MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES & HISTORY REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) INTEGRATED MARKETING PLAN TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS AND OTHER MUSEUM SITES OPERATED BY MDAH RFx: 3120002731
Closing Date: October 17, 2023
GENERAL
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is a comprehensive state agency, established in 1902 to collect, preserve, and provide access to the state’s historical resources, including archival records, historic objects, archaeological artifacts, and historic sites and structures. MDAH operates the Two Mississippi Museums—the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History— which opened in Jackson in 2017 and have attracted more than half a million visitors. MDAH also operates the Eudora Welty House & Garden in Jackson and the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez.
SCOPE OF WORK
MDAH is looking for a media/marketing/advertising vendor to develop and implement an integrated marketing plan for museum sites overseen by MDAH. These include the Two Mississippi Museums—the interconnected Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History—the Eudora Welty House & Garden, and the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. The vendor will create and place print, digital, social, billboard, radio, and television advertisements for evergreen promotion and to promote exhibits and events at MDAH sites to increase visitor traffic from the Jackson Metro area, the state of Mississippi, and surrounding states. This RFQ includes development of marketing strategies, advertising creation and production, ad placement, media planning, regular analysis and reporting, and billing and invoicing. The contract term for this service is three years with an optional fourth year. The total cost of the contract may not exceed $500,000 per year.
The successful vendor, or offeror, will work closely with MDAH staff, primarily the MDAH marketing director. The offeror will be expected to develop detailed marketing plans, including budgets, for MDAH sites. Once these marketing plans are approved by MDAH staff, the offeror will implement them by working directly with newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor, and digital outlets to place content and handle all billing and invoicing for all services including advertising.
The offeror must demonstrate expertise in navigating the challenges inherent in creating aesthetically pleasing and culturally sensitive marketing for sites that are connected to Native American groups and enslaved persons.
