February 2023
Project Overview
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Visit Baton Rouge are searching for an agency to develop and launch a multi-media national marketing campaign and talent attraction website that attracts young professional talent (ages 25-44) to Louisiana’s Capital Region over a three-year period.
Who We Are
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) is an aggressively ambitious regional economic development organization with a bias for action. BRAC seeks to accelerate economic opportunity in the Baton Rouge Area, for everyone, through BRING IT! Baton Rouge, its five-year, regional strategic plan. Learn more about BRAC at brac.org.
Visit Baton Rouge’s (VBR) mission is to increase visitation to and awareness of the Baton Rouge Area thereby enhancing economic impact. VBR strives to share an authentic Louisiana experience and change the way people think of our region. Learn more about VBR at visitbatonrouge.com.
What We Need
In BRAC and VBR’s efforts to bolster the region’s talent pipeline, one of the key tactics identified is to create a dedicated national talent attraction campaign that will attract, engage, and retain talent in Louisiana’s Capital Region. A key metric of success is to increase regional young professional (ages 25-44) migration by 5%.
We need a Baton Rouge branded website and complementary national marketing campaign that “sets the stage” for what work and life are like here in BR; we want to showcase why the Capital region is the perfect choice for our audience when deciding on a city to call home. The work should feel authentic but also aspirational. We want it to speak to the audience in a way that doesn’t feel like merely advertising; understanding they can choose anywhere to live, work and raise their families but making it clear why BR is the RIGHT choice for them.
The type of partner we need is:
- Passionate about helping us build the right tools and marketing plans to tell our story
- Energized by the opportunity to help BRAC and VBR launch a national campaign to attract and retain talent to our region.
- Anchored in research and best practices to ensure that we are building a campaign that will work. As non-profit organizations, our funds are limited. We need a partner that will help us hit a home run…the first time
- Focused on the target audience. We’re looking for research and best practices that would guide us in determining the right target audiences – who they are, where they live and why the Capital Region would be an area they would be interested in learning more about or relocating to
- Asking the right questions and helping us articulate the answers that will inspire great creative work
- Like our communities, their work is informed and inspired by a team that spans diverse racial, gender, and socio-economic experiences
- They are able to translate complex, wonky, concepts into simple, emotionally evocative, and inspiring digital experiences
- They have relevant experience in key areas, included but not limited to: economic development, marketing campaigns, talent attraction initiatives, media placement, website design and build, etc.
- Highly collaborative. Visit Baton Rouge, our visitor and tourism bureau, will be launching a separate RFP this year, in search of an agency to reimagine and develop a Baton Rouge brand that will carry through into a national tourism marketing campaign. Talent attraction work (as outlined in this RFP) will need to be cohesive with what is established as part of the brand work to support a separate tourism campaign.
Project Details
Our Opportunities
- Baton Rouge is a vibrant, historic city fueled by art, science, food, music, nature, education, and tradition with the potential to become known as a hub of business, industry, innovation, and more, but it currently struggles with retaining young professionals (25-44)
- Baton Rouge needs a calling card and clear quality of life messaging that serves as a reason for not only potential relocators to gravitate toward our region but also feels genuine and authentic to locals. We want to also retain the amazing talent we have and remind them why “there’s no place like home.”
- Through national and local perception studies, we have identified quality of life and business climate factors that are considered favorable in the region and important to young professionals, these findings can be leveraged to build a regional brand and talent attraction marketing campaign (this research will be provided as a point of reference for proposals)
Scope of Work
This overarching campaign should be targeted to attract audiences through tailored messaging and media tactics, but everything should ladder back to that unifying phrase and messaging. Ideally, this campaign is one that can also be used locally to build pride and confidence within the local community.
A successful campaign looks like:
- Necessary research of the region needed to make the most informed decisions on creative and targeted campaign approaches. National and local perception studies that can be utilized were conducted in 2021. These will be provided as requested in preparation for proposal submission.
