Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority Issues Marketing & PR RFP

Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) in Ohio is looking to elevate its new brand by partnering with innovative and exciting partners to help LMHA to enhance the image of the Housing Authority and its housing portfolio. LMHA intends to create a marketing campaign that is modern, professional and exciting, providing our residents a place they are proud to call home. Looking for new ideas to develop the marketing campaign that push the boundaries without compromising the quality of life and our values, LMHA intends to contract with a Marketing firm.

Project Overview:

The chosen agency shall bring a creative component to the campaign, innovative design and concepts, be knowledgeable in market trends and technology in the area of multifamily housing communities, and have an understanding of the LMHA’s direction of the new brand and image.

Firms who respond are expected to have expertise in the following areas:

Graphic Design: Graphic design should be innovative and appealing while highlighting LMHA events, experiences and amenities, using the brand standards as the guiding principles.  LMHA  is seeking graphic design that elevates, inspires and motivates the visitor and community to its events, properties, services and vision.

Newsletter Development and Publication: Develop and publish a monthly electronic newsletter for residents, visitors, entrepreneurs and the business community to communicate LMHA activities, promote the brand and economic development and interest. An e-newsletter should be reflective of LMHA brand incorporating the look and feel of the marketing campaign. Clean lines, white space and stimulating visuals should be guiding principles of the newsletter.

Photography Services: Provide high quality and current photographs of people, artwork, business, facilities and events to use for LMHA marketing materials, website, newsletter and social media. The firm must be able to create engaging photography campaigns which may be coordinated with the community.

Public Relations: Prepare public relations materials such as press releases and  media  advisories.  The firm must be proactive in seeking information and conducting research for  news stories.  Strong writing and editorial skills are required and experience in speech writing.

Social Media: Provide highly active and engaging presence on social media using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networks. The firm must be creative and quickly communicate information with approval from LMHA for all posts. Firms must be proactive go- getters that understand the strengths and needs of the community to effectively target local residents as well as businesses and entrepreneurs. Postings must be coordinated across networks based on strategy of target demographic. The firm must be able to create engaging social media campaigns and blogs which may be coordinated with community events.

Economic Development: Provide a marketing campaign that will lead to the development and diversification of LMHA business goals and opportunities. The marketing campaign is expected to increase awareness among business leaders from regions within and outside of Lucas County. The marketing campaign may include the production of brochures, flyers, booklets, social media and potentially video. The design goal for these marketing materials will be to communicate the benefits of conducting business with LMHA, developing leads for local business opportunities, increase minority and women owned business participation, and investment opportunities.

Video Services: The firm may provide high quality and current videos of people, artwork, businesses, facilities and events for use in LMHA marketing materials, newsletter, social media, on YouTube and other video sites. The firm must be able to create engaging video campaigns and vlogs, which may be coordinated with the community and LMHA staff.

Digital Services: Plan, coordinate and oversee digital media placement recommendations, creative development for digital insertions, optimizations, reporting, third party ad verification (impressions, clicks, conversions). And otherwise ensure proper execution of a digital advertising campaign. Develop a strong and diversified media program that serves to promote LMHA on a variety of digital mediums in order to reach its identified target geographic and demographic markets as well as attract new markets. Improve the volume and  traffic  of LMHA’s website via search engine optimization efforts. Analyze results, optimize based on the results and report results monthly.

Media Buying: Plan, coordinate and oversee all advertising / marketing efforts including, but  not limited to, traditional media placement recommendations, reporting, insertion verification and otherwise ensure proper execution of advertising campaign. Seek to maximize added value opportunities.  Develop a strong and diversified media program that serves to promote LMHA  in a variety of demographic areas in order to reach its identified target market as well as attract new markets.

The following is a non-inclusive list of tasks for which LMHA may use a Marketing / Public Relations Agency:

• Develop market campaign for the Housing Authority’s properties.
• Development of media communications regarding new funding awards for affordable housing development activities
• Developing and editing marketing / public relations information for the LMHA website
• Develop a newsletter for use by our residents, and/or business partners, and business community.
• Increase and drive traffic to our website
• Control traditional and social media content distribution
• Publish to mobile devices with responsive designs
• Development of press releases
• Development of media responses and assist with crisis communications
• Development and implementation of specific activities to ensure placement of positive news stories highlighting agency achievements and initiatives
• Assistance with the planning and coordinating of the Housing Authority events
• Creating and editing brochures, e-newsletters, Annual Reports, and other LMHA informational materials
• Creating radio and/or television advertisements, and or video campaign for YouTube and /or other video sites, to promote LMHA properties and community service
• Development of a plan to communicate and brand the LMHA mission
• Proactively manage corporate reputation
• Benchmark our brand and measure the impact of our marketing campaigns

Proposal due by Thursday, April 13, 2017 to:
Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority
435 Nebraska Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604
P.O. Box 477, Toledo, OH 43697-0477

Fahlgren Mortine is a leading PR firm in Ohio.