Agency of Record RFP 25-01 Q_A.pdf

Marketing and Public Relations Services RFP 25-01 Questions and Answers

Q: For this RFP, are you looking to hire a public relations/marketing firm to perform managed services or are you looking to utilize software in-house?

A: Huerfano County is looking to hire a firm to perform managed services.

Q: If you're looking for software to use in-house, what media types do you need to monitor? TV, radio, online, print, podcasts, social, etc?

A: This is not a concept we have particularly considered, but we will give fair consideration if a proposal of this sort is submitted.

Q: Do we need to register with the county or a procurement portal before submitting?

A: Bids will only be accepted via email. Please see page 1 of the RFP.

Q: Can an agency submit in partnership with another? Example: We are the lead agency and have a secondary partner to provide video and photography support.

A: Yes, as long as all partners and roles are clearly defined and address the required components of the proposal.

Q: Do agencies need to have a Colorado location?

Q: Is there a preference for in state/in county firms?

A: Though not strictly necessary, a demonstrated relevant understanding of tourism’s challenges and growth potential in Southern Colorado and the dynamics of the state is part of the RFP criteria.

Q: Could you clarify the matching grant from Colorado Tourism referenced in the Budget description. Will the state tourism grant be matching the $45,000 you reference, or is $45,000 the total that includes the matching funds?

A: $45,000 is the total including the matching funds for the Colorado Tourism Office Marketing Grant. This project must be completed within calendar year 2025.

Q: Can we embed a video clip into our PDF document, or do you prefer a link to video examples?

A: Please send a direct link to the video examples rather than embedding the video.

Q: Has the vendor been selected for Fall 2024 State Grant for asset generation, or is this part of the scope?

A: The vendor for the Marketing Grant asset generation project has not been selected. If the selected consultant is unable to directly execute the project, we would expect the Agency to assist in selecting a vendor for the Marketing Grant and assist in guiding the project.

Q: How will success be measured (please be specific)? By whom? And how often?

A: The Tourism Board will review monthly reports and the performance of marketing campaigns and compare with data, lodging tax revenues, and general performance of the tourism economy.

The County’s Tourism Director will work directly with the awarded firm’s designated representative to manage the account.

Q: Does the 60-90k budget include media buys or just agency services?

A: This is a comprehensive budget total that includes media buys.

Q: With a limited budget are you open to focusing on a few tactics rather than spreading yourself thin?

A: We are open to this but have created a few primary assets in the past couple of years that the Tourism Board has a strong desire to continue supporting in marketing campaigns due to the substantial investment in creating those assets. Examples include the Huerfano County Gravel Adventures Field Guide and the TravelStorys walking audio tours in Cuchara, Walsenburg, La Veta, and the Scenic Highway of Legends driving tour, and billboards by the intersection of Highways 160 and 12 and at the intersection of 7th & Main in Walsenburg.

Q: Is reporting part of this scope?

A: Yes. The selected consultant will be expected to provide a report at regularly-scheduled Tourism Board meetings (typically held monthly) and the reporting schedule for the County would be flexible based on work assigned. The Tourism report should include metrics on all campaigns, website analytics, and ideas for developing/adapting strategies and tactics as necessary.

Q: Is there an incumbent? Who is it?

Q: Is there an incumbent agency currently handling these services? If so, will they be reapplying?

A: The outgoing agency of record is AdPro. We do not anticipate a submission from that firm.

Q: Can you share your current marketing and media plan and sample reports?

A: January 2025 report for an example.

Q: What are the County’s top priorities for this contract (e.g., increasing tourism revenue, improving community engagement, promoting county services)?

A: For Tourism, the top priorities are sustainable tourism growth to include increased revenue, consistent marketing campaigns and project generation, strategic planning, and enhanced capacity. For the County, the top priorities are providing more robust and transparent public communications.

Q: Is there a preference for a local agency, or will proposals from agencies outside the region be equally considered?

