initial situation

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is characterized by an extraordinary and unconventional cultural landscape and is developing into one of the most creative regions in Europe.

The Ministry of Culture and Science launched a medium to long-term process in 2019 with the aim of developing this unique selling point (USP) of the NRWs cultural landscape on the basis of a special narrative and communicatively and within the framework of a to mediate a campaign — in the state, but also at the national level.

The outbreak of the corona pandemic had far-reaching consequences for society as a whole and thus also the area of culture, as the vital and creative cultural scene in North Rhine-Westphalia has seen itself in part at risk since then in its existence. The narrative of the campaign previously developed was therefore expanded to include pure profiling of a diverse and creative cultural scene and is now focusing in particular on preserving cultural structures and their actors in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The campaign consists of two phases based on each other:

— Campaign Phase 1 — Summer 2021: The first phase is played out as an online campaign and is supplemented by aspects of online advertising. The campaign focuses on freelance artists who are offered a communicative stage with which the diverse activities in the cultural state of North Rhine-Westphalia are made visible in a time of invisibility. The preparation and presentation of the first phase of the campaign is not the subject of this mission,

— Campaign phase 2 — October 2021: The second campaign phase focuses on cultural institutions and is intended to encourage visitors to take advantage of offers from cultural institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia again at the beginning of the new season. While the first phase takes place almost exclusively online, in the second phase of the campaign, instruments of outdoor advertising (out-of-home media) are to be used to reach the widest possible public.

For the specific description of services and tasks as well as the period of service provision and remuneration, refer to the document “118-21_Description of Service” as part of the award documents.

Should cultural institutions have to close again in autumn due to previously unpredictable developments of the corona pandemic, the AG reserves the right not to commission the services.

The above campaign phases 1 and 2 are supported and developed by the creative agencies of the Ministry of Culture and Science.

The object of the commissioning is media planning and media pickups for campaign phase 2, which are to be taken over in close coordination with the AG and its creative agencies.

The phase after the first lockdown in summer 2020 showed that, despite a fundamental way of opening up, cultural institutions had to deal with clearly noticeable public restraint and thus reduced demand from potential visitors.

A central message of campaign phase 2 is therefore to encourage citizens to take advantage of offers from facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia again after the summer break or at the beginning of the new season and thus to promote confidence in a secure cultural experience and pandemic operation. The main goal is to anchor the message in the minds of the target group:Culture in North Rhine-Westphalia is ready to be discovered again.

The campaign is essentially intended to include publicly effective analogue, especially out-of-home advertising measures, as well as supplementary digital measures at the country, regional and local level, if necessary, which can also be linked to campaign phase 1. The measures are accompanied by press relations, campaign content and online advertising on the Kulturkenner portal.

The following services are to be commissioned:

1. media analysis:

a) Preparation and analysis of the client briefing, including joint fine-tuning of campaign goals, campaign strategies and media goals.

b) Analysis of data and studies to refine target group definitions.

2. Media strategy, media atteering and media planning

a) Developing a media strategy

Analysis and development of a media strategy that fits the goals, target groups and the creation of the campaign. This is to be described in terms of time, space, content and intensity, particularly with regard to the use of out-of-home advertising measures in places with public traffic relevant to cultural operations such as city centres or public places, as well as target group-relevant locations.

b) mediaberating and media planning

aa) timely development of regional, local and NRW-wide media planning for the defined target groups, in particular for the media activities oOH and online, according to budget and cost aspects, with indication of the temporal distribution of advertising media and advertising materials, with proof of the achieved reach/performance per defined target group and per media date until final release by the AG.

bb) Continuous optimization of media use, advertising media, advertising times, etc. including necessary case-by-case revisions and changes.

cc) Continuous coordination of the implementation of the media strategy with the AG.

3. Media purchasing, media processing and reporting

a) Media purchasing and processing

aa) Economical purchasing of media services for the implementation of the media plan.

bb) Ongoing advice to the AG on the optimal placement of advertising materials and formats, possibly for the media mix, suitable formats and advertising media.

cc) placing an order to the media for the implementation of the AG's media plan; AN only places orders after the AG has expressly approved the media plan in writing. The AG receives an identical copy of the order.

dd) The AN acts to the media on its own behalf on its own account.

ee) Ensuring close and smooth cooperation with the AG's creative agencies. This includes in particular the compilation of the information contained in the media tariffs and required by creative agencies for the timely production of advertising material and the transmission of this information to creative agencies and the AG.

ff) Execution of complaints in close coordination with the AG and creative agencies (insofar as they are caused by the media side).

b) Reporting

Preparation of regular reports on all media budgets, distribution plans, media services, conditions, discount claims, purchasing efficiencies after consultation and in coordination with the AG.

These include in particular:

aa) Discount checks and discount optimizations in the interest of the AG.

bb) Checking the order confirmations of the media and preparation of binding cost statements and schedules (circuit diagrams) based on order confirmations; the AG receives the same copy of the order confirmations.

cc) placement control based on sample copies or broadcast lists for electronic media. The AN must immediately notify the AG and the medium of defects of quantitative and qualitative nature and follow them in close coordination with the AG or the creative agency.

dd) Review and payment of media invoices and, if necessary, execution and handling of complaints in consultation with the AG.

ee) final settlement of the commissioning costs to the AG, including all price factors and details.

ff) Preparation of ex-post documentation and analysis of all media measures carried out, both in relation to individual campaigns (within 2 weeks) and complete documentation of all measures within 4 weeks after the end of the campaign. The AN interprets and evaluates the ex-post analyses.

4. Project management

aa) Close coordination of all project activities with the AG and creative agencies, including ensuring short-term availability in tight project timings. Ongoing communication with the AG and creative agencies.

bb) Development and ongoing revision of media planning (in cooperation with the AG and creative agencies).

cc) Media planning and booking is an integral part of the overall campaign. The AN should see itself as part of the campaign team and contribute to the success of the campaign with its own suggestions and ideas.