The Scorable RFP: Hire the Best AI Marketing Agency in Sydney (Hoook.io Template)

If you want the best AI marketing agency in Sydney, you need a scorable RFP — not a beauty parade.
I use this Hoook.io template to compare vendors side-by-side and pick the winner in one afternoon.
You’ll get a weighted scorecard, copy-paste questions, artifact requests, a pilot SOW outline, and a decision script.
Everything is practical, auditable, and written for boards and busy CMOs.

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1) Why a Scorable RFP Beats Chemistry Calls

Chemistry calls bias you toward the best presenter.
A scorable RFP biases you toward the best operator.
I turn opinions into numbers so we can defend the decision.

Do this.

• Publish criteria before you take meetings.
• Score live during vendor sessions.
• Decide the same day.

2) Define “Best” Before You Invite

“Best” = fastest time to value + low execution risk + repeatable ROI.
Write that on page one of the RFP.
Reject any answer that cannot tie work to revenue.

My three anchors.

• Speed: weeks, not quarters.
• Governance: approvals, logs, and audit trails.
• Repeatability: playbooks that anyone can follow.

3) The 10-Factor Scoring Model (1–5 Each, Max 50)

I score each factor 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
Under 32/50 is a no-go.

1. Strategy tied to revenue.
2. Agentic workflows and orchestrator maturity.
3. AEO + SEO mastery (entities, schema, answer-first).
4. Content quality and three-gate QA.
5. Distribution + syndication muscle.
6. First-party analytics + attribution clarity.
7. AU privacy + spam compliance by design.
8. Security, access control, and auditability.
9. Artifact proof (not slides).
10. Commercial model aligned to outcomes.

4) Weighting That Fits Your Context

Weights change winners.
Make them explicit.

Example weights.

• Strategy→Revenue: 15%
• Agentic Workflows: 10%
• AEO + SEO: 10%
• Content Quality: 10%
• Distribution: 10%
• Analytics: 10%
• Compliance AU: 10%
• Security/Governance: 5%
• Artifacts: 10%
• Commercials: 10%

5) Go/No-Go Gates You Apply First

Don’t score vendors who fail basics.
You’ll waste time.

Hard gates.

• Named approver workflow with logs.
• 5-day unsubscribe and preference center know-how.
• Editor-in-charge for flagship assets.
• Conflict and data-location transparency.

6) The Artifact Pack I Require (Copy-Paste)

I never shortlist without receipts.
Ask for these five files.

• Brief → Draft → Edited → Published → Result chain.
• Prompt library with version history and owners.
• Distribution plan with UTMs and sampling logic.
• Schema examples (Article/FAQ/HowTo/Org/Person).
• Monthly report that changed a decision.

7) AEO + SEO Capability Check (Fast)

Answer engines reward precise answers.
Search engines reward depth and structure.
You need both.

Test prompts to include.

• “Show a pillar outline with answer-first subheads and evidence lines.”
• “Map FAQs to schema and author bios.”
• “Propose internal links from this page to three money pages.”

8) Agentic Workflows: What “Good” Looks Like

I want an orchestrator with specialist agents and human override.
No email ping-pong.
No mystery.

Ask.

• Show job IDs, owners, due dates, and approvals.
• Show where prompts live and who edits them.
• Show rollback + version logs.

9) Content Quality: The Three Gates

I refuse raw AI in production.
Three gates stop errors and protect the brand.

Gates.

• Accuracy: facts, math, sources.
• Brand: voice, claims, visuals.
• Compliance: AU privacy, accessibility, disclaimers.

10) Distribution & Syndication: Publish Is Halftime

If they stop at “publish,” they’re not ready.
I need native distribution and partner syndication.

Ask for proof.

• Seven-day channel sampling plan.
• Partner list that earns durable links.
• Examples where distribution changed a roadmap.

11) Analytics & Attribution: Decisions, Not Dashboards

Dashboards are cheap.
Decisions are rare.
I need both.

Require.

• Leading, middle, and lagging KPI examples.
• A one-page decision log that changed spend.
• A simple attribution model without black boxes.

12) AU Privacy, Spam, and Brand Safety

Personalization must be privacy-safe.
I want consent, audit trails, and rapid unsubscribe.
I want accessible templates and written approvals.

Questions.

• How do you implement the 5-day unsubscribe rule.
• Show a preference center you’ve shipped.
• Who signs off on sensitive claims.

13) Security & Access: Prove You’re Grown-Up

Role-based access keeps vendors out of trouble.
So do logs.

Ask.

• Who can push to production.
• How keys and tokens are stored.
• How stale access is removed.

14) Pricing Models That Don’t Hide Risk

I avoid hourly fog.
I like fixed-scope pilots and value-tied retainers.

Make vendors fill this table.