A:Though not strictly necessary, a demonstrated relevant understanding of tourism’s challenges and growth potential in Southern Colorado and the dynamics of the state is part of the RFP criteria.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1266okdIsihmlY3qVc_ls2IPxl720tQbk/view?usp=drive_link

Q: What are the County’s main communication challenges currently? Are there specific areas where public engagement has been lacking?

A: Public engagement in the County struggles to represent all demographics and often sees the same participants on a recurring basis, rather than broader representation. This would be an opportunity for improvement. From a communications perspective, the County does not have a full time communications officer and relies on multiple people to cover public information needs.

Q: What platform(s) are the current County and Tourism Board websites built on, and will the selected firm have full administrative access for updates?

Q: Content Management System - What content management system (CMS) is currently used for the County's websites?

A: The websites are built on WordPress. We would expect the selected firm to at least have full access to www.spanishpeakscountry.com - the Tourism site.

Q: Are there any restrictions on how the tourism grant funds can be allocated within the marketing services provided?

A: Yes. The funds can only be used for the asset creation component of the project. We will provide the selected firm with the budget template from the grant application.

Q: Does the County have an estimated annual spend breakdown between digital marketing, traditional advertising, PR, and website maintenance?

A: The estimated annual spend is included in the overall $60K-90K marketing budget. The variance is due to fluctuations in lodging tax revenue and one-time project costs. Typically, those combined costs would represent 30-45% of the overall budget.

Q: Will preference be given to firms that propose a retainer model versus an hourly rate structure?

A: No.

Q: Budget Flexibility – Are there any restrictions or preferences for how the HCTB’s $60K-$90K budget should be allocated across marketing, advertising, and agency services?

a. Is there a detailed breakdown of the budget allocated for each service area (marketing, public relations, content creation, website maintenance)?

b. What is the process for approving additional expenditures if necessary?

A: There are no set restrictions or preferences aside from continued campaign support of recently-created assets and a focus on additional asset creation and tourism development throughout the County. The budget breakdown has shifted each year based on Tourism Board and BOCC priorities - for example, the www.spanishpeakscountry.com website creation in 2023.

Cost overruns or additional expenditures would need to be approved by the Tourism Board, and if those costs exceed the Tourism Board’s budgeted and appropriated amounts in a given year, the Tourism Board would submit a supplemental budget request to the BOCC for approval.

Q: Matching Grant Priorities – Are there specific deliverables required to fulfill the $45K Colorado Tourism Office Marketing Grant, or is there flexibility to propose initiatives that align with our expertise?

http://www.spanishpeakscountry.com

A: Yes. The specific deliverables are to create an audiovisual content library that will be used to build out campaigns, guides, and the website, etc. The CTO will require both a final shot list approved by the CTO and access to the content to use in their own marketing as well.

Q: Long-Term Budget Planning – Does the County anticipate adjustments to the marketing budget over the next 1-3 years, or should we propose a scalable plan within current funding limits?

A: We anticipate the marketing budget to stay relatively similar to where it is currently; it is driven by lodging tax revenue. If lodging tax revenues demonstrate sustainable increases, then the budget may shift to accommodate.

Q: Branding & Messaging Preferences – Are there any specific branding guidelines or messaging priorities for Spanish Peaks Country and Huerfano County public relations that we should align with?

Q: Brand Guidelines - Are there any brand guidelines or style preferences we should adhere to?

A: Huerfano County Tourism is a member of the Care for Colorado Coalition and participated heavily in the CTO’s recent Destination Stewardship initiative. The Tourism Board likes to see state-level messaging integrated into our own initiatives, which include, but are not limited to, Get Back to Someplace New, Be Legendary, and Spanish Peaks Country. We would expect the selected firm to continue building off of these campaigns but to also suggest new campaigns that would be recognizable as part of the brand.

Q: Previous Campaign Performance – What marketing efforts have been most and least successful in past County-led initiatives? This insight will help us refine our strategy.

A: Get Back to Someplace New was an extremely successful campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic. Be Legendary flows with the Scenic Highway of Legends, an asset shared with Las Animas County as the byway connects both counties. We are open to expanding campaigns.

