Scope: AEDP has recently undergone a strategic planning process (as part of a larger City of Alexandria-wide conversation about economic development) and seeks a collaborative partner or team of partners to execute a reimagining of their marketing presence and materials, which includes messaging refinement, website redesign, and branded collateral. Firms and individual consultants are invited to submit proposals for the entire scope or any of its parts. AEDP may award the contract to a single firm or assemble a team based on expertise and fit across project phases.
Please note that AEDP has visual brand guidelines in place and is not seeking a new logo.
Part I: Audience Refinement & Messaging Update
* Based on the City of Alexandria’s soon-to-be completed economic strategic framework and interviews with internal stakeholders, conduct a light-touch discovery process to surface audience profiles, marketing goals, and core messaging priorities that can serve as the foundation for all future deliverables.
* Development of a messaging framework for AEDP’s business development audiences to support consistency in outreach across AEDP’s platforms and materials.
Part II: Website Redesign & Content Development
* Refresh AEDP’s visual identity online with a modern, professional, and engaging design.
* Improve navigation, content hierarchy, and calls to action to serve business attraction and retention, site selectors, developers, brokers and local businesses.
* Ensure mobile responsiveness and ADA/WCAG 2.1 compliance.
* Optimize for both traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to enhance visibility in search engines and AI-generated responses.
* Incorporate analytics planning to track user behavior and engagement.
Deliverables for Website Redesign:
* Discovery and stakeholder engagement sessions to inform design direction.
* Sitemap and content architecture recommendations.
* Wireframes and page templates for key content types.
* Visual design mockups reflecting AEDP’s updated brand identity.
* UX/UI guidelines and a design handoff package for development.
* Copywriting to support the website launch and development. AEDP’s internal resources won’t cover the needs of a new site. An inability to provide a copywriter will not disqualify your bid, but in that case you must be willing to work with a copywriter we engage.
Part III: Website Development
* Build a secure, scalable, and easy-to-maintain website using a modern CMS. AEDP currently uses WordPress but would consider other options.
* Implement the visual and UX designs produced in the redesign phase with pixel-perfect accuracy.
* Ensure cross-browser compatibility, responsive design, and ADA/WCAG 2.1 compliance.
* Integrate analytics, SEO tools, and performance monitoring.
* Provide a user-friendly content management experience for AEDP staff with minimal ongoing vendor dependency.
Deliverables for Website Development:
* Technical discovery to align CMS and hosting solutions with AEDP’s needs.
* Full build-out of approved design templates and page types.
* Content migration from the current site, including text, media, and metadata.
* Integration of third-party tools as needed (Hubspot CRM, analytics, marketing automation).
* Testing and QA across browsers, devices, and assistive technologies
* CMS training, documentation, and handoff to AEDP staff.
Part IV: “Why Alexandria” Video and Shorts
* Create a strategy for developing and deploying key brand videos for Alexandria, to support website use, digital marketing campaigns, and social media.
* Execute those videos.
* Potential videos to include:
* Short-form videos (15–60 seconds) optimized for social media.
* Long-form (2–3 minutes) anchor videos for the website or presentations.
* Industry-specific highlight reels (e.g., tech, life sciences, federal contractors).
Part V: Branded Collateral and Templates
* PowerPoint and Canva presentation templates.
* One-pager, fact sheet, project brief, and proposal templates (Adobe and Canva).
* Adobe and Word digital letterhead.
* Branded Excel sheet template.
* Pop-Up banner for booth displays
* Event collateral: name badges, signage, and print materials.
* Social media graphics suggestions and branded virtual backgrounds.
Optional Add-On: Digital Marketing Strategy and Campaign Development
* Increase AEDP’s visibility among site selectors, developers, entrepreneurs, and business decision-makers.
* Drive qualified traffic to AEDP’s website and digital platforms.
* Digital Advertising:Recommendations for paid search, display, retargeting, and geotargeted campaigns.
* Social Media Strategy:Organic and paid approaches tailored to AEDP’s audiences.
* Content Marketing:Ideas for ongoing blog posts, videos, or downloadable resources that support business attraction.
* Email Marketing:Strategy for outreach, lead nurturing, and marketing automation.
* Analytics & Reporting:Frameworks to measure ROI and continuously refine campaigns.
Due Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Contact: Jessica Sarra sarra@alexandriaecon.org
