Sources Sought Notice _DoW Strategic Marketing 06June2026.docx

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

General Information Document Type: Sources Sought Notice Title: DoW Strategic Marketing Sources Sought Post Date: 11 June 2026 Sources Sought Response Date: 14 July 2026 NAICS Code: 541810, Advertising Agencies Product Service Code: R701, Support – Management: Advertising

Contracting Office Address Other Defense Agencies, Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350, US

Background

On September 5, 2025, President Trump issued the Executive Order, Restoring the United States Department of War, designating the Department of War (DoW) as the official title of the Department of Defense for use in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial contexts, and other non-statutory documents. In support of this directive, the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs (OATSW PA) is leading efforts to establish, strengthen, protect, and advance the institutional brand of the Department of War as a distinct national institution. To support this mission, OATSW PA requires an integrated strategic marketing and communications capability to develop, activate, manage, and assess the Department's institutional brand. The effort encompasses enterprise-level brand strategy, national advertising and outreach campaign development, audience research and segmentation, media planning and execution, and performance measurement and analytics. The contractor shall provide support across the following functional areas:

1. Brand Strategy and Identity System Develop and maintain the Department's institutional brand framework, including brand positioning, identity standards, messaging architecture, audience segmentation strategies, and governance processes to ensure consistency across communication channels and stakeholder engagements.

2. Campaign Development and Execution Translate approved brand strategies into integrated marketing and advertising campaigns. This includes campaign planning, creative development, content production, paid and earned media strategies, media placement recommendations, and platform-specific execution designed to engage target audiences.

3. Measurement, Analytics, and Optimization Provide data-driven assessment and performance analysis to evaluate brand health, recruiting environment indicators, campaign effectiveness, audience engagement, media efficiency, and other key performance metrics. Support continuous improvement through analysis, reporting, and optimization recommendations.

All contractor-produced reports, analyses, recommendations, creative concepts, campaign materials, performance assessments, presentations, and other deliverables shall be advisory in nature. Such products shall not constitute official Government policy, guidance, or positions unless formally reviewed, approved, and adopted by authorized Government officials.

The contractor should clearly identify all contractor-generated work products and shall not represent such products as official Government positions, policies, or decisions. The contractor shall not perform inherently governmental functions, including but not limited to determining Government strategy, establishing program priorities, directing Government personnel, approving work on behalf of the Government, making commitments or obligations for the Government, or communicating official Government positions unless specifically authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer.

Task

The Department of War seeks information from qualified firms capable of providing integrated strategic marketing, advertising, audience research, analytics, and performance measurement support to advance Department-wide brand, communications, and public engagement objectives.

Required capabilities include:

1. Enterprise brand strategy, messaging architecture, audience segmentation, market research, and communications planning.

2. Development, production, placement, optimization, and evaluation of national advertising and outreach campaigns across traditional, digital, social, streaming, and emerging media platforms.

3. Implementation of enterprise measurement and analytics capabilities, including brand health tracking, recruiting environment analysis, campaign effectiveness measurement, media performance analysis, dashboard reporting, market intelligence, and data-driven optimization.

Contractors should demonstrate experience supporting large-scale institutional brands, managing complex multi-channel communications programs, integrating commercial research and analytics platforms, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, and delivering actionable insights to support strategic decision-making. All contractor products, analyses, recommendations, and performance assessments shall be advisory in nature and subject to Government review, approval, and adoption.

Sources Sought Notice

The Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs (OATSW PA) seeks information regarding industry capabilities to provide integrated strategic marketing, institutional branding, advertising, audience research, communications planning, media execution, and performance measurement support services for the Department of War (DoW). The objective of this effort is to establish, strengthen, protect, and advance the Department's institutional brand through enterprise-level brand strategy, national advertising campaigns, audience intelligence, media planning and placement, and data-driven performance analysis.

