Texas Agriculture Issues RFP For Wine Marketing
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is requesting proposals for the development and execution of the Texas Wine and Grape Varietal Marketing Campaign (Campaign). The Campaign may include:
- the promotion and execution of Texas Wine Month in October, including creation and mailing of a designated piece for each winery to help promote Texas Wine Month;
- upkeep and continuous design of the uncorktexaswine.com website;
- the production of educational outreach projects which may include, but are not limited to, retail materials, industry informational brochures, the State Fair of Texas displays, marketing promotional materials, advertisements and numerous other projects with fast turnaround; and
- digital media creation and buys. The design work will support the Texas Wine Marketing Program, with an emphasis on educational outreach and cost effectiveness.
Background:
The Texas Wine Marketing Division of TDA is responsible for marketing the Texas Wine Industry. This work includes educational and promotional outreach in the form of print and digital materials, as well as advertising.
Advertising/Educational Outreach Campaign Goal: The Campaign is intended to increase awareness of the types of wines being produced in Texas, to increase the wine consumer’s understanding and level of education regarding grape varietals grown in Texas, and to grow the market for Texas wines. This outreach will result in consumers developing:
- A basic working knowledge and comfort with names of specific grape varietals grown in Texas;
- An in-depth understanding of inherent taste profiles of said varietals;
- A complete understanding of how said varietals are pronounced and regions in which they are grown; and
- Knowledge of positive attributes specific to Texas wines, which will increase overall sales of Texas wines.
Scope of Work:
TDA is looking to continue ongoing efforts supporting marketing initiatives for Texas wines. All advertising and collateral developed is designed to support 400+ wineries in the State as well as key varietals and wine/food pairings.
The communication activities as part of this scope include insight development, advertising strategy, brand development, design of print and digital collateral and web updates and maintenance. The existing website (uncorktexaswines.com) includes basic information so that any consumer can find a nearby winery, winery events, seasonal pairings, or use a downloadable directory. Wine marketing communications are throughout the year, and with a marked focus during October Wine Month.
As part of the assignment, the Contractor will need to have a deep understanding of Texas Wines, Texas varietals, Texas AVAs, and the Texas Wine Trails. The Contractor will work with TDA to develop consumer insights that help us identify the consumer target who is most likely to consume Texas Wines throughout the year. The creative produced by the Contractor may include but not be limited to: posters, magazine spreads, one-page advertisements, information brochures, information cards, information kits, digital banners, social media posts, landing page design, email blasts, and the ongoing maintenance, updates, web hosting and design of the uncorktexaswines.com website. The Contractor will be responsible for securing all photography as part of this bid.
In addition, the Contractor will be responsible for creating at minimum four seasonal pairings with a sommelier that showcase menu ideas with Texas Wine varietals. Both the pairings and the website content will need to be updated a minimum of four times during the year. The Contractor will also be responsible for handling email blasts using their own or third-party email platform. The Contractor will need to meet with TDA on a monthly basis to provide updates on the annual activities and have a designated point of contact who can also provide reports on website traffic and email open rates.
In addition to branding and digital efforts, TDA participates in events throughout the year where Texas Wines are promoted. The plan provided by the Contractor will need to include staffing for at least two events throughout the year.
Digital media support will be needed to support October Wine Month promotion(s). Communications should focus on reaching consumers interested in Texas Wines and informing them of the events happening throughout the State. While Texas Wines pushes content throughout the year, the media efforts allocated only cover October Wine Month.
Our goal is to maximize the media investment and drive consumers to the uncorktexaswines.com. We also want consumers to sign up to receive future communications on the same landing page. Our website directory includes 400+ wineries across the State. The media activities should be inclusive of understanding the target and developing a plan to reach them digitally. We are open to all digital efforts that bring the highest exposure to Texas Wines during October Wine Month. The Contractor’s plan should include impressions and key performance indicators like click through rate, etc.
Due Date:
July 2nd
Address:
Texas Department of Agriculture
Stephen F. Austin Bldg.
Attention: Max Hernandez, Senior Contract Specialist
Financial Services, Procurement
1700 N. Congress Avenue, 11th Floor
Austin Texas 78701
Food and beverage agencies include 5WPR and Hunter PR.
