ITB_RFP 26_005 Comprehensive Tourism Branding.pdf

City of Doraville – Comprehensive Tourism Branding, Marketing & Strategic Communications RFP

Request for Proposals (“RFP”)

City of Doraville

Comprehensive Tourism Branding, Marketing & Strategic Communications Services

RFP Issue Date:

September 3, 2026

Questions Due:

September 18, 2026

Proposals Due:

October 5, 2026

Point of Contact Gary Marshall Assistant Director of Finance Email: gary.marshall@doravillega.us Phone: 770-451-8745

City of Doraville Comprehensive Tourism Branding, Marketing

ITB 26-005

September 2026

1. RFP Purpose The City of Doraville (“City” or “Doraville”) is seeking proposals from qualified branding, marketing, tourism, and strategic communications firms to develop a comprehensive tourism brand, marketing strategy, implementation framework, and campaign identity that authentically represents Doraville and positions the community for future tourism growth.

The selected firm will conduct research and discovery, engage community and tourism stakeholders, evaluate Doraville’s competitive position, identify and articulate the community’s most compelling tourism assets, develop a unified brand and messaging platform, and create a practical strategic marketing plan that can guide implementation over the initial contract term and anticipated renewal periods.

The City seeks a brand that is authentic, memorable, sustainable, and capable of being embraced and consistently used by residents, businesses, elected officials, community organizations, tourism partners, and visitors.

2. Project Objectives The selected consultant will be expected to:

Develop a thorough understanding of Doraville, its community character, tourism assets, visitor opportunities, and existing marketing efforts.

Identify Doraville’s competitive advantages and opportunities for differentiation as a tourism destination.

Build informed consensus among community leaders and key stakeholders around the destination’s positioning and marketing direction.

Develop clear, compelling messaging that differentiates Doraville and can be consistently used across marketing and communications platforms.

Develop a cohesive visual identity and campaign framework that complements the City’s existing identity and supports tourism promotion.

Create a unified campaign concept that can be implemented across tourism communications, advertising, digital platforms, events, promotional materials, and other appropriate channels.

Prepare a comprehensive strategic marketing plan based on research, stakeholder input, the approved brand strategy, and the available marketing budget.

Provide practical implementation tools, recommendations, and standards that support long-term brand consistency and effective marketing execution.

3. Background and Project Context Doraville is undertaking this project to establish a clear and compelling tourism identity and a coordinated marketing strategy that reflects the community as it exists today while supporting its future tourism potential.

The City intends for the resulting strategy and brand platform to serve as a foundation for coordinated tourism marketing and communications. The selected consultant should consider the City’s existing identity, assets, programs, businesses, events, digital presence, and other relevant efforts and should recommend ways to build upon existing strengths.

Proposers should clearly explain how their proposed tourism brand, tagline, campaign, and visual system would relate to and complement the existing City/community logo. Any recommendation concerning modification or use of the existing logo should be clearly identified in the proposal.

4. Scope of Services The following represents the minimum anticipated scope of services. Proposers may recommend additional or modified approaches when they believe those approaches will better achieve the project objectives. Any such recommendations should be clearly identified and explained.

4.1 Phase One – Research and Discovery

Community Immersion The consultant shall conduct a community immersion experience designed to understand Doraville firsthand from the perspective of a resident and visitor/tourist. The experience should consider tourism assets, attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping, events, public spaces, transportation/accessibility, visitor experience, and other relevant factors.

The proposal shall describe the consultant’s immersion methodology, anticipated participants/staff, estimated time commitment, and expected outcomes.

Stakeholder Research and Engagement The consultant shall propose and conduct a stakeholder engagement process appropriate to the project. The process should identify perspectives that will inform brand positioning, target audiences, messaging, and implementation.

Proposers should describe their recommended approach to interviews, focus groups, workshops, surveys, and/or other engagement methods, including anticipated participants, sample sizes where applicable, methodology, staffing, and how findings will be incorporated into the final strategy.

Competitive Analysis The consultant shall compare Doraville with other communities for purposes of evaluating tourism positioning and competitive opportunity. The analysis shall consider, as applicable, tourism assets, hotels, attractions, restaurants, shopping, events, destination branding, digital presence, marketing activity, target audiences, and other relevant factors.

