Recruitment Advertising Services

San Diego State University (SDSU) has issued Request for Proposal (RFP) 7060 for Recruitment Advertising Services, seeking an experienced higher education advertising agency to develop comprehensive digital marketing campaigns for student recruitment. The procurement targets three primary initiatives: undergraduate recruitment targeting out-of-state and international markets, graduate student recruitment for the Fowler College of Business (specifically the Sports MBA program), and online student recruitment for SDSU Global Campus. The selected vendor must demonstrate expertise in brand strategy, creative content development, and performance-driven marketing strategies, with responsibilities including full-funnel digital media campaign development, advanced audience targeting, personalization techniques, creative content production, yield-phase marketing, CRM system integration, and comprehensive reporting and analytics. The proposal is due on August 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. PDT, with an anticipated contract term of one year and six potential one-year extension options. Evaluation criteria will focus on vendor qualifications, campaign success history, technical approach, and pricing, with additional consideration given to small business and disabled veteran business enterprise (DVBE) participation.

The RFP appears to have set-aside opportunities for small businesses and disabled veteran business enterprises, potentially offering additional points in the evaluation process. While no specific incumbent vendors are mentioned, the procurement suggests integration capabilities with existing CRM systems will be crucial. The total estimated budget across the three recruitment initiatives is $830,000, with $130,000 allocated for the Sports MBA program and $700,000 for Global Campus online student recruitment. Prospective vendors must demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of higher education marketing, digital advertising strategies, and the ability to target diverse student populations across undergraduate, graduate, and online platforms. The contract represents a significant opportunity for a marketing agency with specialized experience in educational recruitment, particularly those with proven capabilities in digital marketing, audience targeting, and comprehensive campaign analytics.