Scope: The Airport is seeking proposals from qualified Proposers for the development of a Strategic Marketing Plan with various tactics, creative and production services, and media placements to promote the Rapid City Regional Airport as the gateway to Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and Western South Dakota.
In addition to the core marketing services, the Airport is also initiating a comprehensive rebranding effort. This will include the creation of a refreshed visual identity, updated brand messaging and tone guidelines, and rollout planning across all communications channels. The selected Proposer will be expected to lead this brand redevelopment, ensuring consistency across all campaign components and public-facing materials.
The Scope of Services will be performed as requested by the Airport at various times throughout the duration of the Contract. Proposers may also recommend additional elements not specifically outlined here that they deem necessary to deliver a cohesive, strategic, and forward-looking program.
A strong emphasis will be placed on targeted digital marketing to the Airport’s top origin and destination (O&D) markets for inbound traffic. While some local marketing may be included, it is expected to be minimal in scope.
To achieve the objectives of this plan, the Airport will allocate a substantial budget to support campaign development, media investment, brand execution, and associated professional fees. The selected Proposer will be responsible for managing outside service providers as needed, including the budgeting and contracting of all third-party services.
It is important that all Proposers understand that being awarded work under any component of this contract does not guarantee exclusivity. The Airport may assign work to multiple vendors or manage certain tasks internally.
The role and responsibilities of the selected Proposer (Agency) include:
6.1. Strategic Marketing Plan Development
• Developing a comprehensive Strategic Marketing Plan informed by intake meetings, briefing sessions, and coordination with Airport staff. The plan must align with current initiatives and consider other concurrent marketing activities managed outside the scope of this contract.
• Leading a full brand redevelopment process, including but not limited to: development of a new logo, refreshed visual identity system, updated messaging and tone guidelines, and a detailed brand rollout strategy. This rebranding effort should reflect the Airport’s evolving role, regional significance, and growth objectives.
• Ensuring brand consistency across all marketing and communications, incorporating new brand elements into all campaign strategies, materials, and public-facing assets.
• Identifying and applying emerging technologies and trends to improve brand visibility, market presence, and audience engagement. This may include tools and tactics related to content marketing, programmatic advertising, social media, and mobile-first strategies.
• Defining detailed campaign objectives, strategies, and execution methods, including performance indicators and tools to monitor and optimize effectiveness over time.
• Leveraging strategic partnerships with tourism organizations, destination marketing groups (DMOs), airlines, and travel-related businesses to broaden the campaign’s reach and maximize co-branded opportunities.
• Maintaining a flexible, adaptive approach to ensure the Strategic Marketing Plan can evolve in response to market conditions, travel trends, or service changes throughout the life of the contract.
6.2. Creative and Production Services
The role and responsibilities of the Agency include:
• Developing and producing a creative marketing campaign in support of the identified marketing strategies, creative briefs, and guidance from the Airport. Campaign elements should reflect both strategic goals and the updated brand identity developed as part of the rebranding effort.
• Translating the Airport’s brand identity into compelling creative assets, ensuring consistency in visual design, tone, messaging, and user experience across all mediums, including digital, print, video, audio, and out-of-home.
• Delivering brand-aligned creative materials that are adaptable across platforms and meet the technical specifications required for both traditional and digital placements.
• Attending client briefings and meetings, and participating in conference calls as required to ensure creative alignment and timely execution
• Providing creative direction and oversight, including copywriting, art direction, and design management from initial concept through to final production.
• Ensuring quality and cohesion of all creative deliverables, including digital advertisements, static and motion graphics, print materials, video content, audio spots, and collateral in support of digital and traditional advertising activities.
• Supporting the visual rollout of the rebranding, including development of brand launch creative, signage updates, and campaign assets that introduce and reinforce the new identity to local, regional, and inbound audiences.
The role and responsibilities of the Agency include:
• Developing comprehensive media strategies and plans based on information gathered through intake meetings, briefings, and collaborative discussions with Airport staff. Plans must also account for other concurrent marketing activities managed outside the scope of this contract. Media plans may include, but are not limited to:
• Campaign timing and flight schedule
• Media selection and rationale for each channel
• Media placements and costs by property
• Media weights, reach and frequency targets, and ad formats
• Total media budget with breakdown by medium
• Flow charts of activity and anticipated media exposure
• Coordinating timely delivery of creative assets in appropriate formats for each media outlet or platform, including adherence to technical requirements and deadlines.
• Providing ongoing media consultation, including regular evaluation of media opportunities, industry trends, and emerging channels that may benefit the campaign’s performance or efficiency.
• Presenting final media plans and schedules, including:
• Placement calendars and rotation strategies for creative
• Detailed budgets and deadlines
• Media property selection and justification
• Positioning, discounts, and ad production specifications
• Managing a portion of media buying and fulfillment responsibilities. The Agency must have the financial capacity to contract for and purchase media on behalf of the Airport without requiring advance payment.
• For its media placement services, Agency will receive a maximum media commission of 20% applicable on all traditional and digital paid media that is placed on behalf of the Airport such as television, radio, magazine, newspaper and online paid advertising including search engine marketing (SEM).
6.4. Reporting and Communication
The Agency will be required to report to and communicate with the Airport as follows for all work performed under the Contract:
• Provide regular project reports as requested by the Airport, including summaries of discussion points, key decisions, deliverables, and next steps to ensure transparency and alignment throughout the engagement.
• Provide post-campaign recap reports (post-mortems) for all executed efforts, including:
§ A summary of the campaign from planning through completion
§ Evaluation of outcomes vs. stated objectives
§ Analysis of key successes, challenges, and lessons learned
§ Recommendations for future efforts or iterations
• Submit a monthly budget update, detailing actual spend, pacing against planned allocations, and any anticipated variances across media, creative, production, and other contracted services.
• Provide post-campaign recap reports (post-mortems) for all executed efforts, including:
• A summary of the campaign from planning through completion
• Evaluation of outcomes vs. stated objectives
• Analysis of key successes, challenges, and lessons learned
• Recommendations for future efforts or iterations
• Deliver monthly performance monitoring reports and analytics for digital campaigns, which must include:
o Campaign reach, engagement, conversion metrics, and audience insights
o Comparisons to campaign objectives and KPIs
o Optimization recommendations based on results
• Audit all vendor invoices and media placements (print, digital, broadcast, and web) to ensure fulfillment and proof of performance. The Agency will be responsible for:
o Verifying impressions, placement accuracy, and cost reconciliation
o Negotiating and securing make-goods if delivery falls short of contracted terms
• Provide campaign summaries and creative performance data that include how well branding elements (e.g., updated logo, messaging tone, visuals) performed across platforms and audiences.
6.5 Affiliate Marketing Program
The Agency will assist in implementing an Expedia booking widget on Rapid City Regional Airport’s website.
• Agency will establish and maintain an affiliate program to monetize the Airport’s website.
• On a monthly basis, the Agency will report generated commission. All accumulated revenue will be applied to any marketing efforts by the Agency.
Due Date: October 10, 2025, at 2:00 PM, MT
Contact: Megan Johnson megan.johnson@rcgov.org