RFP - Marketing, Branding, Campaign Dev 2021PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 BY 5 PM PST
Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
MARKETING, BRANDING, CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT &
DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES
78495 CALLE TAMPICO | LA QUINTA, CA 92253
760.777.7032 | MGRAHAM@LAQUINTACA.GOV
The City of La Quinta, California invites proposals from qualified, knowledgeable, and
experienced marketing agencies that will elevate the City's brand development, marketing,
and advertising strategy concepts. La Quinta is a thriving city with something for everyone!
With world-class golf, beautiful hiking trails, exquisite art, shopping, and dining; La Quinta
has set the bar for becoming a premiere 21st Century destination. The City is looking to
create a marketing campaign that is modern, exciting, tasteful, and edgy, capturing today's
trends, culture, and decor. Looking for new ideas to enhance the current marketing
campaign that pushes the boundaries without compromising the City values or quality of
life.
La Quinta is centrally located within the Coachella Valley, a 2,500 square mile economic
sub-region of Riverside County, California, and consists of 9 incorporated cities including
La Quinta, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert,
Indian Wells, Indio, Coachella and portions of the unincorporated County of Riverside. The
City represents 35.55 square miles with a permanent population of 41,000 and a seasons
population adding approximately 16,000 with a population density of 1,066 and 1,532 per
square mile, respectively. The resident base represents a median age of 45.6 and an
average household income of $77,839. Incorporated on May 1, 1982, the City has grown to
include 25 golf courses, 11 parks, and several miles of biking/hiking trails and is a Healthy
Eating Active Living City. La Quinta will celebrate its 40th year of incorporation in May
2022.
Additionally, work is well underway on the project of the Montage and Pendry Luxury
Hotels/Residences estimated to be completed in Spring 2023. The project will consist of
134 casita-style guest rooms for Montage and 200 rooms for Pendry.
I. Introduction
II. About the City
III. Scope of Work
The chosen agency shall bring a creative component to the campaign, innovative design
and concepts, be knowledgeable in market trends and technology, and have an
understanding of La Quinta's lifestyle image.
Graphic design should be innovative and appealing while highlighting the City's events,
experiences, and amenities using the brand standards as the guiding principles. The City is
seeking a graphic design that elevates, inspires, and motivates visitors and the community
to experience La Quinta. Design should be well thought out and creative, setting the
standard of being in La Quinta.
AGENCIES MAY SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR ONE OR MULTIPLE COMPONENTS OF
THIS SCOPE OF WORK
1.Graphic Design
Examples of Current Ads:
Prospective agencies shall present (3) three proposed annual work plans in the amounts of
$550,000, $750,000, and $900,000 for implementation starting on July 1, 2022. The
proposals should include any and all agency fees and/or retainers. Agencies shall
demonstrate experience with an effective marketing plan to engage the community and
promote the City to the highest level.
Develop and publish a monthly electronic City newsletter for residents, visitors,
entrepreneurs, and investors to communicate City activities, and promote tourism and
economic development. Newsletter should be reflective of the City's brand incorporating
the look and feel of the marketing campaign. Clean lines, white space, and stimulating
visuals should be guiding principles of the newsletter.
Provide high-quality and current photographs of people, artwork, food, businesses,
facilities, and events to use for the City's marketing materials, website, newsletter, and
social media. Must be able to create engaging photography campaigns which may be
coordinated with the community. The ability to take photographs by drones is highly
preferred.
2. Newsletter Development & Publication
3. Photography Services
Examples of Current Photo Campaign:
Prepare public relations materials such as press releases and media advisories. Be
proactive in seeking information and conducting research for news stories. Additionally
agency must be proactive "go-getters" that understand the strengths and needs of the
community to effectively target local residents as well as tourists and businesses. Must be
able to create engaging blogs, which may be coordinated with community events. Strong
writing and editorial skills required and experience in speech writing.
4. Public Relations
5. Economic Development
Provide a marketing campaign that will lead to the development and diversification of the
City's economy through the recruitment, expansion, and maintaining quality employers and
job-producing investments. The marketing campaign is expected to increase awareness
among site selection consultants and business leaders from regions within, and beyond, the
Coachella Valley. The marketing campaign may include the production of brochures, flyers,
booklets, social media, and potentially video. The design goal for these marketing materials
will be to communicate the benefits of conducting business in the City, business
recruitment and retention strategies, and demographic and market data. Agencies must
be experienced in developing and implementing a public sector economic development
marketing/communication strategy, and have experience targeting entrepreneurial
audiences preferred. In addition to efforts that promote growing the City's economy, there
will be an element of continued communication with City staff regarding promotion of
existing businesses in the City.
6. Video Services
Provide high-quality and current videos of people, artwork, food, businesses, facilities, and
events to use for the City's marketing materials, website, newsletter, social media, the City's
YouTube Channel, and other video sites. Must be able to create engaging video
campaigns and vlogs, which may be coordinated with the community. May also assist in
operating the audio/visual equipment during council and commission meetings. The ability
to take videos by drones is highly preferred.
Manage the City's tourism website calendar, photographs, videos, and content. Create
website pages that effectively provide information. Identify opportunities to create forms
and/or convert them to user-friendly formats. Constantly update and enhance the website
homepage and secondary pages in coordination with City staff. Communicate with the
City's website provider to fix problems as necessary. Knowledge of HTML required.
