Southern Water has gone out to tender with a framework contract to strengthen its communications and advertising capability worth an estimated £12.8 million.

Southern Water said the company is in a rapid state of transformation and to support this there is a need to put different contracts in place to assist the in-house Communications team.

Due to the wide range of requirements for the provision of communications services, the water company is tendering a multi-Lot framework. The contract is split into 5 separate Lots. Service providers will be able to submit responses to more than one of the following Lots, based on their skills and capabilities:

Lot 1 Strategic Communications (£2.6m)

Services will include:

• Public relations services / political lobbying
• Employee/stakeholder engagement, strategy and change
• Corporate reputation
• Crisis communications
• Regulatory reports and planning services

Lot 2 Full Service Campaign Support (£6m)

Services include:

• Full service campaigns, made up of the following:
• Marketing strategy development
• Creative for campaigns
• Digital marketing and social media
• Direct marketing
• Internet/website/social media support
• Print management and direct mail
• Partnership marketing
• Budgetary management

Lot 3 Radio Advertising (£1.6m)

The agency will provide radio advertising services, either in-house or through sub-contracting to other agencies, including:

• Planning and execution of radio campaigns, covering all of Southern Water’s water and wastewater region.
• Ad scheduling
• Events/sponsorship
• On-air promotions
• Recruitment advertising
• Audio Production – including radio fillers, podcasts, editorial for broadcast

Lot 4 Press and Print Advertising (£600,000)

Services will include:

• Placing notices in local and regional newspapers, magazines and via outlet’s social media channels, both print and digital, targeting both niche and broader markets, in a variety of sizes.
• The supplier should have the ability to advertise in an array of different newspaper or publications and social channels that cover both local and regional areas across Southern Water’s water and wastewater region.
• Advertisement design and placement
• Manage and deliver digital marketing campaigns via owned or earned channels
• Targeted door-to-door distribution (optional)

Lot 5 Television and Film Creative & Production services (£2m) including:

• Brand content
• Strategy and creative
• Moving picture and video production ]
• Promotional films, online content, interviews
• Production requirements, including storyboarding, casting, filming, editing, colour grading, and audio mixing.
• End-to-end management of TV ad production and approvals, including clearcast process.
• Animation and motion graphics

Southern Water is looking to appoint up to 15 suppliers to the framework agreement, which will run for an initial 4 year term with up to 4 years in further extension options.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate 24 January 2022 – click here to access the tender documentation.

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