DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Professional Services Agreement with Giant Noise for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s COVID-19 response.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of an agreement with Giant Noise for a total amount not to exceed $160,040 for professional services related to Phase 2 of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s COVID-19 response marketing campaign for a period beginning February 20, 2021 through June 30, 2021. Funding for this agreement is available in the amount of $50,040 from the COVID-19 Interlocal Cooperation Grant, $45,000 from the COVID-19 Response Grant, and $65,000 from the Immunizations Supplemental for COVID-19 Grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
As the public health authority for Bexar County, San Antonio Metropolitan Health (Metro Health) actively addresses the public health functions of policy development, health assessment, and health assurance. To carry out these responsibilities, Metro Health operates evidenced based programs in various settings throughout the County and provides programs to improve and protect the overall health of City of San Antonio residents and visitors. Through various funding streams, Metro Health provides preventive health services, community education, environmental monitoring, emergency preparedness, disease control, supplemental nutrition programs, dental health, and clinical services to prevent communicable diseases.
Metro Health staff have been instrumental in the local effort to address the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year. Strategic advertising is one means to support the priorities and key strategies as listed in Metro Health’s COVID-19 Response Plan. In July of 2020, Government and Public Affairs (GPA) and Metro Health solicited bids from agencies to develop and implement an integrated marketing and communications campaign that is targeted to specific audiences that have been most impacted by COVID-19. Three agencies provided bids and ultimately the Giant Noise San Antonio Office, in partnership with MM Creative and C2G Strategies were selected. The campaign, entitled What Will it Take, highlights key behaviors that the public can take to contain the spread of COVID-19, protect the most vulnerable populations and bring some sense of normalcy back, with adapted behaviors such as mask wearing and physical distancing. Giant Noise developed a comprehensive strategic plan and creative concept based on insights to message to San Antonio’s marginalized populations, the safety measures to follow amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign also features advertisements that include original songs from local musicians.
The campaign included television and radio spot schedules, outdoor billboards, bus shelters, direct mail, grassroots outreach, digital advertisement creation and placement, securing placement and support of digital influencers and other market specific tactics to communicate COVID-19 prevention messaging to the target audiences, which include Hispanics, Blacks, millennials and Generation Z. GPA and Metro Health staff presented Phase 1 metrics and the Phase 2 concept to the Community Health and Equity Committee (CHEC) on January 28, 2021 and will return to CHEC to present speculative advertisements and the planned media buy prior to launching Phase 2.
The initial agreement with Giant Noise was funded by the CARES Act and ended on December 30, 2020. Metro Health received additional grant funds to support marketing for the COVID-19 response. This request for City Council action will allow Metro Health to execute an agreement with Giant Noise for professional marketing services for the creative development for advertising during Phase 2 of the What Will It Take campaign, which will focus on vaccine information.
ISSUE:
Metro Health is requesting City Council authorization to execute a new professional services agreement with Giant Noise for a total amount not to exceed $160,040.00 for services related to the Department’s COVID-19 response for a period beginning February 20, 2021 through June 30, 2021.
ALTERNATIVES:
Approval of this ordinance will facilitate efficient marketing efforts for Metro Health’s COVID-19 response and lead to seamless continuity of the What Will It Take Campaign. If this ordinance is not authorized, Metro Health will need to identify an alternative mechanism for which to conduct marketing services that may not reach the target audiences for COVID-19 education and awareness.
Alleviating inefficient processing delays allows personnel and City resources to be utilized proactively, effectively, and efficiently to advance the public health efforts of COVID-19 education and awareness.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District to enter into a professional services agreement for marketing services with Giant Noise for total expenses not to exceed $160,040.00 for a term ending June 30, 2021. Funding is allocated in Metro Health’s FY 2021 grant budgets related to COVID-19 (as follows) to support this agreement.
|
Grant |
Amount |
|
COVID-19 Interlocal Cooperation |
$50,040.00 |
|
COVID-19 Response |
$45,000.00 |
|
Immunizations Supplemental for COVID-19 |
$65,000.00 |
|
Total |
$160,040.00 |
There is no impact to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance, authorizing an agreement with Giant Noise for marketing services for an amount not to exceed $160,040.00 for Metro Health’s COVID-19 response efforts.