The analysis should identify competitive advantages and gaps and provide specific recommendations regarding how Doraville should be positioned as a tourism destination.

Research Findings The consultant shall synthesize research and engagement findings into a clear assessment of Doraville’s current tourism position, opportunities, challenges, target audiences, and potential points of differentiation.

4.2 Phase Two – Brand Strategy and Messaging

Brand Strategy Development Based upon research, stakeholder interviews, surveys, workshops, and competitive analysis, develop a comprehensive tourism brand strategy addressing, at a minimum:

Destination/community positioning Destination personality and brand character Brand promise Key differentiators and unique selling propositions Target audiences and priority visitor segments Value proposition Elevator speech/concise destination description Recommended tone and voice Strategic implications for marketing and communications

Tourism Messaging Platform Develop strategic messaging for Doraville as a tourism destination that can be adapted and consistently used across advertising, digital platforms, social media, websites, events, promotional materials, presentations, partner communications, and other appropriate channels.

The messaging platform should include core messages and supporting messages appropriate to the identified target audiences and positioning.

4.3 Phase Three – Visual Identity and Campaign Development

Tourism Visual Identity Develop a cohesive visual identity system that supports the approved tourism brand strategy and complements the existing City/community logo. Proposers shall clearly describe the recommended relationship between the tourism identity and the existing City identity.

Integrated Campaign Development Develop a tourism marketing campaign concept that unifies community tourism communications under a recognizable identity and can be implemented across multiple channels. The campaign should be adaptable to the City’s available budget and future marketing priorities.

Campaign applications and concepts should address, as appropriate:

Wayfinding concepts Website/digital implementation Advertising Promotional items and sample applications Presentation templates E-signatures Social and digital marketing applications Other recommended tourism marketing materials

4.4 Phase Four – Strategic Marketing Plan and Implementation

Prepare a comprehensive strategic marketing plan based on research findings, the approved brand strategy, identified audiences, competitive analysis, and the City’s available marketing budget.

The plan should provide practical implementation guidance, including recommended strategies, tactics, channels, priorities, timing, responsibilities, budget considerations, and measurable performance indicators.

The consultant shall also provide implementation recommendations describing how the City/CVB can maintain brand consistency and transition from strategy development to ongoing marketing execution.

5. Minimum Final Deliverables At a minimum, the selected consultant shall provide:

Executive summary Community/tourism research findings Stakeholder engagement findings Survey results, where surveys are conducted Competitive analysis Brand strategy document Brand positioning statement Target audience recommendations Brand standards manual Tourism campaign concept Marketing examples and sample applications Digital assets and appropriate source/native files Strategic marketing plan based on the approved strategy, research findings, and available budget Implementation recommendations and tools Presentation to elected officials, City/CVB leadership, and/or designated stakeholders

6. Project Schedule The City anticipates the following procurement and project schedule. Dates are subject to change by the City.

Milestone Anticipated Date RFP Issued September 3, 2026 Questions Due September 18, 2026 Proposals Due October 5, 2026 Finalists Selected / Interviews October 16, 2026 Consultant Selection November 11, 2026

7. Proposal Requirements To facilitate a consistent and equitable evaluation, proposals should be organized in the following order and address each item below.

1. Letter of Interest – Identify the proposing firm, principal contact, and a brief statement of interest and understanding of the project.

2. Company Qualifications – Provide an overview of the firm, years in business, relevant qualifications, and experience branding cities, counties, destinations, regions, tourism organizations, or comparable communities.

3. Project Team – Identify the proposed project manager and key personnel. Provide professional profiles/resumes and describe each individual’s role, anticipated level of involvement, and availability.

4. Community Engagement Expertise – Describe the proposed community immersion, stakeholder interview, survey, workshop, and engagement processes, including anticipated participants, staffing, methodology, and outputs.

5. Relevant Case Studies – Provide relevant branding, tourism marketing, destination marketing, or comparable projects. Include client name, project scope, role of the firm, results/outcomes where available, visual examples, and client references.

