MEDIA RFP ISSUED BY TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Through this solicitation, the Marketing Contractor will work with TDA staff in order to complete the outlined contract requirements and Statement of Work. The Respondent (“Contractor”) shall provide all services to successfully plan and implement a national wine campaign highlighted by three independent Texas wine media events; one in San Francisco, one in New York City (once travel is allowed again), and a Texas media wine tour that TDA will host in the Summer of 2021 as the third and final event. As part of the assignment, the selected Marketing Contractor must have a strong understanding of the Texas wine industry along with a working knowledge of Texas wines, wineries and growers in the state of Texas. The goal of this media initiative is to elevate the exposure for the industry and expand sales of Texas wine within the state and nationally. The contracted vendor will coordinate all aspects of two media events held in New York and California. This will include, but is not limited to, selecting event site, inviting reputable and influential wine media writers, bloggers, and sommeliers to attend events that will showcase some of the best Texas wines. The contracted vendor should also be prepared to coordinate selection of Texas wines presented, create educational pieces, and follow-up with any requests for interviews after each event concludes. A third event, a Texas wine tour, will also need to be planned and coordinated. In conjunction with TDA, the contracted vendor will invite key wine media writers to attend a multi-day tour of Texas vineyards and wineries that will showcase these businesses and tell the story of the Texas wine industry’s rise to excellence. This RFP will be incorporated as part of any resulting contract.

Background:

The Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program applied for and received federal funding to implement Texas Wine Media Tours to help promote the growing industry across our state. Texas is home to more than 400 wineries which has an economic impact on the state of over $13.1B; and the wines are winning top medals at national and international competitions across the globe. The Wine marketing program wants to get that information out to the public and increase the number of people who buy Texas wines, not only in the state, but everywhere.

Scope of Work:

The Texas Agriculture Code, Section 50B.002 requires TDA to develop a vision and marketable identity for the wine industry in the state. To meet that duty, and to carry out its obligations under its Specialty Crop Block Grant with the United States Department of Agriculture, the following goals have been established for a Contract resulting from this RFP.

GOAL 1. Plan, coordinate and execute media tours 

GOAL 2. Raise awareness and perception of Texas wines among influential wine media journalists.

GOAL 3. Increase awareness and perception of Texas wines among local and domestic readers of influential wine magazines and other publications, ultimately resulting in increased sales of Texas wines.

The Texas Department of Agriculture proposes to host three media/press events, one each in San Francisco and New York, and a third, more complex, event in Texas in order to raise awareness of the Texas wine industry. The TDA was recently granted federal funding from the United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to help promote the Texas wine industry.36 The San Francisco and New York sites have been chosen due to their high concentration of wine and media professionals and their proximity to journalists affiliated with or employed by national publications. Two events are being held in Texas, specifically, the Hill Country region, known for its abundance of wineries and the High Plains region where most of the state’s grapes are grown. The TDA media events hope to capitalize on the growing popularity of Texas wines in the highly competitive regional wine markets and help position Texas wines as among the best in the world.

Due Date:

November 21

Address:

Texas Department of Agriculture Stephen F. Austin Bldg. 1700 North Congress Avenue Ste. 1100 Austin, Texas 78701

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