Introduction
PEI Potatoes, a farmer run producer organization, is in need of an individual or organization to assist with the industry’s social media accounts. We are accepting proposals in response to this request for proposal (RFP).
Industry profile
PEI Potatoes have been grown since the 1700s and are an essential part of the culture and fabric of PEI. There are over 165 potato growers on PEI, with 97% of them being family farms. Our growers are extremely close to the soil – most have grown up on the land they continue to farm. In fact, many Island families are connected in some way to the farm, either through direct employment or through their family and friends. The pride the PEI growers take in producing our Island’s most plentiful crop stems from hard work and generations of experience that ensures their success.
Potatoes are the primary crop on the Island, and PEI continues to be one of the largest potato-producing provinces in Canada, growing approximately ¼ of the potatoes in the country. A 2020 economic impact study found that the industry is worth over 1.35 billion dollars to the Island economy each year.
PEI Potatoes are grown for three specific markets – table, processing, and seed potatoes. Approximately 60% are used for processing potatoes, 30% for the fresh market through retail or food service, and 10% are used as seed for the next crop. We ship to over 20 countries worldwide, including the United States, Costa Rica, Trinidad, and Thailand.
The PEI Potato Board comprises 12 directors elected by their peers to serve a three-year term. The Board operates several committees to deal in detail with specific areas of the industry.
Of the many tasks of our organization, the promotion of fresh PEI potatoes is one of our main objectives. Through retailer relations, promotion, social media, marketing, and events, we aim to help our growers and dealers be top of mind with consumers. Locally we try to focus on our place as an integral part of the Island fabric and educate people within the province on the measures we are taking to grow more efficiently, safely, and innovatively. The local market is important to us, but small in volume compared to our main fresh potato markets. In-market promotions focus on the diversity, nutrition, uniqueness, and versatility of PEI potatoes. As well as the product, our promotion is inextricably tied to place.
Prince Edward Island Potatoes has a thriving and storied history; however, the market dynamics, consumers and consumption habits have significantly changed over the past few years. We must respond to help the industry defend its share and position and solidify a lasting connection with consumers to ensure a thriving future.
Social Media Overview
The PEI Potato Board has been active on social media since the early 2010’s. First with Facebook and then mediums as they were developed. It has grown quite organically, mainly through brand connections, contests, and other engagements. We have done several media campaigns over the past 4-5 years, that have included lead generation and paid advertisements, which has bolstered engagement. However, the bulk of our followers have been with us for a long time. We use our platform to share recipes, videos, relevant consumer information, nutritional information and more. We try to focus on inspiring our followers to use potatoes more in their diet, showcase the beautiful place where they are grown, and the farmers and farm families who grow them.
Our current follower stats are as follows:
Facebook – /PEIPotatoes: 29,000
Instagram – @pei_Potatoes: 7,223
Twitter – @PEIPotatoes: 8,100
TikTok – pei_Potatoes: 1,666
Social Media Objectives
- Our primary goal is brand engagement. We want consumers to feel they are a part of our brand, which in many cases is true – people have grown up with PEI Potatoes, and we want to continue that engagement while encouraging new customers. We try to have as many two-way conversations as we can! A few engagement objectives:
- We want to stay actively on top of social media trends. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses; what works on Facebook does not always work on Instagram, etc. We must be mindful of the demographics of each platform and keep a pulse on the changing trends and features of each page
- Increase the consumption of fresh PEI Potatoes – we do this primarily through recipes, cooking videos, appealing culinary shots, and other ways to encourage potato consumption.
- Utilizing the full platform. We use social media as our primary communication tool. While our approach has been effective to avoid getting complacent, we must continuously find new ways of utilizing the full range of each platform as it relates to our target audience – ie. Lives, stories, improved editing, ways of engaging.
- Improve TikTok – we haven’t found our voice yet. TikTok is popular among farmers, particularly the younger subset, and of course popular with food content. Finding someone who can help us tap into that platform and audience would be a key factor in our selection process.
What we are looking for
This project requires the selected party to post, monitor, and help manage our social media pages on an ongoing basis. This would include content creation, scheduling posts, assistance in interacting with followers, assisting with contests and promotions, and maintaining steady activity in our brand voice.
The development of an annual overview calendar, and monthly posting schedules. The monitoring of post-performance, keyword/hashtags, trends, and analytics will help us determine the success and proper direction of our plan. Metrics will be a part of the duties required, as is daily social media monitoring, for both our own social platforms and key platforms that are identified. The metrics and KPI’s will be solidified with the successful company, but will include growth and engagement goals.
The purpose of this project is to also improve our social media channels. While we have a social media presence, we feel there is still much room to grow and tailor content to the specific channel.
Proposal guidelines
In order to be considered as Social Media Manager, all bidding vendors must:
- Display (with examples) a thorough understanding of effective social media marketing experience in social media marketing.
- Provide a list of all personnel who will be working on the project—include resumes for each individual
- Provide a weekly hour summary required to carry out our functions.
- Provide a 52-week cost (breaking down costs weekly or monthly).
- Demonstrate how you plan to help improve our engagement and reach (measurable targets would be considered an asset).
Submit the application no later than June 7, 2024
Project timelines
- Questions submitted until May 31, 2024
- Proposals due – June 7, 2024
- Evaluation – June 10-21, 2024
- Decision – June 24, 2024
- Contract commencing – July 1, 2024
Proposal evaluation
PEI Potatoes will evaluate all valid proposals and select the proposal most attractive and offers the best value to the Potato Board, and which is the sole discretion of the Board and deemed to be in the best interest for the Board. The Board is not bound to award the lowest-priced offer. We will rate each application based on the following factors:
- Relevant training/work experience
- Samples of past work. Examples of work for past clients, examples of engagement and any insights that can demonstrate the success of your social media work.
- Cost vs. value: Bidding agencies will be evaluated on the cost of their proposals based on the outlined scope of work
- How well does the proposal address our primary objectives. Outlining goals with measurable targets will be considered an asset.
For more information and the full RFP, please contact:
PEI Potatoes
Kendra Mills – kendra@peipotato.org – 902-892-6551
www.peipotato.org
90 Hillstrom Avenue, West Royalty Business Park, Charlottetown PEI, C1E 2C6