- Campaign Development
- Develop a campaign and messaging that generates interest and excites young professionals. Messaging is energetic and feels authentic. It engages YPs considering a relocation and those already here and maybe thinking of moving away. It generates interest and pride for locals (ex. Keep Austin Weird, Don’t Mess with Texas, NYC Strong, or Cleveland Rocks). Messaging should be utilized as part of a full marketing campaign targeting various markets to excite and encourage relocation/travel
- Supporting creative collateral needed to launch and execute a robust multi-media campaign
- Media Strategy, Buys & Management
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- A comprehensive multi-media strategy that identifies the most effective ways to target audiences with the highest interest in and probability of relocating to Baton Rouge (media buys would be included in overall budget)
- Reporting of effectiveness
- An interactive website reflective of the determined Baton Rouge brand that shares information about life in Baton Rouge; it helps connect interested relocators
Budget
Total budget is $955K to be spent up to 2026 (including administrative fees). Due to the funds allocated being via a federal American Rescue Plan Act grant, the funds must be used by 2026. See appendices for details.
- Year 1 - 2023 allocated - $550K (includes buildout and launch of website)
- Year 2 - 2024 allocated - $305K
- Year 3 - 2025 allocated - $100K
RFP Schedule
RFP Open: February 2, 2023
Agency Questions Due: February 14, 2023
Answers Returned: February 17, 2023
Proposals Due: March 2, 2023
Target Award Date: March 17, 2023
RFP Submission Format
How an agency responds to the scope provided is not prescribed, so we ask that each agency choose what they believe to be the most effective and concise way of communicating your response. When responding, keep in mind the core messages, what BRAC and VBR wants their target audiences to do, say or think, and what you believe are the business key performance metrics we should be driving towards.
Each agency should include supporting information about their level of familiarity with the subject matter and how they plan to become experts on retention and attraction in our community. Submissions for this scope of work should also include examples of past creative work developed by the proposed team. Past examples directly related to type of work we’re requesting is preferred.
Some additional guidance on response format is listed below:
Scope Requirements
The bidding agency should present its approach to developing a multi-channel campaign that attracts young professional talent from other areas that also resonate with the Baton Rouge community. Their response should directly address the opportunities set forth in the RFP.
Submission Requirements
Executive Summary
- An overview of the agency’s assessment of the challenge, their proposed solution, high level deliverables, budget, timeline.
Scope of Work
- Responded to per the requirements set forth in our RFP.
Approach and Methodology
Investment and Timeline
- Provide an overview of project management to include approach and contents to the project execution plan, master schedule, and reporting
- Utilize the budget we have shared and when/how you will tackle the work needed with the dollars allocated. If you’re recommending additional spend above allocated budget, please clearly note the amount and how it will be used, as well as why it would be necessary to achieve the outlined objectives.
Company Overview
- Summary company’s mission statement
- Highlight significant awards won by their company
- Provide details of the company, including background, key accounts, etc.
Project Team
- Provide an overview of key personnel / organizational chart aligned to each significant phase of the project
Previous Work Examples / References
- Provide at least three examples within the last thirty-six months of successful projects similar in scope and size. References should list customer points of contact with names, roles, addresses, and phone numbers for BRAC follow-up contacts.
Format of Responses
One (1) copy submitted in an electronic format to talent@brac.org is required. You may request National and Local perception studies as mentioned above for reference via talent@brac.org. Your submission must include a signature by a company representative with the authority to make a binding offer on the terms outlined in your information. Where information must be provided in narrative form, your response should be as clear and concise as possible.
Presentations may be requested during the review period based on the information submitted. BRAC will treat any information specifically indicated as such as confidential, assuming it is otherwise not publicly disclosed. Specific sections of a response that the vendor considers confidential may be designated confidential in the document. BRAC reserves the right to share any information as necessary to evaluate potential infrastructure and support impacts on current BRAC operations. Responses must be signed by the individual(s) legally authorized to make the response's product, performance, and pricing commitments.
Selection
All proposals will be weighted equally per the included rubric (see appendices). The agency awarded the contract will be contacted by March 17, 2023.