6. Website and Digital Marketing Experience – Provide examples of relevant tourism/destination websites, itinerary planning tools or experiences, SEO strategy, website standards, analytics/reporting, and digital marketing campaigns. Include links or examples where appropriate.

7. Marketing Planning and Measurement – Describe the proposed marketing-planning process, recommended channels and tactics, and approach to establishing measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

8. Scope of Work and Methodology – Provide a detailed description of the proposed approach to completing the scope, including methodology, major tasks, deliverables, assumptions, City responsibilities, and anticipated meetings.

9. Implementation Planning – Describe the process and recommendations for implementing the brand and marketing strategy after completion of the initial project.

10. Project Schedule – Provide an anticipated project timeline showing major phases, milestones, meetings, review periods, and final deliverables.

11. Cost Proposal – Provide a detailed fee proposal, including total project cost, costs by phase and/or major deliverable, proposed payment schedule, hourly rates if applicable, reimbursable expenses, travel costs, third-party costs, and any other anticipated charges.

12. Optional Services – Identify and separately price any additional services the proposer recommends that are not included in the base scope.

13. Exceptions and Assumptions – Identify any proposed exceptions to the RFP requirements, assumptions relied upon in developing the proposal, or services excluded from the proposed fee.

8. Cost Proposal Requirements Proposers should provide a transparent cost proposal that enables the City to understand the relationship between proposed services, deliverables, and fees.

Base project fee Fee by project phase and/or major deliverable Payment schedule Hourly rates, if applicable Travel and reimbursable expenses

Third-party expenses or services Optional services and associated pricing Any other anticipated costs

Proposers should clearly identify whether travel and ordinary project expenses are included in the proposed fee.

9. Evaluation and Selection The City intends to evaluate proposals based on the qualifications and proposed value of the firm, the quality and feasibility of the proposed approach, relevant experience, project team, and cost. The City may conduct interviews with selected finalists before making a recommendation or selection.

10. Interviews and Clarifications The City reserves the right to request clarification of any proposal, request additional information, conduct interviews or presentations, and/or negotiate with one or more proposers as permitted by applicable law and City procurement procedures.

If interviews are conducted, the City may consider the quality of the presentation, responsiveness to questions, qualifications of the proposed team, understanding of the project, and ability to communicate and collaborate with City/CVB leadership and stakeholders.

11. General RFP Conditions The City of Doraville reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities or minor irregularities in any proposal.

The City reserves the right to select the proposal it determines to be most advantageous to the City and the region, considering the evaluation criteria and other factors permitted by applicable law.

This RFP does not constitute a commitment by the City to award a contract.

The City reserves the right to modify, amend, postpone, or cancel this RFP at any time in accordance with applicable law and City procurement procedures.

All costs associated with the preparation and submission of a proposal are the sole responsibility of the proposing firm.

Proposals and materials submitted in response to this RFP shall be handled in accordance with applicable public-records and open-records requirements.

The selected consultant will be required to execute a formal agreement acceptable to the City before services begin.

The final contract will establish the detailed scope of services, deliverables, schedule, payment terms, insurance requirements, asset and intellectual-property ownership, confidentiality provisions where legally permissible, termination provisions, and other applicable contractual requirements.

Proposers shall identify any material exceptions to the City's anticipated contract requirements in their proposal.

The selected consultant shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, and City policies.

12. Ownership of Work Product The City expects the final agreement to address ownership and permitted use of project work product.

Proposers should identify any limitations, licensing requirements, or third-party restrictions associated with materials proposed to be delivered to the City.

The anticipated contract will address ownership and delivery of applicable final and source/native files, including branding, messaging, campaign materials, research, reports, graphics, and other project assets, subject to applicable law and negotiated contract terms.

13. Desired Outcome The City seeks a strategic tourism brand and marketing framework that reflects who Doraville is as a tourism destination today while inspiring where the community is going tomorrow.

The desired result is a distinctive, authentic, and sustainable destination brand supported by research, stakeholder input, clear positioning and messaging, a cohesive campaign identity, and a practical marketing and implementation plan. The resulting work should provide the City and CVB with the tools and strategic direction necessary to coordinate tourism marketing, strengthen regional positioning, support local businesses and tourism partners, and encourage future visitation.

