Be our creative execution partner - bring our media products to life for the launch of our South African brand - designed to inspire and propel a generation of South African youth to reach their full potential.
Co-develop and execute a production plan to deliver our youth brand for South Africa across an ecosystem of media products.
Who We Are
Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust and need. From chatbots to chat shows and TV dramas to tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives.
We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible "for a girl".
Our reach is 50 million and counting. And we're using technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and her livelihood.
Because when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.
That's the Girl Effect.
Our Approach
Girl Effect uses a branded media approach towards delivering behavioural change messaging.
We reach girls across the world, where they are -online and offline, to support them at the critical moments in life when choices around their health, education and economic future need to be made.
We use our expertise in behaviour change science to motivate and equip girls with information and support to help them see a different future for themselves, act on those choices, and drive greater demand for the opportunities and services available to them.
Girl Effect builds youth brands that girls love and trust, reaching girls where they are and creating change. Chhaa Jaa in India, Tujibebe in Tanzania, Yegna in Ethiopia, Ni Nyampinga in Rwanda - these are some of our youth brands. They exist across multiple channels - digital ( Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, Whatsapp), TV, radio, print and offline. Together, these brands reach over 20 Million girls worldwide.
Girl Effect in South Africa
Girl Effect has been present in South Africa for the last 7 years through its global digital brand 'Springster', ( now devolved) and its AI-powered chatbot for girls - 'Big Sis'.
The program in South Africa was launched as a series of mobi-sites under the Facebook Free Basics program and later pivoted to social media. It has made girl-friendly content accessible to girls for free, reaching 6.1M users across the African continent.
Big Sis, Girl Effect's chatbot in South Africa, offers girls a virtual friend to talk to about their health concerns and curiosities. Launched 5 years ago, Big Sis has scaled to 200, 000 conversations started, over 4 million messages sent/received, proven impact across behavioural drivers, and been shortlisted for multiple awards.
South Africa Opportunity
Now, Girl Effect has the opportunity to bring hope and inspiration to an entire generation of South African youth. We are building a national-scale youth brand that will help young South Africans to rise and take charge of their dreams, take different actions and make better choices about their sexual health and economic prospects.
This brand will come to life with a mix of content, music, social and digital tools created to inspire, inform, equip and prepare young people for the future. An entire ecosystem of products - ranging from social media content, web series, a radio drama, on-ground ambassadors, chatbot, a network of call centre operators, murals, billboards, etc. - will potentially live within this brand. The brand will connect to young people through multiple touchpoints, becoming an entity larger than the sum of its parts.
These touchpoints will be designed to reach our target audience where they are, forming an ecosystem around them that stays with them and propels their journey from awareness to engagement and contemplation to making positive choices about their health, education, and financial future.
Scope Summary
Girl Effect is currently seeking a Creative Agency to collaborate with us on the development of creative products for the anticipated launch of our brand in March 2024. This initial launch will be considered a 'soft launch, ' focusing on a limited product ecosystem deployed across select provinces. The primary goal is to introduce the new brand to our target audience, generate excitement, build awareness, and create a buzz surrounding our offerings. This strategic soft launch will pave the way for a more extensive, full-scale launch later in the year. We are eager to partner with a Creative Agency that shares our vision and enthusiasm for this exciting venture.
We envision closely collaborating with the chosen creative partner to refine a go-to-market strategy and launch plan. The product mix for the soft launch could incorporate a blend of both offline and online strategies. Here's a breakdown:
Broadcast Partnership: Suggest and connect GE with relevant broadcast and media partners to amplify launch activities.
Offline Activations: Small-scale events such as pop-ups and open mics in selected provinces. The agency will be responsible for designing all event collaterals.
BTL Promotions : Utilize various below-the-line (BTL) promotional activities, including billboards, posters, taxi advertisements, etc. (to be determined), to generate excitement and promote the planned activations.
Social Media: Leverage social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook (exact channels to be determined) to reach and engage the target audience. The agency will play a crucial role in designing and implementing effective social media strategies.
Influencers and Ambassadors: Identify online and offline influencers and ambassadors who can actively participate in the offline activations, interacting with young people, and/or engaging them on social media.
Radio: Utilize radio stations for ads, talk shows, podcasts, etc. to extend the reach and impact of the soft launch.
Website: Design and launch a dedicated website as a central hub for information and engagement. The website will serve as a key channel to direct people to for more details about the brand and its offerings.
Big Sis (Chatbot): Leverage the existing chatbot, Big Sis, as a technological tool to connect and engage with the audience, providing information and support.
The Creative Agency will play a pivotal role in designing and executing strategies across these diverse channels, ensuring a cohesive and impactful soft launch.
The scope of work would include:
- Help develop a creative strategy, proposed products and content for launch to ensure we successfully launch our youth brand and fulfil the project brief.
- Provide end-to-end ideation and production support to the South Africa Create team across this ecosystem of media products - social media (Meta, Facebook) static & video, influencer content, posters, billboards, podcasts, events - everything required for a March 2024 launch.
- Onboard or collaborate with experienced producers, writers, illustrators, influencers and animation artists who will work on the project.
- Ensure that the assets we produce are aligned with the brand we are developing.
- Validate learnings and insights from campaigns and overall brand activities.
- Social listening and reporting to help us stay connected to the pulse of the South African youth.
- Provide creative assets for our Big Sis chatbot from January to June. Requirements will include social media and website assets rolling out daily and weekly.
- Learn and consistently apply Girl Effect's editorial policies and values, production standards, and safeguarding policies.
