Colorado Tourism Issues Public Relations RFP

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) seeks a branding/marketing agency to apply a research-based approach to identifying regions that can serve as effective platforms for marketing collaborations among tourism partners within each respective region.  This project also includes working with the CTO, vendor partners and tourism industry stakeholders to develop brand identities for each region in a way that both expresses and generates consumer awareness of the travel experiences within each region. The branding/marketing agency should ensure that its proposal take into consideration the findings and direction of the new Colorado Tourism Roadmap, adopted March 15, 2017, as a strategic plan for building the Colorado tourism industry’s competitive advantage. Additionally, the proposal should be cognizant of travel patterns and behaviors within Colorado, the state’s geography/topography, tourism product groupings and the seasonality of each region’s tourism product offerings.

Existing regional boundaries, established across the state decades ago, were organized geographically and for many years have not been effective in driving collaboration or consumer awareness. Additionally, the naming of these regions is not inspirational, rather describing points on a compass, such as Northwest or Southeast, which do little to increase a traveler’s understanding of what they may find in those parts of the state. The CTO, based on input from the tourism industry, has concluded that these geographically labeled regions are doing little either to provide tourism partners with opportunities to market collaboratively or to provide potential visitors with usable information regarding a region’s tourism assets. To promote all corners of the state to potential visitors more effectively, the CTO seeks to create new regional designations based on the assets that most likely would inspire consumers to come for a visit.

Scope of Work:

The primary goals of this initiative are:

1. To define new tourism regions allowing Colorado to better promote distinctive travel experiences across the state.
2. To provide the Colorado tourism industry with new insights and tools to stimulate industry-driven marketing partnerships and collaborations, potentially with CTO support.
3. To shape regions in ways that are useful for the travel industry and make it easier for travelers to connect with desired experiences.

The successful bidder for this project is expected to perform, at a minimum, the following:

1. Under the direction and with the full participation of the CTO, engage with and secure input from a CTO-appointed advisory committee on research components and recommendations until the project is  complete.

2. Survey the Colorado tourism industry  to:

— Identify existing multi-partner/regional marketing collaborations and existing regional branding within the state – regardless of whether they conform to current geographic regions – to gain insights into what is making these collaborations work and how they could be improved or held up as a model for other Colorado destinations.

— Gain insight into marketing collaborations that include private sector partners and their dynamics.

— Gain perspectives on what industry partners regard as regional superlatives that could serve as the basis or an anchor for marketing collaborations or a regional identity.

3. Perform and/or review consumer research to gain insights into how consumers travel Colorado,   including how travelers move between various Colorado destinations and the impact of seasonality on their travel patterns and behavior. This research should encompass and identify the experiences, attractions and landmarks that draw consumers to visit and return to various parts of the state. See above for list of research is available from the CTO.

4. Based on research findings, develop a plan for how CTO can effectively designate and use regional boundaries for marketing collaborations.

5. Based on CTO and input to proposed regional boundaries, develop brand identities for each region that can provide a foundation for collaborative marketing. CTO may seek input on proposed regional boundaries through public listening sessions or other means.

6. Revise and finalize the regional brand identities based on ongoing input from the CTO and the advisory group and a maximum of two rounds of revisions. CTO may seek input on proposed regional identities through public listening sessions or other means.

Due Date:

September 15, 2017

Address:

Chelsea.Gilbertson@state.co.us

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