7. Website Management
8. Digital Services
Plan, coordinate and oversee digital media placement recommendations, creative
development for digital insertions, optimizations, reporting, third-party ad verification
(impressions, clicks, and conversions), and otherwise ensure proper execution of digital
advertising campaign. Develop a strong and diversified media program that serves to
promote La Quinta on a variety of digital mediums in order to reach its identified target
geographic and demographic markets as well as attract new markets. Improve the volume
and traffic of the City's website via search engine optimization efforts. Analyze results,
optimize based on those results, and report results monthly. Pay-per-click management,
recommendations, optimization, and reporting.
Example of web driven pages:
Plan, coordinate, and oversee all advertising/marketing efforts including, but not limited to,
traditional media placement recommendations, reporting, insertion verification, and
otherwise ensure proper execution of advertising campaign. Seek to maximize added value
opportunities. Develop a strong and diversified media program that serves to promote La
Quinta in a variety of geographic areas in order to reach its identified target demographic
markets as well as attract new markets. The budget should include a strategic media plan
and account management.
9. Media Buying
10: Brand Enhancement
The selected agency will collaborate with City staff to enhance, evolve and refine the
current brand standards. This will include the development and presentation of potential
color palettes, taglines, mission statements, event alignment, and other associated
elements. Recommendations for print, digital and additional brand assets are welcome. A
final brand toolkit and style guide is requested bi-annually to continuously evolve the City's
brand.
The project contract will be based on the final scope of work that is mutually agreed upon
by the City and the consultant(s). The contract will be negotiated for the project for the
extent of services to be rendered. Consultants are requested to submit a line-item cost
estimate that is realistic for the proposed approach. The budget should cover all costs
including production. Consultants shall not perform any work on the project prior to
execution of a written contract by both the City and the Consultants and furnishing of all
required insurance certificates and business licenses by the consultants. The City requires a
minimum insurance limit for general liability, automobile and errors, and omissions. A draft
Compliance with Contract Insurance Requirements document is attached to the RFP. The
City reserves the right to negotiate modifications to the proposals presented and/or the
use of specific individuals or agencies.
VI: Contract
VII: Key Dates
Release of RFP
Deadline for Submittal
Interview for finalists (if needed)
Award of Contract
Targeted contract commencement
December 3, 2021
January 7, 2022
Week of February 21, 2022
March 14, 2022
May 1, 2022
All questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to Marcie Graham, Marketing
Manager, via email at: mgraham@laquintaca.gov
Agencies are encouraged to keep their proposals brief and relevant to the specific
information requested herein. Proposals should be straightforward, concise, and provide
examples of work.
Proposals must be presented in a format and order that corresponds to the numbering and
lettering contained herein with minimal reference to supporting documentation so that
proposals can be accurately compared.
All proposals shall include the following:
A.1) Cover letter signed by an official authorized to bind the agency;
2) Printed name, address, phone number, and e-mail address of agency's contact person;
3) Location of agency's main office;
4) Location of the office that would service this project; and
5) A validity statement stating that all information and pricing provided in the proposal is
valid for at least ninety (90) days; and
B. Background on the agency and its experience, which shall include:
1) Number of years in business;
2) Taxpayer identification number;
VIII: Questions
IX: Proposal Format
3) Resumes of the project manager and key personnel who will be responsible for
performance of any contract resulting from this RFP;
4) Agency ownership and, if incorporated, the state in which the firm is incorporated
and the date of incorporation; and
5) If the agency is a subsidiary of a parent company, identify the parent company.
C. References for similar services within the last three (3) years, which shall include:
1) Client name, client project manager, telephone number, and e-mail address;
2) Project description;
3) Project state date, and end date;
4) Staff assigned to each project by your agency; and
5) Discussion of final outcome.
D. Disclosure of any alleged significant prior or ongoing contract failures, any civil or criminal
litigation or investigation pending, which involves the Proposer or in which the Proposer has
been judged guilty or liable within the last five years. If there is nothing to disclose, Proposer
must state such in writing.
E. Description of Proposer's warranty/guarantee of work product.
F. Subcontracting any portion(s) of the Scope of Services is allowed; however, Proposer shall
provide details on the role of any subcontractor that will be used.
G. A statement that, if selected, a Proposer will provide the minimum insurance coverage and
indemnification noted in Attachment 1.
X: Selection Process
Qualified firms may be invited to make an oral presentation on their proposal to an
evaluation panel. The panel will consist of City staff and City partners who will be
responsible for reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating the proposals received. The City,
however, reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. There will not be reimbursement
for costs associated with preparing proposals.
Proposals will be evaluated considering the factors listed below in no particular order of
significance:
XIII: Proposal Submittal
Applicants shall submit proposals electronically via e-mail or cloud services if preferred. All
electronic documents submitted shall be in PDF format. Hard copy proposals must be
submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside "Sealed bid for marketing,
branding, and campaign development. Attention: Marcie Graham, Marketing
Manager"
City of La Quinta (or mgraham@laquintaca.gov, Subject: RFP - Marketing)
78495 Calle Tampico
La Quinta, CA 92253
Deadline for submittal:
The filing deadline for submittal of the above proposal is Friday, January 7, 2022, at
5 PM PST.
Cost and price
Work plan
Qualification and experience of the proposer
Staffing and organization
Conformance with this RFP
References of performance including such factors as control of costs, quality of work,
ability to meet schedules, cooperation, responsiveness, compliance with the
requirements, and other considerations
Any other criteria determined by the City
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Upon selection of the most qualified proposer, the City may require the finalist to make an
oral presentation to the evaluation panel and/or the City Council or City Manager or
designee. The City expressly reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, with or without
providing a reason and to waive any irregularities or informalities in the offers received. In
the event of any such rejection, or in the event a proposer's offer is not rejected but does
not result in contract award, the City shall not be liable for any costs incurred by the
proposer in connection with the preparation and submittal of the proposal.