City of Fruita Issues Marketing RFP

The City of Fruita is committed to implementing existing marketing plans and creating new marketing plans that will promote responsible tourism and travel to the area. The successful consultant must demonstrate extensive knowledge and understanding of how to create and implement a comprehensive marketing program strategy to fulfill the objectives of the City.

Background

The City of Fruita is a growing community with a population of approximately 14,000 in Western Colorado. It is well known for its outdoor recreation opportunities and is surrounded by over a million acres of public lands providing endless opportunities for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, road cycling, river rafting, and more. Fruita is also home to the Colorado National Monument, two state parks, Imondi Wake Zone (the only full-service cable wakeboard park in the Rocky Mountain West), and many unique special events. Fruita has been voted as the “Top Adventure Town” in Elevation Outdoors Magazine “Best of the Rockies” several times, and more recently, was named the “Best Kid Friendly Outdoor Town.” The selected consultant will work closely with City staff and the Fruita Tourism Advisory Council to responsibly market Fruita to target audiences and key demographics. The general marketing objective is to create or continue the implementation of a marketing program that identifies target market(s), informs and promotes responsible tourism for identified target markets, promotes outdoor recreation activities, the area’s numerous and diverse natural resources, Fruita’s unique festivals, retail opportunities, and historic downtown, and develops promotional materials, including but not limited to videos, photos, maps, blogs, social media (organic exposure, ads, content) brochures, and more. The City anticipates entering in a multi-year agreement with the selected consultant to carry out these services and more, as identified below.

Scope of Work

The successful consultant will be expected to complete the following scope of work, including

but not limited to:

a. Develop a strategic consumer marketing plan in coordination with other economic

development efforts that includes identification of target markets; specific strategies

with measurable objectives for each target market; and tactics to achieve those

objectives.

b. Analyze and recommend specific marketing mediums to include, but not limited to,

print design, website content, billboards, videos, photos, etc. Monitor placement to

ensure accuracy and completion of all media schedules.

c. Develop strategies that maximize funds to establish an on-going marketing program.

Program should identify potential marketing and advertising partners to develop

tactics for generating new funding opportunities and leverage City of Fruita funds to

extend a comprehensive marketing program.

d. Develop a comprehensive reporting strategy that will inform the City of Fruita, in a

timely manner, of the successes and failures of the marketing program and corrective

action measures to address failures or intensify successes.

The consultant will provide all services necessary to successfully complete the project described

above. Activities should include, but may not be limited to:

e. Develop a marketing plan to promote recreation and sporting activities. Promotion

includes strategic messaging to educate visitors on responsible tourism, Colorado

Leave No Trace principles, how visitors can spread out and enjoy the many outdoor

recreational opportunities to encourage travel during off-peak time periods and be in

line with the City’s comprehensive plan Fruita in Motion to balance the City’s

community first approach while welcoming guests to our world-class community. The

marketing plan will promote, but may not be limited to:

i. Natural resources for mountain biking, hiking, rafting, backpacking,

4-wheeling, rodeo, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing.

ii. Fruita’s festivals, festivals, specifically “Fruita Fat Tire Festival,” “Mike the

Headless Chicken Festival,” and “Fruita Fall Festival.” Festivals will be

promoted collectively and individually.

iii. World-renowned paleontology sites within the Fruita area, specifically:

Dinosaur Hill, Rabbit Valley, Riggs Hill and the Fruita Paleo Area. The plan will

include the nationally designated Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Byway.

iv. Federal lands with abundant outdoor recreational activities including Colorado

National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service with over 23,000 acres

and over 40 miles of biking trails; and McInnis Canyons National Conservation

Area with 123,400 high-desert acres including Rattlesnake Canyon, which

includes the second largest concentration of natural arches in North America.

v. Family- friendly destinations including Dinosaur Journey, a unit of the Museum

of Western Colorado, and the Riverfront Trail.

vi. The friendly destinations including Dinosaur Journey, a unit of the Museum of

Western Colorado, and the Riverfront Trail.

f. The marketing plan will specify the following issues and provide a cost estimate where

appropriate:

i. Where marketing efforts will occur

ii. What will be marketed

iii. Identified target market(s)

iv. Timing strategies

v. Available resources

g. Develop a strategy to utilize free advertising, sponsorships, and media partnerships.

May also leverage local talent.

Due Date

September 1

Address

Proposals must be submitted via email to svassen@fruita.org.

Relevant agencies to consider include Ruder Finn and MWWPR.