Request for Proposals for Rebranding Historic Downtown Wilson
Respond to:
Meg Edwards, Downtown Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Submission Deadline:
Friday, July 26, 2024 @ 3:00 pm
RFP Issued by:
City of Wilson
Downtown Division
PO Box 10
Wilson, NC 27894
www.historicdowntownwilson.com
Project Brief:
The City of Wilson – Downtown Development Division on behalf of the Wilson Downtown Development
Corporation (WDDC), Wilson Downtown Properties (WDP), and downtown stakeholders invites the
submission of proposals from qualified marketing and branding consultant firms for rebranding and
marketing services, including, but not limited to market research, brand strategy, brand creative and design, and website redevelopment.
Downtown Partnerships Overview
In Wilson, the downtown development effort is a partnership between Wilson Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC), Wilson Downtown Properties, Inc. (WDP), Wilson County, and the City of Wilson.
Both the WDDC and WDP, Inc. boards have representation from the city, county, downtown
stakeholders, and are staffed by members of the Downtown Development Division of the City of Wilson.
All partners share the same vision:
Vision: The home of charm and innovation, Historic Downtown Wilson is the heart of an inclusive
community where arts, culture, entertainment, recreation, and diverse businesses create a welcoming lifestyle that draws people day and night.
Wilson Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC) is a non-profit organization that promotes historic preservation and combats community deterioration. WDDC is managed by a Board of Directors comprised of downtown business owners, property owners, non-profit leaders, and City and County representatives who share a passion for revitalizing the heart of our city. Board members provide leadership in downtown development by delivering vision, human capital, and managing financial resources.
Mission: Wilson Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC) leads community investment and drives the social, cultural & economic engine of an authentic Wilson by creating and promotion a vibrant, innovation & sustainable downtown.
Wilson Downtown Properties, Inc. (WDP) is a non-profit organization that acts as the redevelopment affiliate of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC). Created to facilitate the adaptive reuse of obsolete properties, the organization acquires downtown properties and then partners with entities to redevelop obsolete properties.
Mission: Wilson Downtown Properties, Inc. (WDP) is the leader in creative placemaking and property redevelopment projects – through economic development, art, culture, innovation and preservation – that drives community and economic investment to fully realize the vision of Historic Downtown Wilson.
Main Street Association:
Wilson is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce and Main Street & Rural Planning Center and is nationally accredited by Main Street America. Wilson Downtown Development Corporation is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.
WDDC operates within the Municipal Service District (MSD) known and promoted as Historic Downtown.
Overview of Downtown
Downtown Wilson is known for its rich ties to agriculture, arts and culture, technological innovation, redevelopment, and train transit.
Agriculture
In the early 1900s, Wilson had the largest bright leaf tobacco market in the world. There are several
examples of how our tobacco history is reflected throughout our downtown. The whole design and
layout of one of our biggest economic drivers and arts & culture focal points, the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park (VSWP) mirrors the floor plan of a tobacco warehouse. The bricks that line the stage and the ground’s barrier wall are all recycled from tobacco warehouses of the past. The park itself is based on the grounds where the first-ever tobacco warehouse was located; which truly is magical in itself, as it once served as the biggest economic driver at the conception of our downtown. The only standing tobacco warehouse downtown, holds not only apartments but the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park Museum & Gift Shop, as well as the American Center for Photographers (ACP). Even one of our downtown businesses, Artisan Leaf is dedicated to preserving the tobacco leaf by cultivating the crop into stunning works of art.
The history is everywhere.
Arts & Culture
While taking a drive or stroll around downtown, it is easy to see how we embrace arts and culture. You can’t go down one of our main streets without walking past an art gallery/studio, various sculptures, and/or murals on walls and streets. One mural is a captivating rendering of several famous musicians with Wilson roots and is a part of the African American Music Trail. Once a year, the outside of some our downtown buildings, become a gallery for the annual Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival.
Photographers from all around the world visit our downtown to participate and view 100 enlarged photo printouts displayed on the outside of our downtown buildings. This Spring, the structures that hold the photos in place were occupied by works of art from the students of our local charter school, Sallie B. Howard School of Arts and Sciences.
Technology Innovation
Within the last 20 years we have quickly adapted to the needs of advancing technology.