14. Submission Information Proposals shall be submitted to:

City of Doraville Attn: Gary Marshall Email: gary.marshall@doravillega.us

Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted by September 18, 2026, using the designated contact method above. Questions and any official responses or addenda issued by the City shall be handled in accordance with the City's procurement procedures.

APPENDIX A

COST PROPOSAL FORM

Proposers should provide a transparent cost proposal that enables the City to understand the relationship between proposed services, deliverables, and fees (Per Section 8 of this RFP).

Award will consider price and additional services to be included, but price and additional services included will not be the sole, determining factor.

Proposal Price Certification

In compliance with the attached specification, the undersigned understands the City’s minimum scope requirements.

The undersigned offers and agrees that if this proposal is accepted by the City Council within one hundred twenty (120) days of the date of proposal opening, that the undersigned will furnish any or all of the deliverables and additional services offered, at the budgeted price, to the designated point(s) within the time specified.

COMPANY____________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES_____________________________________________________________________________

PRINT / TYPE NAME ____________________________________________________________________________________

CONTACT’S PHONE NUMBER __________________________________________________________________________

CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________

APPENDIX B

AFFIDAVIT VERIFYING STATUS FOR CITY PUBLIC BENEFIT APPLICATION

By executing this affidavit under oath, as an applicant for a City of Doraville, Georgia Business License or Occupation Tax Certificate, Alcohol License, Taxi Permit, or other public benefit as referenced in O.C.G.A.

Section 50-36-1, I am stating the following with respect to my application:

[Name of natural person applying on behalf of individual, business, corporation, partnership or other private entity]

1) ________ I am a United States citizen

OR

2) ________ I am a legal permanent resident 18 years of age or older or I am an otherwise qualified alien or non-immigrant under the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act 18 years of age or older and lawfully present in the United States. *

In making the above representation under oath, I understand that any person who knowingly and willfully makes a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation in an affidavit shall be guilty of a violation of Code Section 16-10-20 of the Official Code of Georgia.

Signature of Applicant Date

Printed Name

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN

BEFORE ME ON THIS THE *_______________________________________

___ DAY OF _________, 20___. Alien Registration number for non-citizens

Notary Public My commission expires:

*Note: O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1(e)(2) requires that aliens under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, Title 8 U.S.C., as amended, provide their alien registration number. Because legal permanent residents are included in the federal definition of "alien," legal permanent residents must also provide their alien registration number.

Qualified aliens that do not have an alien registration number may supply another identifying number below.

Alternative Identification Number

APPENDIX C

(DOES NOT NEED TO BE SUBMITTED WITH PROPOSAL)

EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals received will be reviewed by the Procurement Agent to ensure that all administrative requirements of the RFP package have been met, such as all documents requiring a signature have been signed and submitted. Failure to meet these requirements may be cause for rejection. All proposals that meet the administrative requirements will be turned over to the Evaluation Committee for further evaluation.

The Evaluation Committee will review all proposals received and determine a ranking based on the information provided in response to all information requested for this RFP. As previously indicated, the Evaluation Committee may, in its sole discretion and in the course of its evaluation, arrange a site visit or request presentations/ demonstrations with one or more selected Offerors.

The selection of the winning proposals will be based on a numerical scoring system. There are five (5) categories by which the proposals will be evaluated. The proposals will be assigned a score for each category: 1 (poor), 2 (below average), 3 (average), 4 (above average) or 5 (excellent). Each category will be weighted as shown.

1. Understanding of Project and Proposed Approach 25%

2. Relevant Experience and Qualifications 25%

3. Cost and Overall Value 25%

4. Project Schedule and Implementation Approach 15%

5. Project Team and Key Personnel 10%

Total Evaluation 100%

If necessary, the Evaluation Committee may determine to create a short-list of the top scoring firms. These firms may be invited to an Interview/Presentation in order for the Committee to determine the most qualified firm for this project. In the event of an Interview/Presentation phase, only the selected firms will receive further evaluation. The scoring will be solely based on the assessment of the Interview/Presentation.