City of Richmond Seeks Branding Agency

The City of Richmond (the “City”) proposes to engage the professional services of a Consultant to develop a comprehensive Brand Strategy and associated sub-brands for the Community Services Division. The brand and sub-brands will represent Community Services by creating positioning and messaging around the Division’s common goals and  overall benefits to the residents and the City of Richmond. They will take into consideration the unique cultural, geographical and environmental characteristics of the city, while representing the Division both now and in the future.

The objective of this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is to provide the City with qualified Proponents capable of carrying out the work herein defined. The subsequent Proponent Submissions will form the basis for evaluation, potential interview and selection.

Background:

The development of a brand strategy for Community Services is a key recommendation from the recently completed Community Services Marketing Plan 2017-2019. Currently, there is no strong brand identity or positioning for the Community Services Division and, as a result, its overall vision and benefit to the community is not clearly communicated.

As Community Services operates in a competitive environment with other choices for residents and visitors both within and outside the city (e.g., alternatives for health and fitness programs, other forms of cultural entertainment, competition for time, etc.), a strong brand will help Community Services stand out from others, generate increased awareness, knowledge, participation and revenues, along with conveying the value of Community Services’ offerings while garnering community support.

More than just a name or logo, a brand is a sum total of how someone perceives a particular product, service or organization. A brand is made up of numerous elements including graphic design and visual identity; positioning and messaging; tone and voice; processes; staff; the customer experience, product and service offerings; as well as the wordmark/logo.

A Community Needs Assessment is conducted every five years and is undertaken to determine resident’s perceptions, understanding of, and use of Community Services’ programs and services, as well as participation levels. The 2015 Community Needs Assessment showed that there are  high levels of use of both facilities and services, and that residents are satisfied with both offered, however there is room for improvement. Building on learnings from the recent assessment, the Branding Strategy will develop key messages regarding the benefits of participation in the programs and services offered, as well as address barriers to participation.

Scope of Work:

1. a)            To develop an appealing visual identity or brand and sub-brands to represent Community Services to create positioning and messaging regarding the Division’s goals and overall benefits to the community. The brand or identity is required to be easily applied across a variety of both digital and print platforms and respect and integrate with the existing City brand and graphic standards.
2. b)            The development of sub-brands for the departments within Community Services is to be confirmed through stakeholder and community engagement. Should the recommendation be to  develop sub-brands for each of the departments then the  Consultant will establish a brand architecture that organizes the Division and Department brands as well as a Brand Strategy for each. If the recommendation is to develop and focus on the Divisional brand then the Consultant will provide key messaging for each department to support its’ objectives and assists in building awareness and knowledge about departmental offerings.
3. c)            The development of a specific sub-brand for the Division’s new program registration system may be added to the scope of work as the main project progresses. This sub-brand would be expected to be visually appealing and easily applied across a variety of digital and print platforms while respecting both the Divisional and City brands and graphic standards.
4. d)            To provide clear and comprehensive messaging regarding the Division and the broad scope of programs, services, places and spaces, as well as the benefits of participation.
5. e)            To develop a comprehensive set of Brand Guidelines for the brand and sub-brands. These should address both digital and print mediums.
6. f)             To stimulate and promote public participation in the programs and services offered by Community Services by clearly communicating what the Division represents and the benefits to participation.
7. g)            To develop Brand Performance Indicators.
8. h)            To develop a Brand Implementation Plan that clearly guides the roll out of the new brand across the Division, including the identification of resources required to do so.

Due Date:

November 3

Address:

Information Counter, Main Floor
Richmond City Hall
6911 No. 3 Road
Richmond BC V6Y 2C1

Strong contenders for this assignment include Hunter PR or Finn Partners.