Greenlight, housed under the City of Wilson, is North Carolina’s first community-owned, symmetrical gigabit, fiber-to-the home-network in the state. It represents more than two decades of planning and designing for a future-proof infrastructure that was the natural outflow for a community characterized by a long history of self-reliance and public infrastructure focus. The advancement of technology spawned the Gig East Initiative in 2016, with the vision of growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem of innovation in arts and technology. Then in 2019, the Gig East Exchange opened its doors as a coworking space that creates a home for entrepreneurs to begin cultivating their businesses.
Redevelopment
Over the past two decades, more than 50 downtown buildings have been restored and renovated. Along with renovations, in the past three years we have been apart of the creation of a new Healthcare Foundation YMCA, a 5-story parking deck, and a 240-unit mixed-use apartment complex, Centro at PineNash. We have progressed so much that the Single-A team of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Carolina Mudcats, have decided to make downtown Wilson their new home. Along with the new baseball stadium, we will have a new hotel, and several additional apartment complexes within walking distance of the stadium.
Train Transit
The Wilson Amtrak station was built by the Atlantic Coast Line in 1924, marking this year as its 100th anniversary. Our Amtrak station has one of the highest ridership of all transit systems in North Carolina.
Our marketing plan needs to incorporate how to better promote and utilize this asset.
Intended Impact
Our growth will only continue as we prepare to break ground for a new minor league baseball stadium, new hotel(s), and new apartments. As we grow, we do not wish to leave our history behind, however we are no longer a small town with a few hidden gems and assets. We are on the cusp of something much larger and are ready for our new brand to reflect our new identity.
Scope of Work
The purpose and intent for retaining rebranding services is to establish a contract with one or more
qualified firms to develop a coordinated strategy to build a credible and distinctive brand for downtown Wilson. The branding initiative will be comprised of five distinct components. Interested partners are invited to submit proposals on any individual components or they may submit a proposal for the full scope of the initiative:
● Market Research
● Brand Strategy
● Brand Creative & Design
● Website Redevelopment
● Social Media Strategy
The selected firm(s) must be collaborative (able to work with City of Wilson staff, WDDC board members, WDP board members, stakeholder groups, and other consultants/partner firm(s) as needed) and have extensive experience in rebranding similar companies/organizations.
I. MarketResearch
Conduct market research that will ensure the marketing strategy for the rebrand is based
on sound data and principles and will feel authentic and organic to those most familiar with the area.
a. Audit existing research, reports, neighborhood assets & institutions, as well as the current branding materials and standards, that will assist in achieving the project’s goals and meeting all deliverables.
II. Brand Strategy
Define how downtown should be perceived through its identity.
a. Develop a brand platform, as well as positioning, personality, promise, differentiation, and values.
b. Develop a comprehensive brand architecture that addresses relationships between demographics, events/programs, location, and umbrella organization.
c. Develop and help implement a strategy to gain organizational consensus for the new brand.
This should include, but is not limited to, target audiences, key stakeholders, residents, business and community leaders and media. Guide new brand implementation.
d. Develop implementable strategy for marketing, promotional, public relations, and community outreach effort, with specific details of timelines and tactics.
e. Create a communications plan inclusive of brand rollout strategy for stakeholders and target audiences. This includes a marketing strategy inclusive of public relations and outreach, internal implementation, and external awareness.
f. Develop standards for monitoring and measuring brand performance.
III. Brand Creative & Design
Develop the visual identity for the new brand platform.
a. Create a visual identity and logo package with brand and style guidelines for its use.
i. Logo (full color and one color)
ii. Color palette
iii. Brand&font guidelines
iv. Associated visual and digital elements
b. Inventory and assess current brand and collateralmaterials.
IV. Website Development
Develop a strategy to create a new website to match/reflect updated brand identity that is inclusive and accessible to all; hearing impaired, visually impaired, etc.
V. Social Media Strategy
Develop an implementable strategy that reflects our organization’s personality, values, and ensures a consistent and distinct brand experience across all channels.
a. Audit current channels, content and analytics.
b. Create actionable plan to increase engagement and growth across all platforms including how to increase post-performance and strategic insights to innovative storytelling narratives.
c. Create content guide that includes best practices and improvement for each platform and suggestions for maximizing content
Existing Brand Elements (logo, colors, tagline):
Colors: Red: PMS 1805
Gold: PMS 124
Green: PMS 575
Greenish/blue: PMS 323
Tagline: “Crossroads of charm & innovation”
