to assist consumers in posting such accessible content, however CDC considers making materials not created by or - under contract, agreement, or grant – for CDC to be covered under the fundamental alteration exception outlined in 36 CFR 1194.3 (e). All materials posted by or for CDC must meet applicable section 508 requirements.

4. If you intend for the vendor to remediate documents contributed by the web community to your social sites, how do you propose we estimate the volume of that content and the nature of that content. (I.e. It is much easier to remediate a simple photo document than to remediate a pdf full of tables and charts.)

Materials created by consumers may be in any format and may not be fully compliant. CDC and its agents should request that consumers post accessible materials, and provide information to assist consumers in posting such accessible content, however CDC considers making materials not created by or - under contract, agreement, or grant – for CDC to be covered under the fundamental alteration exception outlined in 36 CFR 1194.3 (e). All materials posted by or for CDC must meet applicable section 508 requirements.

5. Has the CDC had experience (and success) creating 508 compliant mobile sites for smartphones and other mobile devices?

Yes. CDC does accessible Podcasts and sites structured to work in mobile environments.

Business Questions

59. There are questions regarding the lanugage of the Quote Submission Instructions and the Technical Evaluation Criteria.

Please see Amendment 00004 for the new information.

60. Referencing the Price Proposal on Page 37, are vendors required to have a GSA Schedule in order to submit an offer?

No vendors are not required to have a GSA Schedule in order to submit an offer. Please see Amendment 00004 for the price prosposal information.

3. Can you clarify the order of importance of the evaluation criteria?

The importance of the evaluation criteria are based on the following percentages or points:

· Staffing and Management - 20% (20 points)

· Technical Approach- 20% (20 points)

· Similar or Previous Experience - 30% (30 points)

· Past Performance - 15% (15 points)

· Price - 15% (15 points)

4. Can you clarify the Price Proposal?

Please see Amendment 00004 in the Price Proposal Section.

5. Is it possible for the contractors to submit the quotes by electronic submission only, due to the deadline?

Contractors cannot submit quotes by electronic submission only.

6. What is the intended award date?

The intended award date is by August 10, 2009

7. For Past Performance, will you please confirm if it is possible to submit 3 contracts as a prime and 3 for our subcontractors?

You may submit 3 as a prime and 3 of your subcontractors.

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