The vendor is required to provide to use the most innovative, creative, and cost-effective marketing and public relations programs to raise awareness of state as a premier travel destination.
- The target markets include a primary focus on public relations and marketing strategies targeting consumers, media, and the travel trade.
- The following goals while providing public relations and marketing services for the office to raise awareness of state as a premier travel destination:
• Develop and implement a robust social media strategy that successfully promotes the travel state product;
• Create effective cooperative public relations and marketing programs that provide for maximum partner participation; and f. generate measurable results from public relations and marketing efforts.
- Measures will include, but are not limited, to:
• Leading industry standard measures for traditional and digital media activities and placements including, but not limited to, advertising value equivalency; 
• Leading industry standard measures for results of social media strategy and activities; 
• Creative integrated consumer promotions which incorporate media, travel trade, and other appropriate partners to generate maximum consumer awareness of the travel state product; 
• Successful completion of agreed upon marketing activities; and e. generating and maintaining state travel packages in target markets.
- Public relations and marketing initiatives
1. Media relations
• Conducting public relations activities targeting key consumer and travel trade media in both traditional and non-traditional outlets to generate media placements of key messages that result in maximum positive publicity of state as a premier travel destination. 
• Providing market insight and guidance based on demonstrated facts and research to help grow awareness and visitation to state. 
• concentrating public relations activities during key travel planning seasons that provide the greatest potential to enhance the effectiveness and extend the reach of the office planned advertising activities. 
• Engaging in media relations activities including, but not limited to:
o Proactive media outreach and pitching;
o Organizing, planning, executing and attending:
▪ Media fam tours;
▪ Media missions;
▪ Media and public relations events;
▪ Media appointments;
▪ Press conferences; and
▪ Interviews and presentations;
o Compiling and maintaining a database of consumer and travel trade media and travel influencers to accomplish public relations and media activities and providing the database to the office upon request; 
o Preparing and distributing regular press releases and media pitches to generate media impressions in both traditional and non-traditional media outlets; 
o Responding to media and influencer inquiries; 
o Assembling and fulfilling traditional and electronic press kits as needed and developing, maintaining, and fulfilling an evergreen press kit; 
o Producing, storing, and fulfilling of collateral and promotional materials; 
o Translating materials as needed; 
o Clippings and media monitoring services; and 
o Contracting necessary venues, transportations, and other similar goods or services to accomplish the activities listed above.
• Monitoring editorial calendars of target market outlets for travel story opportunities and create an annual editorial calendar for the office. 
• Proactively pitching story ideas to media in target market via phone, email, or in-person meetings
identifying and recommending travel influencers and executing agreements with said influencers to spread awareness of the travel state product and experiences via social media channels.
2. Social-media
• The contractor shall develop and implement a strategic plan for all of the office social media platforms to reach the target markets. social media content calendars should be delivered at a cadence agreed upon by the office. 
• Ongoing social media activities shall include, but are not limited to, real-time community management, production and management of social media assets including photography and video, monthly and campaign-specific reporting, paid promotions, and additional program support as needed. 
• Reporting should reflect leading industry standard measurements for all social media activity.
3. Travel trade relations
• the contractor must propose strategies and lead efforts, with the assistance of the office, to promote and market state as a premier travel destination to key travel trade industry representatives as directed. 
• Travel trade activities include, but are not limited to, production, storage, and fulfillment of collateral and promotional materials, presentations, brochures, promotional items, newsletters, photographs, travel trade fam tours, sales missions and promotional events, trade show marketing including registration and exhibition booth procurement, educational seminars, product launches, promotions, and related events.
4. Creative services
• The contractor shall be responsible for coordinating the production of presentation, promotional, and collateral materials, including but not limited to: press releases, print and digital invitations, photographs, mats, videos, filming, editing, equipment rentals, display materials, brochures, trade and consumer show booths, and infographics, as required to meet the contract performance requirements.
5. Public relations and marketing plan
• The plan of action will be adopted and serve as the public relations and marketing plan to be implemented by the contractor for the fiscal year.
• The contractor shall operate in accordance with an approved, detailed, written public relations and marketing plan, including budget allocation for using public relations and marketing activities (consumer, media, and travel trade relations) to market and promote state as a premier travel destination.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Pre-Bid Conference Date: June 17, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: June 20, 2025