The City of Groton, in collaboration with Groton Utilities, is seeking professional services to assist in the implementation of recommendations identified in a 2019 Brand Workshop with City of Groton staff. Recommendations aim to engage current residents and businesses, to reinforce the wisdom of establishing oneself or enterprise in the City, and to attract new residents, investments, and visitors to Groton, CT. The firm shall have expertise in the following: · Brand Development
· Advertising
· Creative Marketing Strategies
· Media Planning
· Public Relations
· CRM Database Creation
· Vendor Management
· Graphic Design & Illustration
· Photography, Videography & Editing
Background:
In 2019, the City of Groton and Groton Utilities hosted a Brand Workshop. During this Workshop, staff discussed opportunities to strengthen the City’s brand presence. Staff were mindful of the varying activities of City departments as well as the performance of current communication channels. The Brand Workshop resulted in the following recommendations for the City of Groton to address:
· Development of an integrated brand to the community of the City of Groton, including an independent public utility brand that caters to a diverse customer base beyond City limits.
· Clarity of a unique brand for the City of Groton, utilized to promote and strengthen the City’s presence in local, regional, and state partnerships.
In addition, address long-standing confusion between City of Groton and Town of Groton. The City of Groton was incorporated in 1904 as a borough of the Town of Groton. The City of Groton will continue to collaborate on aspects of management and fiscal responsibilities. However, City staff discussed the importance and added benefit of promoting the City’s services, community assets, and culture.
· Creation of shared resources such as a common email database, photos, videos, and social media applications
· Establishment of the City of Groton as one of New England’s vibrant coastal cities.
The Strategic Marketing Executive Summary provides a synopsis of the Brand Workshop and should be considered as a general scope of work for bidders response to this RFP. See appendix A. A final scope will be negotiated with the selected firm
Scope of Work:
The City of Groton seeks to establish a unique brand identity as well as strengthen communication channels and content to address the following:
· Retain existing businesses and welcome new businesses, leading to the growth and economic benefits of a diverse tax base.
· Welcome new arrivals and residents, potentially converting to lifetime homeownership, as well as the retention of existing residents including future generations.
· Convey value among investors and influential audiences including leadership in anchor enterprises and evolving leadership at the local, state and federal level.
· Positively influence the perception of the media and thereby the perception of the City of Groton.
· Clarify and protect against brand confusion with the Town of Groton while strongly positioning the City of Groton in economic and community development partnerships. Such as those brought on by a shared interest in the revitalization of the City’s Thames Street, Bridge Street and Five Corners neighborhoods.
The City of Groton seeks a brand manager to assist with:
· Strengthening the City of Groton and Groton Utilities digital presence and content. Thus, establishing strong communication channels in which City staff control and maximizing current partnerships to ensure the City of Groton’s brand is prominent and clear.
· Developing a citywide email database (CRM), for use with audience outreach and engagement conducted by departments. In addition, the brand manager will recommend modest investments in audience capturing. 1
· Creating a united presence among all departments so that all materials carry the City of Groton forward, as well as messaging from each department. The brand manager will recommend three sets of brand standards to include color pallet (CMYK/RGB color codes), font, design style, hashtag and evergreen tagline if appropriate.
· Designing universal resources that all departments have access to including email database (CRM), flyer and power point templates, general brochures/advertisement and merchandise.
· Coordinating vendors to produce custom stock photography of 100+ photos
· Coordinating vendors to produce 3 promotional videos with varying time lengths approved by City staff.
· Defining a two-year brand management plan with appropriate budget and calendar leading up to the City’s 120th anniversary in 2023.
· Providing transparency in all efforts with strong measurement systems and regular reporting to City leadership on investment, impact, and overall value.
· Collaborating with the City of Groton Economic Development Specialist, Mayor’s office and Groton Utilities Communication Manager, using the above objectives to develop a City of Groton brand.
The following scope of work will form the basis of negotiations with the selected firm. The City welcomes suggestions in addition to, or in place of, the listed items. The brand manager, in collaboration with the City’s internal communications team, will assist in the completion of the following work plan:
Kick Off Meeting
Conduct a project kick off meeting with staff and finalize schedule and budget.
Plan Time Horizon
Establish an action matrix with input from staff including task, responsible parties and an appropriate time horizon for the following.
· Enhance Websites and Partnerships
The brand manager is expected to work with Groton Utilities Communication Manger to enhance the City of Groton and Groton Utilities digital presence (appearance, content, user experience and interface, and design). In addition, the brand manager will identify City partner websites and maximize relationships by ensuring City content is clear and current.
· Email Capture Campaign The brand manager is expected to facilitate the development of a citywide email database and an audience capture campaign.
· Brand Standards The brand manager is expected to create consistent brand standards across all City of Groton departments that carry each department and the City forward. Brand standards need to be approved by staff and tested by the community. In addition, the brand manager is expected to conduct a brand launch revealing brand standards in a meaningful way.
· Custom Stock Photography (100+ photos) & Videos (3 videos with varying time lengths 30-90 seconds) The brand manager is expected to coordinate with local vendors to build a library of visual assets for City of Groton usage. The brand manager and local vendors will produce: o 3-day photo shoot, broken down as follows: two half day shoots in the winter and spring and two full day shoots in the summer and fall
o 3 promotional videos telling the full spectrum of what makes the City of Gorton unique. Videos should highlight a combination of community assets, quality of life testimonials and business/industry highlights.
· Universal Resources The brand manager is expected to utilize the approved brand standards to create reusable branded advertisements. These would include community event booths, merchandise, general brochures, flyers and power point templates, and other predetermined needs within budget.
· Two Year Brand Management Plan The brand manager shall outline a general descriptive management plan for the tasks identified in The Strategic Marketing Executive Summary. The plan should paint the picture of the scope of work necessary to launch and manage a City of Groton brand. The description should outline purpose of work, goals, and needs. Examples from implemented projects in other municipalities are encouraged.
Due Date:
August 6
Address:
RON YUHAS FINANCE DIRECTOR DEPARTMRNT OF FINANCE 295 MERIDIAN STREET GROTON, CT 06340
Relevant agencies to consider include Finn Partners and Ruder Finn.