The vendor is required to provide comprehensive communications and public affairs services.
- Professional services that will help agency develop and execute public relations strategies to assist agency with media relations, community relations, crisis communication and management, and social media communications to manage public perceptions of agency and state tourism industry and communicate agency programs in the areas of destination marketing, destination stewardship, and regenerative tourism.
- Strategic communications planning
• Collaborate with the officer to develop an annual comprehensive communications strategy that aligns with agency mission and goals.
• Assist in the development of key messages and narratives about agency programs and results, management of tourism, with an emphasis on sustainability, cultural preservation, and community engagement, and benefits of tourism to state residents.
a) Support the officer to develop and maintain a library of off-the-shelf presentations, templates, and talking points to tell the agency story.
• Provide strategic recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of agency communications and public relations efforts.
• Develop and implement a media outreach plan to support agency initiatives and events.
• Develop and implement a crisis communications plan in collaboration with the officer and agency leadership to address tourism-related issues and potential tourism-related crises.
a) Plan should include a determination of crisis levels and appropriate responses b) support the officer to maintain a library of crisis messaging templates.
- Public relations and media outreach
• Establish and maintain relationships with local, national, and international media outlets, journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
• Support the officer to create and distribute press materials, including press releases, media advisories, fact sheets, and media kits to key stakeholders.
• Coordinate media outreach efforts, including pitching stories, arranging media interviews, and facilitating press tours.
• Compose and pitch op-eds for placement in major state newspapers, securing a minimum of one op-ed placement in a major state newspaper for every two months of contract engagement.
• Support the officer in handling media inquiries and serving as a liaison between agency and the press.
• Track the outputs of all contractor’s PR and media efforts.
• Monitor and analyze metrics to assess engagement and recommend improvements to increase visibility and audience engagement.
- Digital marketing and social media support
• Manage and enhance agency digital presence on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X formerly twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Collaborate with the officer to create and distribute content for digital platforms, including videos, blog posts, social media updates, and graphics.
• Monitor and analyze social media metrics to assess engagement and recommend improvements to increase visibility and audience engagement.
• Develop and execute social media campaigns in collaboration with the officer to promote tourism, sustainability efforts, and community involvement.
- Event support and public engagement
• Assist the officer in coordinating public-facing events, including press conferences, public appearances, community outreach events, meetings to assist with agency planning department’s efforts, and media briefings.
• Provide support in the development of event messaging, presentations, speeches, and materials for event attendees, including media and community partners.
• Manage the logistics of media and community relations during events, ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders.
- Crisis communications services
• Provide counsel and support to agency during crises, including media relations, public statements, stakeholder communications, strategic outreach and the surge capacity to execute on recommendations including drafting talking points and messages.
• Monitor media coverage and public sentiment during a crisis, providing regular updates and recommendations to the officer and agency leadership.
• Support the officer in managing press conferences, media briefings, and public-facing communications during crisis situations.
• Serve as a resource to agency during activations of agency department operations center for natural disasters, health-related crises, major interruptions, and other emergencies.
- Note: crisis communications services will be billed separately, either on an hourly basis or as a retainer, depending on the scope of services required during a crisis event.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: May 7, 2025