Alaska Seeks Tourism PR Agency

The Alaska Travel Industry is seeking a media relations firm to promote Alaska’s Tourism Marketing Program. The Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is the leading non-profit, member-based trade association for the travel industry in Alaska. With over 700 tourism business members and partners, ATIA is the leading industry organization promoting Alaska as a top visitor destination, communicating and promoting the Alaskan tourism industry as one of the state’s major economic forces, and the respected voice of the industry for the growth of the industry, while remaining attentive to care for the environment, recognition of cultures and Alaska’s unique quality of life.

In 2016, with the Governor’s support, the management and implementation of Alaska’s tourism marketing program was transitioned to industry through ATIA. ATIA receives funding from a State of Alaska grant and implements an annual tourism marketing program. The program has included television and magazine advertising, direct mail campaigns with lead generation, digital advertising, social media, public and media relation strategies, and domestic and international travel trade outreach. Over the last 2-3 years, Alaska’s tourism marketing program funding, through allocations from government, has dramatically decreased from previous years’ funding. In past years, Alaska has seen healthy tourism marketing budgets in the $10 to $16 million range. In this past fiscal year, ATIA has managed and implemented a tourism marketing program with a $1.5 million budget.

SCOPE OF WORK

Purpose:

To develop a media relations campaign, placing Alaska as a top destination of choice among Alaska’s target audiences.

Overview

The Alaska tourism marketing program is a research-based, multi-pronged program with the goals of generating interest and awareness in Alaska as a travel destination and increasing year-round visitation to Alaska. The target audience has been baby boomers (ages 45-65), college-educated, no children at home with an annual household income over $100,000.

This scope does NOT include the following:

• Social media
• Content marketing
• Paid advertising
• Purchasing assets such as photography, video and b-roll

Proposers should identify how they will incorporate all regions of Alaska and position Alaska as a year- round destination. As appropriate, proposals should also include ideas for cooperative (pay to play) marketing programs for Alaska tourism businesses to participate. These programs are ways for the industry to partner with the tourism marketing program, ideally in a self-funded manner.

Scope of Work

• Contractor will develop and execute a comprehensive media relations program focused on generating positive media coverage of Alaska as a visitor destination.
• Contractor will work to incorporate authentic stories and experiences of Alaska that showcase our destination and represent the diversity in culture, people, region and place.
• Contractor must have existing extensive national media contacts including editors, journalists, broadcasters and travel writers. The program must include proactive, consistent outreach to media as well as providing quick and accurate responses to media queries.
• Contractor will need to be familiar with Alaska tourism products and services.
• Contractor must develop press releases and other outreach techniques, coordinate press trips and assist with itinerary planning, coordinate with other regional DMOs, provide media b-roll and images (existing assets) and conduct monthly reports on activities and ROI. Proposal should include how contractor will measure ROI against KPIs utilizing online, print and broadcast mediums.
• Proposers should also include an idea for a media event that brings together Alaska businesses with national media representatives. The entire event will be coordinated by the contractor and executed as a specialized editor briefing. Previous events have included the Alaska Media Roadshow held annually in Santa Barbara and New York City Editor Briefings.
• This scope of work also includes maintaining a crisis communication plan that can be utilized should an event or media coverage result in a negative image of Alaska as a travel destination.
• Deliverables include a comprehensive media relations program inclusive of strategy, press releases, media outreach and response, development of press trips and familiarization tours, research, analysis of editorial outcomes, account management and all supporting documentation for all services.

Proposal due by April 20 to:
Alaska Travel Industry Association

Attn:  Sioux-z Marshall

610 E 5th Ave, Ste 200

Anchorage, AK 99501

Phone: (907) 646-3313

Email: smarshall@alaskatia.org

Leading travel PR firms include 5WPR, M Booth Associates and Coyne PR.