The City of Cambridge seeks qualified firms or agencies with strong experience in marketing strategy and design services to create brand awareness and market the City’s commercial districts, with an emphasis on those commercial districts and areas of the city most impacted by Encore Boston Harbor.
Funding for this request for proposals comes from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in order to mitigate the impacts of nearby gaming establishments – in this instance, Encore Boston Harbor. Gaming establishments attract a large group of patrons and employees to their establishments that would not otherwise be present in the region. While the increase in Encore Boston Harbor’s patrons and employees to the region has the potential to positively impact Cambridge’s diverse small businesses, our commercial districts are unable to help small businesses take advantage of this new opportunity.
Cambridge Community Development Department via the Economic Opportunity and Development Division (EODD) seeks to promote Cambridge as a destination for patrons and employees of gaming establishments to dine and shop by working with the selected vendor to develop a marketing campaign for the City’s commercial districts. The EODD will work with the selected vendor in collaboration with business associations and business owners to determine the specific marketing needs of the commercial districts and develop a marketing strategy and associated collateral templates. Collateral templates will be used by the City to advertise at venues such as Encore Boston Harbor, MBTA channels, and other regional marketing opportunities. The templates may also be shared with the Cambridge Office of Tourism, Cambridge business associations, area hotels, and small businesses.
1.0 Marketing Strategy and Planning The selected vendor will be responsible for developing a marketing strategy based on existing data and market reports provided by EODD and further refined by conversations and input from local business associations and business owners. The marketing strategy should develop and aid the EODD in deploying future collateral to better position commercial districts and local businesses for attracting gaming establishment employees and patrons.
1.1 Review of Existing Marketing Analysis
The EODD has data in the form of local reports that can be used to better understand the existing market conditions and potential for the area. The EODD has not budgeted for the selected vendor to do additional or extensive market analysis in this scope. However, the selected vendor should be prepared to hold at least one convening of area business associations and owners (see Section 1.1.2) to further refine the existing research for the purposes of this project.
1.1.1Supplemental Marketing Analysis (as needed and approved)
The EODD does not anticipate that further analysis will be necessary in order to execute this scope of work. However, if it is determined that such analysis is required to fulfill this project’s objectives, city staff will coordinate with the selected vendor on how best to attain such analysis.
1.1.2Engagement with business community and tourism
The EODD acknowledges that direct and open conversations with the business community will benefit the overall marketing strategy and expects that the selected vendor will host at least one intentional hybrid meeting with the City’s commercial districts leadership and the Cambridge Office of Tourism. City staff will coordinate the logistics of this engagement, but the selected vendor should be prepared to host and facilitate the engagement independently. EODD seeks candid input from the business community.
1.2Development of Marketing Strategy
Using the information gathered in subtask 1.1, the selected vendor will develop a marketing strategy that specifically targets gaming establishment employees and patrons, attracting them to Cambridge’s diverse and local businesses and events. While the marketing strategy should prioritize those commercial districts and areas most impacted by the gaming establishment, the EODD is looking for a consultant to provide an adaptable strategy that could benefit other commercial districts as well. The City is particularly interested in low-cost, high-impact advertising solutions in order to best position Cambridge’s commercial districts and businesses.
1.2.1Detailed Marketing Strategy of East Cambridge and Kendall Square Business Districts
As the two areas within the Encore Boston Harbor’s catchment area, East Cambridge and Kendall Square are key areas of interest for the marketing strategy. The selected vendor is expected to provide a more comprehensive and detailed marketing strategy for these areas. The selected vendor should take advantage of the proximity of East Cambridge and Kendall Square to the gaming establishment as well as the primary commuting patterns to and from the gaming establishment in its strategy.
1.2.2Detailed Marketing Strategy for Onsite at the Gaming Establishment
The selected consultant should also explore and include in its strategy opportunities for the City of Cambridge to promote its commercial districts and businesses within the gaming establishment.
1.2.3Generalized Marketing Strategy for City of Cambridge and other districts
In addition to a detailed marketing strategy as outlined in subtask 1.2.1, the selected consultant should consider the whole of Cambridge’s business community and its nine commercial districts in order to develop a more general and adaptable marketing strategy. General concepts and opportunities for a broader regional audience are of particular interest to the EODD.
2.0 Marketing Collateral Templating
The EODD seeks templates for marketing collateral to complement the marketing strategy developed in task 1. The selected vendor is expected to follow the City of Cambridge’s brand guidelines and provide the EODD with working editable files for future use and distribution. Broad themes and taglines should be included in the templates, but the selected vendor is expected to provide full copy of East Cambridge and Kendall Square districts, the neighborhoods most adjacent to the Encore Casino.
2.1 Develop graphic templates for promoting commercial districts
2.1.1 Regional advertising opportunities
The EODD is particularly interested in print and digital advertising opportunities in and around the gaming establishment and its immediate vicinity. The City is seeking a consultant to provide templates that would meet these advertising opportunities, such as MBTA advertising spaces, Encore Casino advertising, and the BlueBike system, the region’s bikeshare system.
2.1.2 Other materials in-line with the approved marketing strategy
While the City has identified specific regional advertising opportunities, it relies on the expertise of the selected vendor to provide additional opportunities for implementation of the marketing strategy that meet the City’s goal of low-cost, high-impact marketing. Such opportunities could include additional print, digital, and social media.
Due Date: 11:00 am on Thursday, April 10, 2025
Contact: Elizabeth Unger, Purchasing Agent PH: 617-349-4310 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
