Marketing Issues RFP for Visit California In Mexico

Visit California, a privately funded nonprofit corporation, is seeking a marketing agency in Mexico to promote California as a premier travel destination.

About The California Travel & Tourism Commission

The California Travel and Tourism Commission d.b.a. Visit California is a private non-profit 501(C) 6 funded by assessed businesses that have an interest in promoting tourism to California.  California Tourism is marketed exclusively by Visit California.  Visit California oversees the production of a variety of marketing activities, including on and offline advertising, visitor publications and maps, cooperative programs, public relations and travel trade programs – all designed to promote California to consumers, media and the travel trade industry.

California is the leading visitor destination in the United States with more than $122 billion in travel and tourism related spending in 2015.  This spending directly supported over one million jobs and generated $9.9 billion in state and local tax revenues.  Among California’s export-oriented industries, tourism is the fourth largest employer.

Marketing RFP

The entity has issued an RFP to seek and retain a qualified agency to act as the Visit California in-market specialist for marketing and sales representation in Mexico to promote California as a premier travel destination.  The goal is to help increase the number of Mexican visitors to California and act as the Visit California liaison in Mexico.  They seek a firm to develop a proactive marketing program that enhances the position of Visit California to key travel trade and media outlets in Mexico.  Chosen company will also be directly responsible for management of Visit California’s owned channels, such as consumer Website, e-marketing, social media management (if applicable) and publications localization.

Visit California seeks a company to promote California to potential visitors using a variety of marketing channels that include public relations, travel trade, consumer website, social media, digital strategy and publications. The contractor will work with staff, and other agencies appointed by Visit California to ensure that California is prominently positioned with consumers, key travel trade and public relations influencers.

Chosen vendor is responsible for coming up with a robust marketing program to key travel trade audiences – travel agents and tour operators – designed to inspire and educate on what California has to offer to increase share of featured product as well as sales.  They will also be required to create a public relations strategy that will focus on securing placements across broadcast, digital and print media channels and engaging digital influencers to reinforce California’s position as a dream destination and hotbed of innovation.

Lastly, the company will be in charge of content localization and management of Visit California’s consumer website, social media, e-marketing and publications.

Strategies

• Enhance “Always On,” allowing consumers to engage with California content across paid media channels and touch points at any time.
• Strengthen and expand visibility of California branded content across devices and screens.
• Amplify brand pillar-based campaign activity through a variety of channel-targeting tactics. (Brand pillars are luxury, family, outdoor adventure, entertainment/culture and culinary).

Social Media

While the website will continue to serve as the hub for the digital ecosystem, Visit California recognizes the importance of connecting with consumers in their preferred environment and has worked to create a platform across a core suite of those environments while monitoring to ensure balance.

Paid Traffic Driving Activity

To extend reach of the owned channel platforms, paid SEM and social media activity will be employed to support traffic, acquisition and engagement strategies.

Scope of Work

• Communications/Public Relations;
• Travel Trade;
• Owned Channel Management; and
• Account Administration.

Scope of work costs cannot exceed USD $900,000 for a full year of programming.

Communications/Public Relations

• Target appropriate Tier 1 and Tier 2 trade media that are appropriate for the California brand and secure positive publicity
• Issue and distribute news releases and media newsletter on a regular basis including “What’s New in California”.
• Generate qualified press leads for California travel industry.
• Develop and maintain ongoing electronic media database accessible by Visit California.
• Maintain the online press room in the Visit California’s media portal.
• Organize press familiarization trips.
• Schedule media appointments at trade show.
• Coordinate media receptions and special events (if applicable).
• Proactive pitch development and execution to media audience about leisure travel to California and Visit California promotional activities.
• Provide creative ideas for unique partnerships to leverage resources.
• Assist with crisis communications support as needed.

Travel Trade

• Provide annual brochure analysis.
• Provide brochure and literature fulfillment to travel trade.
• Develop and maintain list of top-producing tour operators.
• Maintain regular contacts via sales calls, meetings, and travel trade newsletters.
• Develop and distribute regularly scheduled quarterly travel trade newsletter to key travel trade.
• Develop and maintain an online section for the travel trade industry.
• Maintain existing online training program and conduct educational seminars with travel trade in Mexico.
• Generate qualified leads for California travel industry.
• Promote and support airline-sponsored or wholesale company-sponsored familiarization tours.
• Represent California at selected travel trade shows and events in market to be jointly determined by Visit California.
• Maintain membership in key professional associations that promote travel and tourism.

Owned Channel Management

• Work with Visit California on an annual localized content calendar.
• Translate and provide localization of Facebook post (if applicable), or content on any other relevant social media channel, as provided by Visit California HQ.
• Execute Website updates.
• Create monthly consumer emarketing newsletters, under the direction of Visit California HQ staff.
• Maintain consumer newsletter database.

Account Administration

• Provide Visit California a written monthly progress report on activities and accomplishments.

Proposal due by June 29, 2016 to:

Visit California
Request for Proposal: Marketing Services – Mexico
Attn: RFP Submissions
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1100
Sacramento, CA 95814 USA