Q: Local Representation – As we are based in Denver, would the County prefer a local part-time hire or subcontractor to assist with content creation and in-person engagements?

a. Would the County be open to allocating part of the budget to hire a local content creator or assistant to support ongoing initiatives? This could start as a part-time role to ensure continuous on-site content development and strengthen community engagement.

A: So long as the proposal meets established criteria in the RFP, we are open to different options.

Q: Meeting Preferences – Would the County be comfortable with majority virtual meetings (Zoom, FaceTime) for efficiency, with in-person visits as needed for critical discussions or project milestones?

A: Yes.

Q: Approval Process – How does the County handle review and approval of marketing materials, PR content, and ad campaigns? What is the expected turnaround time?

A: All formal media communications must be approved by the County Administrator. Typically, a selected firm would provide draft copy based on input received from the County, then the Administrator and related County personnel would review, provide revisions, and do a final approval after revisions have been incorporated. Turnaround time will vary on a case-by-case basis as some situations may require faster turnaround than others.

Q: Point of Contact - Who will be our primary point of contact within the County, and what is the preferred communication method?

A: For Tourism, the primary contact will be the Tourism Director. For the County, the primary contact will be the County Administrator.

Q: Schedules - Are there regular meetings or reporting schedules we should align with?

A: The selected consultant will be expected to provide a report at regularly-scheduled Tourism Board meetings (typically held monthly) and the reporting schedule for the County would be flexible based on work assigned. The Tourism report should include metrics on all campaigns, website analytics, and ideas for developing/adapting strategies and tactics as necessary.

Q: Proofing Process - How does the County prefer to handle feedback and revisions during project development?

A: See Approval Process question. The process would be identical; it is possible that specific projects may require a standing meeting on an established cadence.

Q: Existing Assets & Access – Will we have access to the existing website CMS, social media accounts, and email newsletter subscriber list?

a. Are there existing resources or assets (e.g., image libraries, previous campaign materials) that we can utilize?

A: Yes. The selected firm will be given access to a shared drive containing the existing content library, previous campaigns, the visitor’s guide, etc. The selected firm will also be given access to the email newsletter subscriber list, social media accounts, and the website(s).

Q: Website & Digital Strategy – Are there any pain points with the County’s current website (www.huerfano.us) that should be addressed in our proposal?

a. Are there any known technical issues or limitations with the current website infrastructure?

A: For spanishpeakscountry.com, there is an ongoing issue with some of the directory forms not providing proper automated notifications, requiring manual processing.

Q: Crisis Communication Plan – Does the County have an existing emergency communication protocol, or would it need to be developed as part of our services?

A: The County has existing emergency protocols.

Q: Website Updates - How frequently are website updates required, and is there a content calendar in place?

A: County IT handles most updates. There is not a set content calendar.

Q: Website Security - What are the security protocols and standards that need to be maintained?

A: County IT will maintain security protocols and standards and will work with a selected firm as necessary.

Q: Content Creation - Can you provide examples of past content that resonated well with the target audience?

A: Examples of reworked and past content are available on www.spanishpeakscountry.com and the Visit Spanish Peaks Country Facebook page.

Q: Top Priority for Content - Are there specific themes or topics that should be prioritized in upcoming content?

A: The Tourism Board would like to see more user-generated content on social media.

Q: Content Type - What is the desired balance between various content types (e.g., articles, videos, infographics, or other ideas you may have)?

A: A healthy balance between content types would be good due to a variety of demographics visiting the County.

Q: Success Metrics – What KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) does the County prioritize for measuring the success of our marketing efforts? (e.g., tourism growth, engagement metrics, service awareness)

a. What metrics are currently tracked to assess the effectiveness of marketing and public relations efforts?

b. Are there specific benchmarks or goals we should aim to achieve within the first year?

A: The Tourism report should include metrics on all campaigns (impressions, click-through rate, demographics, mobile vs. desktop use, etc.), website analytics, and ideas for developing/adapting strategies and tactics as necessary.

Q: Report Frequency – How often would the County like to receive progress reports, and what level of detail should they include?

