Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala Seeks Public Relations Agency

Kerala has been the pioneer state in tourism industry in India. Kerala Tourism is readying itself for the next leap in tourism and is looking for a well-established, professional Public Relations & Media n Agency to partner with it, in its Public Relations & Media Coordination Activities. Since Kerala Tourism is India’s front runner in the industry, the Agency should be able assist Kerala tourism department to maintain the brand equity of the state and ensure that it can overcome competition from national and international destinations. It will require Agency with domain expertise, creative competency and qualified & experienced manpower to handle the various aspects of PR activities ranging from crisis management to image building strategies, from preparation of press releases & advertorials to organizing press meets and interviews.

Background:

When in Kerala all you do is to LET GO. Let the lazy backwaters set pace to your day and village folksongs croon to your heart. Let the clarion call of the jungles awaken the wilderness in you. Bathe elephants. Discover remote festivals that leave imprints on your soul. Take your taste buds on rides through flavours they never dreamt existed. Camp in the woods lying awake listening to the symphony of Nature at night and early in the morning let the mountain mists awake you with whispered tales of long forgotten travelers. Kerala is teeming with events and festivals round the year so be sure to keep track of what happens when and where so as to be able to enjoy your trip to the fullest. From Cultural fairs like the Kochi Muziris Biennale to the legendary boat races of Kerala and other ritualistic festivals and celebrations, the list is endless.

Scope of Work:

Kerala Tourism intends to select a Public Relations Agency having proven track for elevating the profile and keeping the presence of Kerala Tourism in national & international media.

• Preparation of PR strategy for raising the profile and media presence of Kerala Tourism.
• Planning and organizing press conferences and media meets for national and international media.
• Preparing and dissemination of press releases/briefs on major initiatives/achievements/programme/events by Kerala Tourism as per requirements.
• Arranging articles for advertorials/Question & Answers in magazines and news papers
• Preparation of print and electronic materials in the form of PR kits to the media, as required.
• Organising press trips for the media, as required.
• Enhance visibility and awareness through unpaid means of communication.
• Media management of various seminars, workshops, exhibitions and events to be organised by Kerala Tourism.
• Crisis communication – It is expected that the PR agency will help to counter any adverse publicity.
• Media Tracking- Print and electronic coverage. Submission of compiled reports every month with cost analysis.

Deliverables:

• Annual rollout plan with month wise activities proposed
• Identification of 10 communication pillars in sync with Kerala Tourism strategies and campaigns
• Mapping of target media and stakeholders and develop a local / national media list
• Develop media information KIT and research based inputs for sharing with media and department
• Press releases in Hindi / English and Malayalam based on new initiatives and activities of department, events , festivals etc
• Story generation based on department activities and research data
• Event based PR support: For pre event promotion and post event coverage of event organized by the Dept. in national media, Similar coverage of events like Onam , Nishagandhi , Utsavam which are conducted by Kerala Tourism and other events in which Kerala Tourism participates actively
• Organize pre & post event press conferences and media briefings at events or in big cities outside State as per requirement of the Dept (Expenses on Logistic arrangements to be borne by the Deptt)
• PR around celebrity presence/ visit to Kerala: Film, Sports related and other celebrities visit Kerala frequently. Media can be approached to publish Stories/Interviews around their experiences (Expenses on Logistic arrangements to be borne by Deptt)
• Conceive and Create one day (4- 6 hours) media/Influencer/ blogger/travel writer’s meet and media networking events in metro cities (in geographic coverage given in bid) as per requirement of the Deptt. (Expenses on Logistic arrangements to be borne by Deptt)
• PR support in Crisis and other emergent situations: countering situations and negative news, incidents with well thought out plan
• Pitch for interviews by senior Journalists/Editors/Influencers with Tourism Minister/ officials. Key messages, FAQs, list of anticipated questions and answers, sound-bites and quotes to be prepared for these interviews.( Expenses on Logistic arrangements- travel expense etc of journalists etc to be borne by Deptt)
• Schedule and organize journalists/ blogger’s/influencer’s visits to Kerala : Programme trips to Kerala and handle all necessary groundwork, research and follow up.(Expenses on Logistic arrangements to be borne by Deptt)
• Organise shootings in Kerala in coordination with producers and film makers
• Regular reporting to department
• Coordination with other agencies of Department : Agency is required to work in close coordination with other agencies engaged by the Deptt. for promotional and marketing activities for seamless Promotion
• Submission of news clips highlighting Kerala or Kerala Tourism

Due Date:

June 22nd

Address:

The Director, Department of Tourism

Park View, Thiruvananthapuram-695033

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