This Sources Sought Notice is issued for market research purposes only to identify interested and qualified firms capable of supporting Department-wide brand management, public engagement, audience research, strategic communications, campaign development, media execution, and enterprise measurement and analytics functions. Information received will be used to assess industry capabilities, acquisition strategies, contract structure, small business participation, and potential North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS OR QUOTATIONS. No solicitation is currently available, and the Government is not obligated to issue a solicitation or award a contract based on responses received.

To facilitate market research, the Government is looking to identify qualified sources under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 541810, “Advertising Agencies”. Firms are invited to recommend relevant NAICS codes for the Government to consider, for example, 541613 ”Marketing Consulting Services” and/or 541910 “Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling”. The Government is not obligated to use suggested NAICS Codes.

The Government encourages responses from all capable sources, including large businesses and small businesses, including Small Disadvantaged Businesses, 8(a) participants, HUBZone small businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Women-Owned Small Businesses.

Most of the work is expected to be performed within the contractor-facility.

The Government anticipates a contract award in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2026 with a one-year (12 month) base period and four (4) one-year (12 month) option periods.

This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes only and is not a request for proposal (RFP) nor does it restrict the Government as to the final acquisition strategy. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. The due date to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice is 14 July 2026.

Submission Requirements Interested firms should submit their response via email to leanne.m.condren.civ@mail.mil and include a capabilities assessment covering experience, staffing and technical capabilities. The capabilities assessments should address the Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements identified below and for each Task/Element demonstrate how the firm’s recent past performance (last 3 years) is relevant to the technical areas listed including the dollar value, period of performance, size and scope of the firm’s prior contracts.

Required response format: To facilitate a timely and comprehensive review of all responses, potential firms must respond using the format outlined in this Sources Sought Notice. The Government may reject any response that deviates from this format. There is a maximum page limitation of ten (10) typed pages that are single spaced using 12-inch Times New Roman font within an 8.5 x 11 paper that must include the following information:

1. Company name, address, point of contact name, telephone, and email address.

2. SAM Unique Entity ID and/or CAGE Code.

3. Business size status for NAICS 541810 and any other suggested NAICS; include any federal socio-economic statuses as defined in FAR Part 19 (for example, HUBZone, WOSB, Small Disabled Veteran Owned, SDB, etc.).

4. Security Capability Information: N/A

5. Documentation that addresses each of the 12 Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements detailed below.

6. A description of Corporate Experience & Past Performance Information for similar contracts and/or projects accomplished within the last 3 years. The description must include where, when, and for whom each similar contract and/or project was performed and a brief description of each contract and/or project, including the size, scope, dollar value, and period of performance. This information must demonstrate how the firm’s recent Corporate Experience and Past Performance (last 3 years) is relevant to the DoW Strategic Marketing requirement.

7. The Government will require an acceptable Certified Cost Accounting System. Indicate if the firm has an acceptable Certified Cost Accounting System.

8. Indicate whether your firm will submit a proposal if an RFP is issued and whether your firm’s interest is for prime contracting or as a subcontractor; and, Security Clearance Requirements All submissions must include verifiable information through the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) National Industrial Security System (NISS) that is accessed through the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) Central Access Information Security System (NCAISS) (https://ncaiss-ps3.dss.mil/dss-cac-login/cert/login) about its firm’s ability to comply with the security requirements for this effort:

Facility Clearance Required: None Level of Safeguarding Required: CUI Potential Proposed Personnel: N/A

Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements - Firms submitting a response to this Sources Sought Notice should address performance of the following Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements in their capabilities assessment.

1. Enterprise Brand Strategy and Governance - Develop and maintain institutional brand strategy, positioning, architecture, and governance frameworks. Support development of brand standards, messaging strategies, and communications guidance. Ensure consistency of Department branding across all communication channels and products.

2. Strategic Communications and Messaging - Develop enterprise narratives, messaging frameworks, audience-specific communications strategies, and supporting content. Create messaging architectures that support Department objectives and maintain consistency across platforms and stakeholder groups.

