Spencer Township (Township), located in Northwest Ohio, is seeking Proposals from firms for a marketing and branding campaign which will successfully promote and position Spencer Township as a “Community for the Future”. Spencer Township is made up of 12.1 sq. miles of land, and has under 2000 residents.
According to the RFP, “Spencer Township was once a thriving community anchored by Spencer Sharples School system and a Community Center that provided many social supportive services for Township residents. Spencer- Sharples High School operated independently from 1958 to December 31, 1967. In 1967, due to a low tax base, the Ohio General Assembly voted to allow Toledo Public Schools to annex Spencer-Sharples, despite the fact that it was not geographically connected. Spencer Sharples High School operated as part of the Toledo Public Schools system from January 1, 1968 until 1980 when the school was closed as a part of Toledo Public Schools Budget cuts, and the student body was sent to Bowsher and Rogers high schools in Toledo. This action proved to be a huge blow to the Community. Residents of the area were mostly resistant to having their identity wiped out and having to bus their children into Toledo.”
The Township recently entered into a Joint Economic Development Zone (JEDZ) with the Village of Whitehouse and seeks to further raise awareness of this partnership, and differentiate Spencer Township from other Townships and communities in the area by developing a brand which may be used to market the township to prospective businesses, developers, residents and visitors. The chosen agency shall provide The Township with a market research study to determine the view of the Village in neighboring suburban Townships and communities.
The agency must create an image for the Township that can be easily and effectively utilized across multiple communicative mediums such as signs, social media marketing materials and websites.
The Township prides itself on its vast land, forest preserves, green spaces, parks and Industrial Park, however, we wish to target businesses that will add character to the community and enhance the Township’s quality of life. The branding and marketing strategy developed should equip the Township Trustees and staff with vital tools to help accomplish the economic development goals of establishing a thriving community.
Proposals are due by December 15, 2015 and should be directed to Dawn E. McDonald, via e-mail at dmcdonald@spencertownship.org