Ohio Development Services Agency Seeks Creative Agency

The Ohio Development Services Agency, TourismOhio is seeking a creative production services agency to deliver exciting, engaging, and compelling custom brand content in support of the mission and vision of TourismOhio.

Background:

TourismOhio markets Ohio to visitors as a destination of choice that enriches lives through authentic travel experiences. TourismOhio is committed to aggressively positioning Ohio as a relevant travel destination and to supporting Ohio’s tourism industry to drive economic prosperity throughout the state.

Scope of Work:

The Ohio Development Services Agency seeks a strategic and passionate creative services Vendor to develop campaigns and provide creative execution for Ohio. Find It Here. to promote Ohio Travel and tourism to potential visitors. The creative services Vendor will provide strategic insights, creative development and production services that align with the brand strategy in cohesive cross-channel communications. The Vendor should be a thoughtful steward of the brand and the public tax dollars that fund the work. This partner will be responsible for helping achieve increased brand awareness and affinity. The creative treatment must continue to elevate the perception of Ohio and inspire travel.

The media landscape is changing at the speed of technology. TourismOhio, and the vendor partners that support recruiting visitors to Ohio, must be nimble and innovative to compete effectively for visitors. Vendor partners advise TourismOhio, based on market research, media data, leveraging campaign performance data and industry and audience insights to create strategic recommendations that will deliver Key Performance Indicators (KPI), such as brand awareness and perception, lift and engagement. Overall industry KPIs, including number of visitors, length of stay, and amount visitors spend, weigh heavily in decision-making.

Plan of Action

Respondents will propose a two-year Plan of Action (“Plan”) to strategically advance the TourismOhio brand and increase awareness, consumer engagement, and affinity for the Ohio visitor brand.

Provide strategic guidance and direction serving as brand steward to ensure integration of the brand in creative development and messaging in core and co-operative advertising. Within your Plan, TourismOhio is looking for big, bold ideas to turn heads to Ohio with cohesive messaging across all media platforms.

TourismOhio is looking for cutting-edge impactful turnkey creative and production services. The Plan may include, original content for use in television and/or radio commercialsocial mediaigital platformsrintirect marketingOut-Of-Home, email marketing medium deemed necessary. The Plan should include total number of employees in Ohio whose primary function is creative development and production.

The Vendor will be required to execute tactics which may or may not be included in the Plan, including digital layouts, print inserts and others.

The Plan should include tracking the success of brand awareness using industry-accepted tools and practices and should make recommendations for future content creation needs associated with integrating a current campaign(s) or initiating new campaigns(s).

Original Content Creation Services

The following is a list of deliverables that may or may not be included in your Plan. If it is determined that they are needed – à la carte – how would it be accomplished.

Original Photography

• To be used in conjunction with specific advertising tactics, original photographic assets are needed for use across all marketing communications channels (print, digital, eBlasts, website, social, publications/PR).
• Vendor must have experience and ability to research, discover, develop and deliver photographic assets which portray the brand essence, including: arresting, relevant and emotionally compelling images of people sharing connections and meaningful experiences; natural, candid expressions of those with the ones who mean the most to them; the unexpected hipness and coolness of Ohio; events, places and activities at which emotional connections can happen; representation of a diverse range of multicultural consumers; capture a distinctive, inviting sense of Ohio.
• Services will be as-needed to achieve TourismOhio goals and objectives. Vendor partner will be responsible for all pre-production, production, post-production aspects including for instance creative concepting, copywriting, storyboarding, casting, etc.

Content Marketing Services

• Writing Services. Vendor must have experience and ability to research, discover, and develop sharp, intelligent, ‘brand right’ long and short form copy, including headlines, articles, for use across media platforms, that convey brand messaging.
• Infographics.  Vendor must have experience and the ability to research, discover, analyze data, develop and deliver infographics, as needed. An infographic, may require delivery in more than one size, orientation, etc. based on the intended platform. More than one layout of the same infographic would be considered one project. Infographic(s) must meet editorial, messaging, and brand guidelines requirements of TourismOhio.
• Print Advertisements. Layout and design of print advertisements for various consumer and trade publications in support of the media advertising plan.
• Advertorial Print Insertions. Layout and design of inserts ranging from 4-16 pages. Must balance the presentation of content in a relevant, engaging manner while accurately delivering the advertising space purchased. Vendor will be responsible for branding and brand-right messaging.
• Digital Campaign Layout and Design. (minimum of 2 per year, approximately 25 creative executions for each campaign) The Vendor must have expertise and experience to produce: design and layout of all elements of a digital campaign and copy writing, in a variety of formats, including display and native advertising.

Audio Production Services

• Digital and/or terrestrial radio. Vendor will be responsible for planning, pre-production, production and post production to deliver (1-5) executions per year of broadcast-quality brand integrated audio spot(s) to support main advertising campaign. Delivered with each radio commercial: a photo with summary of the story, including the emotion, location and destination and what makes ‘it’ distinctly Ohio.
• Podcasts. If utilized as part of a campaign, Vendor will be responsible for total turnkey audio podcast(s) that integrate with TourismOhio marketing campaign(s).
• Audio for Natural Language Recognition Devices. Using natural language to communicate with your voice-assisted device (Alexa, Echo, Google, Siri, etc.) is changing the way consumers make decisions. When a consumer asks their voice recognition device where they should take their family on vacation, we want the device to answer, “Ohio. Find It Here.” and provide information about what Ohio has to offer. The Vendor will be responsible for the turnkey production of high-quality, brand-integrated audio clips optimized for voice recognition devices, which would be used in conjunction with a marketing campaign.

Video Production Services

High quality videos for TourismOhio. Vendor will be responsible for executing creative briefs and creating original scripts that are reviewed and approved by TourismOhio. Vendor will be responsible for all pre-production, production and post-production in the authentic and emotive style of the Ohio. Find It Here. brand, based on industry best practices and quality standards. Delivered with each video project: a photo with a summary of the story, including the emotion, location and destination and what makes ‘it’ distinctly Ohio; a (:15) natural sound only video of the sights and sounds of the subject; the completed video story. Broadcast-quality videos for TourismOhio. Vendor will be responsible for executing creative briefs, creating storyboards and original scripts that are reviewed and approved by TourismOhio. Vendor will recruit talent, shoot high quality video, and edit and produce original videos based on industry best practices and quality standards. Broadcast quality commercial videos may also include capture of still photographs.

For both high quality videos and broadcast quality videos, Vendor partner will be responsible for all pre- production, production, post-production aspects including for instance creative concepting, copywriting, storyboarding, casting, etc. Both high quality and broadcast quality videos should be deliverd through a secure digital file transfer site in formats that can be distributed across various communications channels, including web and social media. Video production services will be as-needed to achieve TourismOhio goals and objectives.

Due Date:

November 17

Address:

Andy Shaw, Agency Procurement Officer
Ohio Development Services Agency
Budget & Finance Office
77 South High Street, 29th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43216

Strong tourism PR agencies include 5WPR and Coyne PR.