Provide strategic communications planning and advisory support.

3. Audience Research and Market Intelligence - Conduct qualitative and quantitative audience research. Develop audience segmentation models, personas, behavioral analyses, and market assessments. Analyze public attitudes, trust, confidence, perceptions of military service, and recruiting environment conditions. Evaluate and integrate existing Government, commercial, and industry research resources.

4. National Advertising Campaign Development - Develop integrated advertising and public awareness campaigns supporting Department-wide branding and engagement objectives. Provide campaign planning, creative strategy, concept development, and execution support. Produce campaigns that support institutional awareness, trust, credibility, and public engagement objectives.

5. Creative Development and Multimedia Production - Design, develop, and produce advertising and communications content for television, streaming, digital, social media, mobile, and emerging platforms. Develop visual, written, audio, and multimedia products consistent with Department branding standards. Manage creative adaptation across multiple channels and audience segments.

6. Media Planning, Buying, and Placement - Develop media strategies and paid media plans. Execute media buying, trafficking, placement, optimization, and reporting activities. Support audience targeting, reach and frequency planning, brand safety controls, and media effectiveness assessments.

7. Campaign Performance Measurement and Analytics - Measure and evaluate campaign effectiveness, audience engagement, media performance, and communications outcomes.

Conduct campaign lift studies, effectiveness assessments, and performance reporting.

Provide actionable recommendations to improve campaign performance and audience outcomes.

8. Brand Health and Recruiting Environment Analysis - Develop and maintain methodologies to assess brand awareness, favorability, trust, relevance, and institutional reputation. Analyze factors affecting perceptions of military service and recruiting conditions. Identify trends, opportunities, risks, and performance drivers influencing Department objectives.

9. Data Analytics, Dashboarding, and Decision Support - Develop and maintain performance measurement frameworks, dashboards, reporting environments, and analytical tools. Integrate data from multiple sources to support leadership decision-making. Provide data visualization, forecasting, trend analysis, and optimization recommendations.

10. Media Monitoring and Narrative Analysis - Monitor media coverage, public sentiment, digital conversations, and emerging issues. Assess narrative conditions, reputation risks, message resonance, and public engagement trends. Provide strategic insights and recommendations based on monitoring results.

11. Campaign Asset Management and Knowledge Transfer - Maintain campaign asset repositories and content libraries. Manage creative assets, source files, metadata, and production records. Support Government access, transition planning, and transfer of data and materials.

12. Program Management and Stakeholder Coordination - Coordinate activities among Government stakeholders, military services, research providers, media vendors, and production partners. Provide project management, scheduling, reporting, risk management, and quality assurance support. Ensure compliance with Government review, approval, security, privacy, accessibility, and data rights requirements.

The Government is particularly interested in firms with demonstrated experience supporting:

· Large-scale institutional or enterprise brands.

· National advertising and public awareness campaigns.

· Federal agency or Department of Defense communications initiatives.

· Enterprise audience research and analytics programs.

· Brand health tracking and performance measurement.

· Multi-channel media planning, buying, and optimization.

· Strategic communications and public affairs support.

Additional Instructions Points of Contact

Potential sources this Sources Sought Notice shall submit all correspondence and responses to the primary point of contact, Ms. Leanne Condren, leanne.m.condren.civ@mail.mil on all email submissions.

Submission of Responses

Please submit your final documentation electronically no later than 12:00 P.M. on 14 July 2026 to leanne.m.condren.civ@mail.mil, with the subject line titled “DoW Strategic Marketing, Sources Sought Notice.” No hard copy submissions will be accepted. Cover letters and extraneous materials (brochures, etc.) will not be considered. The Government will not consider any submissions to any persons other than Ms. Leanne Condren or submissions after the date specified above. Phone calls will not be accepted. Do not reach out to any program offices with questions concerning this requirement now or after submission of responses.

The Government requests all interested firms have the experience, skills, and capabilities to perform the above requirements to provide capability assessments.