The City of New Haven Issues Social Media RFP

Purpose:

To hire a Social Media Specialist to help:

• Expand the City of New Haven’s reach beyond website working with City Staff
• Provide a channel for real-time data collection
• Transform public perception and maximize awareness of goals for the City of New Haven
• Drive citizen engagement with limited resources and budget
• Test the city’s messaging and analyze results
• Improve the City of New Haven services and customer experience
• Through Social Media campaign, institute a system whereas the City of New Haven will become more authentic and transparent

Background:

New Haven is a coastal city on Long Island Sound, in Connecticut. It’s home to the Ivy League Yale University, founded in 1701. The institution’s museums include the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. Grove Street Cemetery, dating from the late 18th century, has a 19th-century Egyptian Revival gateway. The New Haven Museum covers local history.

New Haven’s founders not only hoped to create a Christian utopia, they also saw in New Haven’s spacious harbor an opportunity to establish a commercial empire that would control Long Island Sound and possibly the coastline as far south as Delaware Bay.

After the world wars, new roads and the increasing availability of the automobile opened the floodgates on the middle class exodus to the suburbs. As suburban communities gave birth to industrial parks and shopping centers, New Haven’s economic condition became progressively worse.

In 1954, Mayor Richard Lee began his first of eight terms as Mayor of New Haven. Lee hoped to stem the emigration of the middle class, eliminate the slums and revitalize the economy. More than $300 million dollars was spent in public and private construction in renewal areas during Lee’s administration.

One of the more dramatic development projects undertaken during Lee’s administration was the rebuilding of downtown New Haven. The project, completed in 1965, included the office tower facing Chapel Street, a shopping mall, a 300-room hotel and Macy’s and Edward Malley’s department stores.

Despite Lee’s efforts, New Haven’s population continued to decline. Downtown New Haven experienced the closings of Macy’s, Edward Malley’s, the hotel and many long-time businesses.

New Haven However, revitalization of many areas of the city continued after Lee left office in 1969. Wooster Square, which in the 1950’s was a slum, is now home to new commercial and industrial buildings and an established historic district. In 1994 The Audubon Arts Center Complex was completed. Revitalization is also occurring in Science Park, the East Shore community, the harborfront, Upper State Street and many other areas.

Scope of Work:

• Expand the City of New Haven’s reach beyond website working with City Staff
• Provide a channel for real-time data collection
• Transform public perception and maximize awareness of goals for the City of New Haven
• Drive citizen engagement with limited resources and budget
• Test the city’s messaging and analyze results
• Improve the City of New Haven services and customer experience
• Through Social Media campaign, institute a system whereas the City of New Haven will become more authentic and transparent
• One year (remainder of Current FY) with 4 additional one year options to renew at the same terms and conditions at the sole discretion of the City of New Haven

Deliverables:

1. Provide an active hub of information and conversation on social media profiles, thereby widening the city’s reach and allowing its citizens to engage with city officials in a way that might be more convenient for them.
2. Implement a system to collect data and insights from its residents that can be compiled and   analyzed to give directional insights. The Social Media platform will allow the city to conduct polls and survey questions, host Twitter chats, and launch an interactive online program aimed at encouraging its citizens to give input on various topics or city initiatives.
3. Implement an innovative mechanism to maximize awareness and public engagement. Monitor trends in digital engagement, government communicators and public affairs professionals to transform the public perception of the city.
4. Enhance citizen engagement by deploying information and creating a two-way dialogue, generating awareness and support of the City of New Haven’s departmental initiatives and projects. Through the Social media platform, implement a system that will allow the city to post relevant content, initiate engaging discussion, and solicit feedback from the citizens it serves. Grow social audience and follower base through hash tag campaigns, keywords, sharing/retweeting, liking posts and staying updated with departmental news and content to broaden reach
5. Ascertain real-time insights into what information citizens are interested in, where/on what platform are they most likely to consume that information, and what’s the best way to market information in order for the call-to-action to resonate with its citizens.
6. Monitor feedback as a way to improve services. The City will leverage its social profiles as a way to interact with them and communicate directly with them.
7. Reporting. The city will focus on transparency in all government communications as an effective way of gaining the trust of its citizens thereby increasing the number of citizens coming to social media site for information. Analyze results from each social media campaign and provide a report of its successes
8. Explore U-Tube opportunities

Date:

October 16th

Address:

THE BUREAU OF PURCHASES

200 ORANGE STREET, ROOM 301

NEW HAVEN, CT 06510

Shift Communications and Makovsky PR should be considered for this assignment.