AVA America’s Walking Club Issues Marketing/Public Relations RFP

AVA America's Walking Club Issues Marketing/Public Relations Services RFP

Our mission is to promote and organize non-competitive fitness activities that encourage fun, fitness and friendship for all ages and abilities. Our vision is to increasingly engage Americans in lifelong walking and other noncompetitive physical fitness activities. AVA America’s Walking Club seeks proposals from qualified marketing and public relations firms to provide publicity and promotional services, including advertising, marketing services, copy-writing, graphic design and video production; and public relations services, including strategic message development, strategic planning for traditional, digital and social media outreach and digital and social media buying services.

Background:

AVA America’s Walking Club (AVA) is a 501(c)-(3) national nonprofit organization established in 1979, to promote public health and physical fitness through non-competitive, self-paced sporting events. Operating with a $500,000 annual budget, the AVA has a network of more than 220 clubs across the United States, that host more than 2,500 events annually, including walking, hiking, swimming, biking and snowshoeing. Although individual membership is not required, people who enjoy walking and other outdoor activities join one of the clubs as a member. There is an estimated 100,000 members and non-members nationwide who participate in AVA events. Although members range in age and demographic, from youth to senior citizen, a majority of members are 60 years and older, and enjoy traveling to different sanctioned events locally, regionally and nationally. The older members are aging out and younger members are needed to sustain the organization.

Our mission is to promote and organize non-competitive fitness activities that encourage fun, fitness and friendship for all ages and abilities. Our vision is to increasingly engage Americans in lifelong walking and other noncompetitive physical fitness activities. Traditionally, individuals join a club as a dues-paying member, and are unaware they’re eligible to join the national organization too. Hence, a majority of individuals members are not registered members of AVA. Clubs are members of AVA, and act as an affiliate.

AVA’s strength is rewarding individual members for participating in AVA events. Event participants record distance or participation in an AVA purchased book, and when completed, is submitted for recognition to the national headquarters in Universal City. Texas. Recognition incudes certificates, patches, medals and publication of names in a bimonthly publication.

Our values are 1). Health and safety 2). Volunteering and public service 3). Non-competitive and inclusive 4). Adventure and camaraderie 5). Environmental stewardship 6). Transparency and accountability.

Scope of Work:

AVA America’s Walking Club seeks proposals from qualified marketing and public relations firms to provide publicity and promotional services, including, but not limited to advertising, marketing services, copywriting, graphic design and video production; and public relations services, including but not limited to strategic message development, strategic planning for traditional, digital and social media outreach and digital and social media buying services.

There is a potential budget of approximately $100,000 to $150,000 for this national promotions and publicity campaign. The geographic market area includes all states in the U.S.. AVA compiles clubs within each state into 10 regions. Clubs are members of AVA, however the individuals in clubs may not be a member of AVA.

Key audience for this promotions and publicity campaign are 50 year-old adults and older who are seeking low and high impact outdoor activities to improve or maintain their health and physical well-being. This demographic typically has more leisure time and are attracted to a non-competitive environment, and are interested in fellowship. A secondary audience involves adults, 25 – 40 years-old who enjoy hiking and lightly challenging activities to maintain their well-being. Lastly, active parents who enjoy outdoor activities with their children.

Campaign Goals are 1). Increase national brand awareness of our mission and purpose 2). Increase individual membership nationally and at the club level 3). Increase participation for all AVA events.

The firm selected is expected to provide a promotions and publicity plan. The campaign elements within the plan will align with AVA’s mission and strategic plan. The publicity and promotional plan will outline the strategy, tactics, programming and evaluation methods for achieving the established campaign goals, to include but not limited to the following:

Public Relations

  • Increase national awareness of AVA’s mission and purpose.
  • Increase the number of AVA members and club members.
  • Increase the number of event participants.
  • Increase the number of AVA clubs.
  • Create messaging that promotes AVA’s brand and increases name recognition that can be disseminated in new and prospective channels. Messaging will include taglines and campaign slogans that will drive interaction and build excitement about AVA’s programs and services.
  • Identification of AVA’s external and internal markets, and strategies to target them, ie clubs, individual participants and sponsors.
  • Identification of strategic partnerships, and strategies on how to market to them
  • Write, disseminate and pitch media advisories and press releases at the club local level and nationally.
  • Provide a list of media outlets.
  • Create club publicity collateral, i.e a marketing toolkit.
  • Acquire national sponsors.

Marketing/Advertising

  • Attend local AVA events and regional events to asses activities, prior to campaign launch.
  • Develop a strategic plan, including marketing, advertising and public relations elements.
  • Develop design concepts for all proposed collateral (print, broadcast, digital, online advertising, emails, etc.).
  • Create collateral.
  • Develop concrete and consistent messaging for internal and external communication by creating content, copy-writing and editing.
  • Create a coordinated advertising campaign, nationally and at the club local level, to include a written plan, including objectives, audience description, strategies, tactics and budgets.
  • Media plans and media buys: media negotiations, meetings and correspondence related to specific media plans/buys, such as billboards, print advertising and social media advertising.
  • Develop an integrated social media strategy utilizing the latest tools and platforms for Facebook and Twitter.
  • Provide recommendations on the design of a new AVA website.
  • Redesign and redevelop AVA’s national publication, “The American Wanderer” for internal and external audiences.

Account Management and Reporting

  • Attend local AVA events and regional events to monitor consistency of campaign elements.
  • Meet with AVA staff as needed for the purpose of carrying out initiatives.
  • Provide weekly status reports, or as otherwise requested, to AVA, updating the progress of all projects.
  • Provide pre-production cost estimates for the development of collateral.
  • Provide monthly, quarterly and annual performance and cost analysis.
  • Develop analytical data reports and key performance initiatives in collaboration with AVA leadership to measure the overall effectiveness and performance on a monthly basis.
  • Create cost schedules for paid media expenditures and other related costs, and submit to AVA for approval.
  • Attend AVA America’s Walking Club’s 2019 national convention, June 9 – 16, 2019 in Albany, New York, to present the promotions and publicity campaign.
  • Attend AVA America’s Walking Club’s 2021 national convention in June 2021 to conclude campaign, report results to membership and transfer publicity and promotional elements to AVA.

Due Date:

October 5th

Address:

AVA America’s Walking Club

1001 Pat Booker Road, Ste. 101

Universal City, Texas 78148

W2O Group and Ruder Finn should be considered.

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