FutureEverything Singapore International PR Brief futureeverything.org FutureEverything has been commissioned as one of the top three events of its kind in the world by Singapore to deliver a week long festival of digital culture as a landmark part of SG50 – the year long celebrations that mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Singapore. We are looking to appoint a Global PR agency to generate coverage and profile in targeted international media. Overview FutureEverything is an award winning festival and innovation lab based in Manchester UK this year celebrating its 20th anniversary. It stands for the sharpest edge of the digital imagination, and brings people together to discover, share and experience new ideas for the future. Year round, it delivers innovation labs in areas such as open data, smart cities and new media arts. FutureEverything's journey over 20 years, charting and participating in the emergence of a digital culture, culminates this September in this spectacular event in Singapore. On 5th-13th September 2015, FutureEverything presents a city-wide Festival in Singapore (“FutureEverything Singapore”). This is a partnership between FutureEverything, SG50 and Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). This is a unique proposition, as it is the first time Singapore has used a cultural event to communicate issues around its flagship 'Smart Nation' – the national vision of using technology to improve lives and business. The Singapore festival will promote a culture of experimentation and prototyping in Singapore, and amplify the global profile of the FutureEverything brand. The festival will take place in venues and public spaces across Singapore, with mass-participation urban gaming, a public realm art installation, a conference, workshops and exhibitions. FutureEverything requires a communications agency with the reach, contacts, experience and resources to promote FutureEverything Singapore to international media, securing coverage for the festival in high profile international press. FutureEverything Festival Vision and Values Our vision is to give rise together to a truly participatory culture and society, with art and research at the centre of things, and everyone, everywhere able to realise their creative potential, and shape their world for the better. FutureEverything overview: ● We will use art and research to interrogate the impact of technology on society ● We have a truly global network working with the world’s most innovative artists, technologists, designers, academics, scientists and entrepreneurs ● We champion and support emerging practice across art and technology ● We act as a broker and enabler of interdisciplinary collaboration to generate more impactful ideas and solutions ● We present public events which inspire citizens, generating critical debate to build a better future ● We encourage discovery and experimentation through art and playful interventions Agency Responsibilities The agency will work with FutureEverything’s communications team to design and deliver the international PR campaign for FutureEverything Singapore. The agency will: ● Promote FutureEverything Singapore’s programme to the international media – where appropriate, ensuring it ●
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reinforces FutureEverything’s vision and values Expand FutureEverything’s global brand gravitas, making FutureEverything Singapore more attractive to new audiences, sponsors, partners and funders Build and promote the profile of FutureEverything’s Founder and CEO, Drew Hemment as an international thought leader in the specific areas covered by the festival The successful agency must be able to demonstrate extensive prior international PR success in FutureEverything’s key areas – technology, art, digital culture, innovation and design. They must have experience in the successful delivery of international PR campaigns for large scale arts and technology projects, conferences and/or festivals. The agency will need to demonstrate that they have a good relationship with prominent international press contacts, particularly in design, arts and technology press. The agency will be required to identify stories and programme content relevant to different media, and pitch accordingly. We expect the successful agency to have significant existing gravitas and contacts at the relevant government and national agencies concerned with marketing events and/or other large scale projects. Objectives Objective Activity Timeline Outcome Develop PR strategy and target media list to promote FutureEverything Singapore to the global press -Research FutureEverything’s Initial media list current profile and work with finalised by 1st July the internal communications 2015 team to better understand our vision, our USPs and the key communications messages for FutureEverything Singapore and around the Founder, Drew Hemment -Production of target media lists showing potential impact and audience demographics -Detailed document prepared which includes: Timeline, key messages, activity, target list and metrics for measuring success -Detailed list supplied to FutureEverything as part of initial tender proposal Produce, distribute and chase up various press releases, using the key messages and programme from FutureEverything Singapore to attract International media coverage. -Extract key messages and craft stories appropriate to specific media -Organise interviews with relevant personnel -First programme announcement due 1st July -Announce full programme 10th August -Festival (5th - 13th September) -Reviews 12th September - End November Festival profiled (includes feature articles) in a minimum of: -10 broadsheets/high end magazines and equivalent online platforms with a total reach of 20 million -Interviews and coverage in broadcast media including TV and radio and with a total audience of 10 million Develop FutureEverything Singapore’s international profile outside the UK -Implement a strategy which will attract international press and media coverage for FutureEverything -Generate new international connections and relationships among funders, sponsors and media 1st July 2015 - 20th End January 2016 -150,000 new international (outside of the UK) visitors to FE website between 1st July - 15th October 2015 -FE Singapore videos have at least 25,000 combined views by 1 April 2016 -Agency contributes to FE developing £30,000 worth of new income either from sponsorship, funding, project work or programme development festival by end January 2016 Attract international media to attend FutureEverything Singapore and coordinate their visit -Senior journalists from across the world to attend FutureEverything Singapore 5th - 13th September 2015 -4 high profile, influential journalists to attend FutureEverything Singapore to cover the event in detail -Media trip directly results in at least 3 review features in international press Desirable: Broker media partnerships Negotiate a mutually beneficial deal with two media organisations whereby they guarantee coverage in return for previews on announcements, video and audio content, critical writing on the themes, imagery and quotes from high profile speakers, artists and Government ministers To be completed by At least one media 20th July 2015 partnerships confirmed, one of which to be international and high profile (E.g international broadsheet newspaper, international broadcaster, international glossy magazine) Target Media and Regions The agency is encouraged to research and target high profile international, regional and national media in Asia, Europe, Australia and USA. The agency will secure coverage in publications with a large international readership across design, arts and technology press. Media that operate on the periphery of these sectors (such as innovation, cities, architecture) are also to be targeted. Examples of target publications include: ● WIRED ● Vice / Motherboard / Creators Project ● Dazed & Confused ● BBC World Service / BBC News ● BBC Future ● Bloomberg News ● Blueprint ● Frieze ● New York Times ● Financial Times ● HOLO ● CreativeApplications.net ● i-D ● Monocle ● New Scientist ● New Statesman ● Prospect ● RIBA Journal ● The Times ● The Guardian ● The Economist ● Huffington Post ● The Wire ● Airline inflight magazines Communications to local media and audiences in Singapore is to be managed by another agency who will be recruited by the lead agency partner in Singapore, IDA. Local PR in Manchester and the UK is also to be managed by a separate agency, and is outside of the scope of this brief. Reporting and Evaluation The agency is expected to provide full campaign reports, outlining all coverage, associated reach, and media clippings. The evaluation must show how you have responded to the objectives as outlined above. After each major campaign (such as a festival), the PR agency is expected to attend a debrief meeting. Budget £25,000 plus VAT Fee includes full delivery of all objectives as detailed above. This contract will last from date of appointment (mid June) until all review/post event coverage is confirmed, and all PR reports completed (end October 2015). Criteria for awarding the contract: The chosen agency will be the one that provides the most convincing case they will deliver high quality coverage and profile in key media titles with true international reach. Application Process and Recruitment Timeline Please submit the following to [email protected], by ● Short written proposal (max 1000 words) ● Portfolio/case studies of relevant successes ● Suggested delivery timeline, with reasoning and identified lead-ins for media segments (monthly magazines, broadcast, etc) Invitation to tender published: Thursday 4th June 2015 Deadline for Submissions: 9am, Friday 19th June 2015 Shortlisted applicants interviews/clarification calls: Tuesday 23rd June 2015 Agency appointed: Thursday 25th June