Seeking African-American PR Firms

Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation is seeking a Multicultural Agency focusing on African American Audiences.

ITN Objectives

VISIT FLORIDA is seeking an agency to work in conjunction with VISIT FLORIDA as well as VISIT FLORIDA’s roster of agencies to ensure general marketing and ad hoc campaign efforts are effective and relevant to maintaining and growing the African American visitation to Florida. The selected agency will provide consultation for VISIT FLORIDA for the next 3 to 5 years. VISIT FLORIDA’s objectives include:

• Selecting an agency that will develop a research based strategic plan to effectively target the African American audience;
• Selecting an agency that can develop ad hoc projects that will expand and deepen consumer engagement with the Florida travel brand;
• Selecting an agency that can provide insights to VISIT FLORIDA and VISIT FLORIDA’s roster of agencies to curate content for the African American audience;
• Selecting an agency that can translate the look, feel and messaging of VISIT FLORIDA’s consumer brand(s) for the African American segment;
• Selecting an agency that will provide public relations services to VISIT FLORIDA;
• Selecting an agency that will successfully partner with VISIT FLORIDA’s tourism industry partners;
• Selecting an agency that can maximize the value of VISIT FLORIDA campaigns and operate as an extension of the VISIT FLORIDA team; and
• Selecting an agency that utilizes cutting edge platforms and solutions capable of meeting VISIT FLORIDA’s overall objectives: (1) increasing visitor volume to Florida year over year; (2) maximizing visitor spend; and the legislative mandated one-to-one match of public investment to private industry match.

VISIT FLORIDA’s Audience

VISIT FLORIDA’s audience includes:

• The Florida tourism industry at large (for partnership and cooperative advertising purposes);
• Consumers in the United States, Canada, and select international markets (currently through the consumer brand, “Must be the Sunshine”);
• Florida residents (currently through VISIT FLORIDA’s “Share a Little Sunshine” campaign, which is designed to leverage social networks to reach outside of Florida);
• Decision-makers in the meetings and convention industry around the world; and
• International travel trade professionals.

Scope of Work

The selected agency must:

1. Partner with VISIT FLORIDA as well as VISIT FLORIDA’s contract agencies to create effective brand strategies and build advertising campaigns as it related to the African American audience.
2. Assist VISIT FLORIDA with crisis management (e.g., hurricane response).
3. Produce industry Point of View (POV) position papers covering relevant advertising, communications and trends, identify how these trends affect VISIT FLORIDA strategies, and recommend a course of action.
4. Participate in the development of creative materials that increase the impact of VISIT FLORIDA marketing efforts in this segment. These services must include, but need not be limited to:
   • Planning, consulting and presenting creative guidance to VISIT FLORIDA and VISIT FLORIDA’s contracted agencies on the adaptation of the Florida brand for the African American audience.
   • Editorial services such as copywriting, fact-checking, proofreading and editing materials.
5. Collaborate with VISIT FLORIDA and VISIT FLORIDA’s contract agencies (e.g., digital media buying agency, social media buying agency, project agencies, multicultural
6. consultants, and freelance contractors as necessary) to translate brand creative across different channel executions to reach the African American audience.
7. Develop dedicated and co-operative advertising programs that target the African American market. These services could include, but need not be limited to:
   • Planning, negotiating and buying media
   • Production of creative assets, in alignment with VISIT FLORIDA’s consumer brand, to fulfill the program needs
   • Securing partner(s) participating in co-operative programs including the client services, production and billing to fulfill program
8. Provide insights that increase the relevance of VISIT FLORIDA content to the African American audience. This includes recommendation of story and feature concepts for VISIT FLORIDA’s editorial team and participation in VISIT FLORIDA’s social media efforts.
9. Provide public relations services to VISIT FLORIDA, which may include press outreach, working with influencers, and advising VISIT FLORIDA.
10. Provide event strategy, support and on-site support of any African American related events executed by VISIT FLORIDA and the agency
11. Provide support to VISIT FLORIDA’s promotions team, which may include outreach to potential promotional media partners and brands as well as recommendations on consumer promotions concepts for the audience.
12. Observe market research, demographic data, and data relating to the effectiveness of past and present campaigns.
13. Provide periodic reporting as requested or required by VISIT FLORIDA for its own reporting to external auditors and the State of Florida.
14. Obtain written authorization in advance of all work and bill VISIT FLORIDA monthly with detailed supporting documentation attached to all invoices.

Proposal due by June 16, 2017 to:
Heather Collins, Senior Contracts Manager
itn@visitflorida.org
Subject Line: African American Services ITN
Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation
2540 W Executive Center Circle, Suite 200
Tallahassee, FL 32301

EPR has written previously on African-American owned PR firms.