Scope: The City of Scottsdale’s Tourism & Events Division is seeking a qualified agency partner to support year-round marketing, advertising, and public relations efforts promoting Old Town Scottsdale.
Services under this contract may include, but are not limited to, the following categories:
1. Strategic Planning & Performance Measurement
1. Develop and implement approximately 6 to 8 multi-channel marketing campaigns annually. Campaigns should be designed to sustain momentum, drive consistent engagement, and allow flexibility for opportunistic or quick-turn initiatives. Examples may include promotions targeting local audiences, highlighting distinct Old Town districts, and reinforcing key brand themes. Each campaign should include strategy development, audience targeting, media planning and buying, creative production, implementation, and performance evaluation. * Ensure focused inclusion of priority cultural assets, such as Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, in campaign planning and content development, particularly in relation to district-focused promotions and efforts to increase cultural tourism.
Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each campaign, including: * Foot traffic increase in Old Town Scottsdale
* Social media growth and engagement (e.g., follower count, shares, comments)
* Website traffic and behavioral data
* Advertising reach and ROI (e.g., cost per engagement, impressions, audience demographics)
* Post-event data collection (e.g., intercept surveys, short in-person interviews)
* Economic outcomes (e.g., merchant sales)
Provide a standardized reporting template and shared dashboard for the City to track campaign results and performance trends timely and over time.Annually update the Old Town Scottsdale brand perception research to inform marketing strategy and content development.Participate in business communication and engagement efforts related to marketing, including attendance at stakeholder meetings, workshops, or activations at the request of the City.
2. Advertising & Creative Development
2. Design and execute multi-channel advertising and promotional materials, including: * Digital (e.g., social media, programmatic, CTV, paid search)
* Print (e.g., brochures, magazines, direct mail)
* Out-of-home (e.g., billboards, transit, street banners)
* Video and audio (e.g., TV, radio, streaming)
* Experiential marketing (e.g., activations, pop-ups)
Maintain and evolve the Old Town Scottsdale brand across all campaigns, ensuring consistent tone, quality, and adaptability across districts and demographics.Propose refinements to existing brand guidelines, if needed.Provide creative content throughout the year for non-campaign initiatives (e.g., program ads, banners).Conduct pre-launch creative testing (e.g., A/B testing, stakeholder feedback, focus groups, or surveys) for major campaigns, as determined in coordination with city staff. The level of testing should be scaled appropriately to the campaign’s size, visibility, and strategic importance with the goal of ensuring message relevance, audience alignment, and creative effectiveness.Develop campaign materials optimized for each platform and demographic segment.
3. Website & Digital Content Management
Manage and maintain OldTownScottsdaleAZ.com and potential other specialty websites as identified by the city, including:
3. Design, create, and manage content, ongoing content updates, and page layouts.Implement search engine optimization (SEO) best practices and performance tracking.Ensure accessibility compliance (ADA) and strong UX design.Integrate 3rd party platforms as needed (e.g., events calendar, merchant directories).Provide quarterly analytics with insights and recommendations.
4. Social Media Management & Influencer Partnerships
4. Manage Old Town Scottsdale’s official social media accounts.Develop a comprehensive content calendar with high-quality visuals, stories, reels, and videos that reflect seasonal priorities and district diversity.Identify and manage relationships with social media influencers and content creators.Monitor trends, community conversations, and engagement to inform content strategy.Provide monthly performance reports with analysis and optimization recommendations.
5. Public Relations
5. Plan, manage, and evaluate a minimum of four (4) strategic public relations campaigns annually. Campaigns should be timed based on seasonal relevance, major initiatives, or strategic opportunity and include proactive media outreach, story development, and earned media tracking, to enhance Old Town Scottsdale’s public image among local, regional, and visitor audiences.Coordinate media relations, press coverage, and media events.Manage responses to negative publicity, urgent issues, or unexpected events in collaboration with City staff.Coordinate interviews and media opportunities related to events and campaigns.
6. Audio-Visual Production
6. Provide photography, videography, and creative production services approximately 4–6 times per year.Handle all aspects of video and audio production, including scripting, editing, talent sourcing, and permitting, as needed.Deliver all raw and edited content to the City. All creative content becomes the property of the City of Scottsdale for unrestricted future use.
7. Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
7. Support city-led engagement efforts with Old Town Scottsdale businesses and stakeholders throughout major campaign development. This may include participating in city-hosted workshops or meetings used for campaign testing, stakeholder feedback, and rollout planning, as directed by city staff. Provide advance notice of campaign themes, timelines, and tools for city to share with businesses and stakeholders to maximize alignment and cross-promotion.Designate a single point of contact who will serve as the agency liaison to City staff
8. Budget Allocation & Cost Proposal
Respondents must submit a detailed cost proposal that outlines anticipated expenditures by service category, including:
8. Creative development and productionMedia planning and buyingWebsite and digital contentPublic relationsStakeholder engagementProject management and administration
The City reserves the right to negotiate and adjust proposed allocations to ensure balance across priorities.
9. Alignment with Research & Community Input
The 2025 Old Town Scottsdale Business Engagement Study(Attachment C) provides detailed findings on stakeholder priorities, brand perceptions, and marketing effectiveness. Respondents should demonstrate familiarity with this report and describe how their proposed strategies respond to its key recommendations, including:
9. Clear, segmented branding across Old Town’s nine districts or business typesTargeted campaigns for Scottsdale-area residents and high-value visitorsHigh-quality, engaging and distinctive creative design and marketing campaignsSophisticated and consistent data reporting and evaluation practicesEnhanced coordination with businesses and cultural stakeholders
Due Date: 2:00 P.M. AZ LOCAL TIME, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
Contact: Eveline Vanda evanda@scottsdaleaz.gov 480-312-5719