Northern Illinois University

The buyer seeks a vendor to provide comprehensive advertising and marketing services to support strategic enrollment goals. The selected vendor will work closely with the buyer's marketing team to develop, execute, monitor and evaluate multiple concurrent advertising campaigns across platforms and regions. The buyer requires proven expertise in higher education marketing to attract diverse student segments. The contract term is two years with option to renew for three additional one-year periods.

• 3/12/2025 - Pre-Submission Conference
• 3/19/2025 - Vendor Questions Due
• 4/1/2025 - Proposal Due Date
• 7/1/2025 - Contract Start Date

• Minimum 5 years experience in media buying and planning for higher education
• Demonstrated success in achieving enrollment goals for higher education clients
• Strong relationships with media outlets in NIU's target markets
• Capabilities in data analytics and performance optimization

• Develop comprehensive media buying strategy aligned with enrollment goals
• Execute targeted advertising campaigns across multiple platforms and regions
• Monitor and optimize campaign performance in real-time
• Provide detailed analytics and ROI reporting
• Integrate with University's CRM system for lead generation and retargeting
• Create strategies for diverse audience segments including Hispanic/Latinx outreach
• Manage annual budget of approximately $3 million for media buys and services
• Deliver ongoing strategic recommendations and industry insights
• Conduct annual performance reviews and planning
• Maintain real-time performance dashboards and reporting