- Comply and adhere to our Safeguarding policies.
You will be responsible for the end-to-end creative, production and execution of physical products, including but not limited to:
- Creative Strategy for roll-out & implementation plan.
- End-to-end production of creative content to support the brand launch campaign.
- Recruitment and contracting of any required talent to support the brand and launch activities.
- Roll out of the launch campaign in line with approved strategy and tactics.
- The assignment is expected to take approximately 6 months to complete, with the possibility of an extension.
- The agency/ies will be classified as preferred vendors and will be on the GE supplier roster for 1 year.
- The agency will be expected to liaise with the create team and other stakeholders.
- The agency assignment period is from January to June, with a possibility of extension.
- Terms of reference published: December 15th, 2023
- Deadline for responses: January 5th 2024
- Agency selection, contracting and briefing: January 2024.
This engagement will be managed by the Creative Lead in South Africa, who will work with the successful consultant to ensure its timely and thorough execution.
Location
The agency should have local operations (or have done several projects) in South Africa.
Who You Are:
Skills and expertise:
- Creative Ideation: Skill to generate innovative and unique ideas aligned with our objectives and target audience(girls and women), fostering creativity and pushing boundaries to deliver outstanding creative work. You will have a proven ability to work with subject matter experts and 'translate' their expertise into appropriate content for the target audience.
- Experience producing content for global brands.
- Have worked on projects, with social media influencers as needed. Passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young people.
- Project Management: Ability to effectively manage projects, coordinate teams with diverse skill sets, develop project strategies, and ensure successful execution from start to finish. Have a strong work ethic to execute all projects in the intended timeline with support from the GE team.
- Local Market Knowledge: Strong understanding of local trends, media landscape, and cultural nuances to tailor creative solutions that resonate with the target audience in South Africa. Experience creating content, content and campaigns for youth audiences, especially South African girls from low-middle income backgrounds. Social Media + radio experience would be a bonus.
- Time and Budget Management: Proficiency in delivering projects on schedule and within budgetary constraints, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and adherence to financial targets.
- Creative Ideation: Skill to generate innovative and unique ideas aligned with our objectives and target audience(girls and women), fostering creativity and pushing boundaries to deliver outstanding creative work. You will have a proven ability to work with subject matter experts and 'translate' their expertise into appropriate content for the target audience.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyse client goals, target audience preferences, and market trends to develop a strategic approach that drives results and provides effective creative solutions.
- Multi-platform Expertise: Proficiency in creating content for diverse platforms such as digital, social media, print, TV, radio, and emerging media channels (chatbots), leveraging each platform's unique features to engage the target audiences. Experience in health-related content/Behavior change content production in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights would be a massive bonus.
- Branding and Storytelling: Capability to craft compelling brand narratives and storytelling techniques that effectively communicate the Girl Effect message, create emotional connections, and build brand loyalty.
- Visual and Design Skills: Strong aesthetic sense and knowledge of design principles encompassing graphic design, photography, videography, and visual effects, enabling the creation of visually appealing and impactful creative assets.
- Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with the latest creative production tools, software, and technologies, including design software, video editing tools, and content management systems, to ensure efficient and high-quality output.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with clients, creative teams, copywriters, designers, and stakeholders to bring ideas to life, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
- Language: Effective communicator and writer in multiple local languages. Should have a team that is fluent in local slang across Gauteng, Northwest, Western Cape and KwaZulu NatalSafeguarding: Experience working with young adults and understanding of policies involved when working with minors.
- Comfortable with complex organizational structures and multiple stakeholders
- Comfortable with shared decision-making
- A 'do-er thinker'
- Enthusiastic about talking to and interacting with people across cultures and geographies - this role will require extensive conversations, presentations, documentation and fire-fighting
- Highly empathetic and context-sensitive - able to balance conflicting needs and priorities decisively
- Mission-driven and cares about making a difference in the lives of young people and vulnerable sections of society.
Your proposal, should you be interested (Max 10 pages), should cover
Technical Proposal
- Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm or consultant in providing the requested services.
- Reference - Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided and the contract periods of performance.
Retainer proposal with itemized resources/team available to the project and hourly/daily rates broken down of what the retainer would include. This breakdown must include applicable taxes and other charges itemized in ZAR.
All applicable taxes should be quoted separately;
In their proposal, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the RFP and demonstrate how the bidder will meet the requirements of the evaluation criteria.
Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents. Financial bids will not be opened until the technical evaluation and then only for those proposals deemed qualified and responsive.
GE is not liable for any cost incurred during the award/contract preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of GE.
VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for 90 days from the date of bid closure.
Evaluation Criteria
The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.
Technical Evaluation
- Interpretation and understanding of this TOR - 10%
- Showcases relevant experience in having done previous similar work with relevant agencies or organizations - 20 %
- Geographical Experience in South Africa-10%
- Evidence of a minimum of three contactable references - 10%
- Experience and Qualification, share your Profile/Credentials/CV- 20%
- Value for money/proposed budget breakdown - 30%
Please submit proposals, as described above, to suppliers@girleffect.org by 5th of January 2024, 5:00 pm SAST latest. Please clearly mark your email with the subject 'Creative Agency for South Africa'.'
Tax
Applicants are advised to ensure that they clearly understand their tax position regarding their local jurisdiction's tax legislation provisions.
Disclaimer
GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. GE shall inform ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.
Safeguarding
You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organizational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found Here. We have zero-tolerance for all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff.
Equal Opportunities
Girl Effect Services is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
We are committed to building an organization that is increasingly representative of and works extensively with the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organizations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.
