The City of San Jose, California Issues Communications RFP
The City of San Jose, the Capital of Silicon Valley has issued an RFP for Strategic Business Communications Support Services. The City of San José’s Office of Economic Development requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide full-service communications support services for a multi-faceted communications program over a 24-month period. The program is to extend the impact and application of the San José Economic Development branding initiative started in 2016, with the ultimate goals of supporting the retention of business in San José, generating more leads from companies and entrepreneurs that could locate or expand in San José, and attracting technical and creative talent, including millennials, to live and work in this community. The Strategic Communications Program will include the development of a comprehensive strategic and tactical communications plan, implementation across multiple channels, and delivery on established success metrics.
This contract is being developed to provide consultation, communications tactical support and production of materials that will reflect and conform to the new branding. The key audiences for these communications tools and tactics are businesses currently located in San José -whom we wish to retain – business owners and site selection participants for businesses considering locating in San José, workers who live and/or work in San José, and millennial workers throughout the Bay Area.
BACKGROUND
San José has grown and changed rapidly in recent years, and it is now the largest city in the Bay Area and a “Top Ten” city nationally. The Office of Economic Development is committed to fostering a vibrant and competitive San José economy that increases prosperity for people and companies and enhances City revenues. OED guides the City’s economic strategy, provides assistance for business success, helps connect employers with trained workers, and supports art and cultural resources in our community.
Over the past two years, the Office of Economic Development identified the need to create a new foundation of promotional materials to communicate what San José has to offer companies and investors. These include a suite of descriptive materials (brochures and inserts available in print and online), high-quality photos, new maps, actionable data, and an extensive new website, sjeconomy.com. This work was completed over two years with the assistance of a design firm partner. The current branding contract will move OED away from this interim branding to the new branding which is derived from an intense study of San José residents, workers and businesses, and which reflects a more organic and nuanced image of San José as a city with a very distinctive voice, visual identity and aspirational personality. It is this identity that the successful responder to this RFP will be asked to express through communications tactics.
SCOPE OF WORK
In partnership with City staff, the full-service Strategic Communications Agency will be responsible for developing and executing a sustained, proactive, and effective communications campaign to enhance the recognition of San José and influence target audiences. The agency should demonstrate its capability for implementing the following elements and relevant experience:
- Design and Production of Communications Materials, including:
- Banners, signs, posters
- Fact sheets, maps, brochures
- Labels, printed ribbon, branded promotional items
- PowerPoint presentations
- Website design and maintenance services, including monitoring analytics
- Newsletter design and layout/production on monthly basis
- Advertising design and placement – print and online
- Social media platform enhancement and tactical support/posting/analytics
- Media list enhancement and maintenance
- Ongoing photography of events, grand openings for use in publicity and high-quality photography to enhance existing library of San José images.
- Videography of events, businesses, real estate opportunities, etc., for use on website, social media, advertising.
Proposal due by 4:00 PM on Friday, May 5, 2017 to:
Alfredo Iraheta
Office of Economic Development City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara, 14th Floor San José, CA 95113
Strong California tech agencies include Shift Communications.