• Pilot price.
• Deliverables.
• Checkpoints.
• Exit clauses.
• What happens if targets are missed.

15) 90-Day Pilot SOW (Copy-Paste Outline)

I won’t scale without proof.
This outline keeps everyone honest.

• Weeks 1–2: Narrative, entity map, brief library, baseline.
• Weeks 3–4: 2 pillars, 6 snippets, 1 email, 1 landing page.
• Weeks 5–6: Schema, internal links, distribution, mention tests.
• Weeks 7–8: Refresh winners, kill losers, partner syndication.
• Weeks 9–10: Authority pages, event-to-feed loop.
• Weeks 11–12: Cohort lift, ROI math, scale decision.

16) Live Evaluation Workshop Agenda (90 Minutes)

Score while you watch.
Decide when you finish.

• 10 min vendor walkthrough of artifacts.
• 20 min live brief exercise (answer-first).
• 20 min distribution + analytics demo.
• 20 min compliance + approvals drill.
• 20 min Q&A and scoring.

17) Reference Calls That Reveal Reality

Don’t ask “Were they good.”
Ask questions with teeth.

Use these.

• “What did you stop doing because of their insights.”
• “What failed in month one and how did they react.”
• “What would you cap or change if you renewed.”

18) Red Flags I Disqualify Fast

These patterns correlate with pain.
Walk away.

• Slideware with no artifacts.
• “We use ChatGPT” as the plan.
• No version history.
• No distribution strategy.
• Vanity reporting without decisions.

19) Decision Meeting Script (10 Minutes)

Keep it tight.
Pick the winner.

• Confirm weights and scores.
• Read top two strengths and risks per vendor.
• Call the decision.
• Assign contract next steps.

20) Contract Clauses & SLAs You’ll Want

Protect the downside.
Make speed explicit.

Include.

• Named approvers and 24-hour rollback.
• Artifact ownership and IP clarity.
• Data location and sub-processor lists.
• Breach notice windows and remedies.
• Quarterly exit option tied to agreed KPIs.

Copy-Paste: One-Page RFP Template

Purpose. Hire the best AI marketing partner in Sydney to prove ROI in 90 days.
Scope. Strategy→Research→Production→Web→Distribution→Analytics→Compliance.
Deliverables. 2 pillars, 6 snippets, 1 landing page, schema, distribution plan, monthly decision log.
Artifacts required. Brief→Draft→Edited→Published→Result chain, prompts, schema, report.
Scoring. 10-factor model, weights included, 1–5 each, max 50.
Pilot. Fixed scope, fixed price, checkpoints, exit clause.
Compliance. AU privacy/spam, accessibility, audit logs.
Security. RBAC, token management, production approvals.
Dates. Questions due, demo week, decision date.
Contacts. Owner, legal, security.

Copy-Paste: Vendor Question Set

• Show the last artifact chain that changed a commercial decision.
• Prove AEO + SEO capability with a live outline and FAQ schema.
• Show distribution wins and a partner link earned in 30 days.
• Explain your three-gate QA and who signs off.
• Walk through your orchestrator, job IDs, and version logs.
• Provide a 90-day pilot plan with dates and owners.

Copy-Paste: Scoring Sheet (Example)

FactorWeightScore (1–5)WeightedStrategy→Revenue0.1540.60Agentic Workflows0.1050.50AEO + SEO0.1040.40Content Quality0.1050.50Distribution0.1030.30Analytics0.1040.40Compliance AU0.1050.50Security0.0540.20Artifacts0.1050.50Commercials0.1040.40Total1.004.30 / 5 (43/50)

FAQs

Why use a scorable RFP at all
Because it replaces gut feel with measurable proof.
Boards love that.

How many vendors should I invite
Three.
More burns time and blurs differences.

Do I need a pilot every time
Yes.
It is the cheapest way to learn the truth.

What’s a passing score
Above 32/50.
Below that is risk you don’t need.

How long should demos run
Ninety minutes.
Score live and move on.

What if two vendors tie
Use a 14-day micro-pilot as a tie-breaker.
Pick the one who ships faster with fewer edits.

Can I reuse this template for global teams
Yes.
Adjust compliance and time zones.

What should legal review first
IP ownership, data location, exit clauses, and breach SLAs.
Make them standard.

How do I avoid bias toward incumbents
Score artifacts, not friendships.
Blind-score the first pass if needed.

Where does Hoook.io fit
I use the same template on myself.
If we win on your scorecard, we’ll win on delivery.

Conclusion

A scorable RFP turns “best AI marketing agency in Sydney” from a guess into a defensible decision.
Use this Hoook.io template to compare operators, run a 90-day pilot, and choose the partner that proves ROI with speed, governance, and repeatability.
Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how our customers getting up to 100% traffic growth and up to 20% revenue increase.

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