Attachment A Media Campaign final 101326~1.docx

Attachment A Campaign Phases

Phased Rollout Phase I: Research & Concept Development The campaign will focus on identifying Illinois cannabis consumer and potential cannabis consumer populations, assessing their understanding of the legal cannabis market, identifying areas of opportunity for education, development of a strategy to effectively reach and communicate with these populations, and the creation of compelling original content.

This effort will include developing a baseline through consumer research and the establishment of metrics to measure the success of the campaign. Further, the campaign will require an assessment through user engagement to determine what consumers and potential consumers know and don’t know about buying cannabis from the legal market, cannabis products and the responsible use of cannabis. The research will inform the creation of content for a variety of mediums with a goal of creatively engaging consumers in ways that are meaningful to them. Phase I will include engagement and brainstorming sessions with State stakeholders and mapping of consumer discussions with State goals, as well as determining baseline consumer habits and knowledge of health benefits and risks of cannabis. Subject to further refinement, the State’s goals may include:

· Understanding how to find legal medical and retail cannabis stores.

· Differentiating between legal and illegal cannabis and stores.

· Understanding safe and legal cannabis consumption practices.

· Understanding the benefits of supporting the legal market (e.g., investment in community, legitimate jobs, safe businesses).

· Understanding the risks of consuming illegal products.

· Recognizing diversity within the market and the importance of supporting products produced by small and equity-based businesses.

· Responsibly storing cannabis, including households and environments with children.

The end of Phase I shall be an approved Target Audience(s), Campaign Message Goal(s), Medium of Outreach lists, and a Communication Strategy Plan.

Phase II: Creative Content Development This effort will develop and create the campaign’s content, including advertisements, messaging content, and any related material necessary to deploy the campaign. The campaign will utilize a variety of age appropriate and culturally sensitive mediums such as web collaterals, social media, TV public service announcements, radio, and podcasts, with advertising filing an important role during the campaign. The content will creatively engage consumers in meaningful ways to deliver the campaign’s Message Goal(s).

During Phase II, each Creative Content component shall be approved by the Department. Prior to release of any Creative Content, consideration should be made to community interpretation, as well as factually correct and research-driven. This may be done through the use of focus groups or other means the State deems appropriate. Drafts for future content may be developed and Phase II may overlap with Phase III execution.

Phase III: Execution and Campaign Rollout Public rollout of the campaign will begin upon completion of Phase II as the Plan Execution. Vendor will be responsible for placing the advertisements, content, media buys, and creative content through the chosen mediums and outlets. New content, messaging, and additional materials may be developed and rolled out during Phase III. Further, feedback from the ongoing review in Phase IV activities will inform expanding, contracting, or changing Phase III rollout.

Phase IV: Ongoing Review of Campaign Impact and Metrics Phase IV will be conducted on an ongoing basis after the launch of Phase II. At the start of Phase IV, the Assessment Strategy shall be approved by the Department. Vendor will provide Assessment Documents to assess and review campaign rollout and impact, including all elements required in the Assessment Strategy and make iterative changes to help support increased positive modifications in consumer knowledge and to consumer behavior.

Assessment, review, and action may include the following:

· Assessment and report out of campaign, including paid and earned media, social media, and other campaign touchpoints.

· Review of campaign metrics.

· Feedback from consumers, members of the public, and key stakeholders.

· Potential changes to messaging, multimedia collateral, strategy, or other.

Phase V: Campaign Impact Report and State Training and Hand-Off With the completion of Phases I-IV, Vendor shall produce an Overall Impact Assessment for the Department that will provide an overview of the campaign, including an overview of all phases, metrics, successes and challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for how to build off the campaign through ongoing media relations efforts, multimedia campaigns, and data projects.

Vendor shall provide IDFPR and CROO with all campaign collaterals and a Transition Plan and Materials with information on how to extend the shelf-life of the campaign, including speaker kits, talking points, handouts, and visuals for use in making presentations to consumers.

The end of Phase V shall be a Vendor-led State Training that explains the Transition Plan and Materials, as well as a summary of the Overall Impact Assessment and next steps.