Back to Top

Vendors, Consultants, and Ad Buys

To protect Loyola’s brand, budgets, and institutional priorities, all external marketing and advertising partnerships must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) before any engagement, contract, or expenditure is initiated.

This policy applies to all departments, offices, and programs engaging third-party services for marketing, branding, design, advertising, digital campaigns, media planning, or related work.

1. Vendor Use and Approval

Only OMC-approved vendors may be used for marketing-related services, including but not limited to:

  • Graphic design
  • Printing and production
  • Photography or videography
  • Promotional merchandise
  • Digital marketing and media buying
  • Web development or digital tools
  • Social media consulting or management
  • Market research and analytics
  • Campus signage

To request approval for a new vendor, departments must contact OMC and submit a full scope of work, including vendor background, project goals, timeline, and budget. OMC will review vendor qualifications, ensure alignment with institutional standards, and determine whether the vendor will be approved.

Projects initiated without OMC-approved vendors may be required to be redone through approved channels.

2. Marketing and Advertising Consultants

All marketing consultants—including those engaged for branding, digital strategy, media planning, creative design, or campaign development—must be approved by OMC before contract initiation.

These engagements must be conducted in active partnership with OMC, with the department serving as the project sponsor and OMC serving as the brand, creative, and strategy lead.

Consultants may not develop independent messaging, creative direction, or campaign plans without OMC involvement. All deliverables must be reviewed and approved by OMC before use.

3. Advertising Buys (Print, Digital, Social, OOH, etc.)

No advertising buys may be executed without prior OMC approval. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Print ads in newspapers, magazines, or event programs
  • Digital display or social media ads
  • Sponsored content or paid influencer partnerships
  • Out-of-home (OOH) ads such as billboards, transit, signage
  • Radio, streaming audio/podcasts, or streaming video/television ads

OMC must review and approve:

  • Creative materials and scripts
  • Targeting and placement strategy
  • Platform, duration, and cost
  • Audience objectives and alignment with brand priorities
4. Recordkeeping and Reporting

All final creative assets used in any paid media campaign must be submitted to OMC and archived by the requesting department for a minimum of three (3) years.

Departments must also maintain documentation of:

  • Ad scope and placement
  • Budget and cost breakdown
  • Audience targeting
  • ROI or performance metrics

OMC reserves the right to audit any marketing or advertising materials, expenditures, and campaign performance to assess institutional impact and ensure accountability.