S-ARMY MARKETING STRATEGY The Department of the Army is making progressive changes to their marketing strategy. These improvements will comply with FAR Part 12 "Acquisition of Commercial Items". The Army intends to award a Commercial Fixed-Price Incentive Award contract, with an emphasis on contractor performance. Army leadership is responsible for the readiness of the Army including its personnel readiness -- 10 U.S.C. 3013(b)(1). A matter of the highest public interest involves the Army's ability to recruit and retain the force necessary to meet national defense strategy requirements. The market dynamics recruiters face today are as challenging as any faced in the history of the All-Volunteer Force. The Army are currently facing a significant recruiting shortfall that adversely affects readiness. In FY99, the Army fell nearly 6,300 short of its recruiting goal and missed its Army Reserve goal by over 10,000. Recruiting requirements will increase over the next several years, seriously aggravating the readiness problem. Central to the Army strategy for recruiting success is the ability to maintain a strong national presence in the media through an effective marketing communications program. To achieve this, the Army's recruitment posture urgently requires a re-evaluation of its advertising management structure, business methods of operation, and priorities in cost effective manner. The Army is attempting to identify its best advertising partner for the future. To aid in this search, the Army retained the firm of Jones-Lundin Associates, Inc. of Chicago, IL, which specializes in helping clients assess the "fit" between an advertising agency's capabilities and the particular needs of the client's advertising program. In an effort to respond to this mission and to comply with the methods that most closely resemble those practices customarily used in the commercial market place, the Army has hired the firm of Jones-Lundin to assist the Army in conducting market research. Jones-Lundin is assisting the Army to determine which advertising agencies possess sufficient resources and relevant experiences to handle the Army's advertising account. Jones-Lundin will send out market research questionnaires and, in concert with the Army, conduct interviews from among those agencies possessing $350 million total annual billings and considered a "full service/consortium" advertising firm. After this research is evaluated, those firms that are most qualified will be invited to present capability briefings. Upon completion of these briefings, those firms that have a reasonable chance for award will receive a Request for Proposal. In accordance with FAR 6.302-2, the Army intends to limit the competition to those firms identified in the market research. For any additional information please contact the Contracting Officer, Kathy Dobeck at (703) 695-2562 or DobecKJ@.hqda.army.mil or Harry Shatto, Senior Contract Specialist at (703) 614-4579 or ShattHW@hqda.army.mil. E-MAIL: DobecKJ@hqda.army.mil, ShattHW@hqda.army.mil. Posted 02/18/00 (W-SN427061).

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