A: The selected consultant will be expected to provide a report at regularly-scheduled Tourism Board meetings (typically held monthly) and the reporting schedule for the County would be flexible based on work assigned.

Q: Target Audience - Can you provide insights into the target demographics for Huerfano County's marketing campaigns?

A: Based on past CTO data, the Tourism Board has focused marketing efforts on the Front Range with occasional out of state efforts focused primarily on Texas, but also New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The Tourism Board has sought to attract families with children and has an established market with retirees.

Q: Social Media Platforms - Are there specific platforms or channels preferred for social media engagement? Which platforms are currently your top performers?

A: Right now, Tourism utilizes Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The County only utilizes Facebook and YouTube.

Q: Data Analytics - How does the County currently measure the success of its marketing initiatives?

A: Through lodging tax revenues and community feedback on visitation (e.g. businesses supported by travelers), as well as typical industry-standard data metrics.

Q: Voice - What are the main messages or narratives the County wishes to convey through public relations efforts?

A: The County wants to provide consistent updates to the public and provide necessary information throughout emergency situations.

Q: Media Relationships - Are there existing relationships with media outlets that we should leverage, or should we establish new connections?

A: Both. The County does have an existing relationship with the World Journal newspaper, located in Walsenburg.

Q: Crisis Communication - How does the County currently handle crisis communication, and are there protocols in place that we need to follow?

A: We can provide the selected firm with the County’s emergency protocols.

Q: PR Content - What are the expectations for the frequency and type of public relations content (e.g., press releases, newsletters)?

A: Tourism expects a monthly newsletter and press releases on an as-needed basis. The County is flexible but wants consistency in frequency.

Q: Public Communications - Are there any legal considerations or compliance requirements we should be aware of, especially concerning public communications?

A: Aside from new Colorado ADA regulations for government entities, any other legal considerations or compliance requirements would depend on the applicable situation.

Q: Data Privacy - Does the County have legal policies regarding data privacy and user information that we need to follow?

A: Yes, the County has a PII (Personally-Identifiable Information) policy that would need to be followed.

Q: Final Proposal Expectations – Are there any specific elements or additional details the County would like to see in our final proposal to strengthen our submission?

A: Adherence to the criteria outlined within the RFP.

Q: Contract Negotiation – If selected, would the County be open to discussing multi-year agreements for continuity and long-term planning?

A: Yes, with an early-out clause.

Q: Are there any upcoming events or milestones in 2025 that should be integrated into the marketing plan?

A: There are annual events in the County that it would be good to highlight, such as La Veta Oktoberfest, the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival, Mountain Mining Days, Porchfest, and more.

Q: Are there any specific target audiences, demographics or geographic markets that should be prioritized in the marketing efforts?

A: The County has access to demographic data through Placer.ai that can be shared with a selected firm. Frequent traveler demographics tend to be families with children and retirees.

Q: Are there existing marketing plans or research data that the selected firm can reference post-selection?

A: Yes, we can share what we have with the selected firm.

Q: What are the expectations for reporting on campaign performance and marketing strategy?

A: The selected consultant will be expected to provide a report at regularly-scheduled Tourism Board meetings (typically held monthly) and the reporting schedule for the County would be flexible based on work assigned. The Tourism report should include metrics on all campaigns, website analytics, and ideas for developing/adapting strategies and tactics as necessary.

Q: What is the expected division of effort between promoting tourism and supporting other county services?

A: The majority of the work will be tourism-related. The typical breakdown may be 85-90% Tourism, 10-15% County.

Q: What level of involvement does the County expect to have in campaign development and execution?

A: The Tourism Board and/or the County will contribute feedback and revisions during development as well as provide final approval.

Q: Does Huerfano County and/or Spanish Peaks Country have existing partnerships with media outlets, influencers, or other collaborators that the selected firm should leverage?

A: The County and Spanish Peaks Country do have a few existing relationships that can be leveraged, but are interested in developing additional relationships.

Q: Will the interview be conducted In-person or via Zoom?

A: The interviews are hybrid - either one can be accommodated.