Do you require spec creative for the April 21 proposal?
Spec creative is not required but is welcome and encouraged.
Will you require spec creative for the May 2-4 interviews and the May 10 board presentation.
Spec creative should be presented for the May 2-4 interviews and the May 10 board presentation.
Does the $127,513 two-year budget for overall media placement strategy also include the money for digital and social media paid advertising and traditional media placement? Or is the advertising money/placement a separate budget and just strategy is included in the two-year budget?
The $127,513 two-year budget is for ad agency fees associated with creative production, strategy execution, account management fees, media planning and any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the chosen agency. There is a separate budget for paid media placement including digital, social and traditional media.
Can you prioritize the drive markets within the 300-mile radius from top visitor driving market to least market for Memphis, Nashville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Jackson and the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
All drive markets are equally important.
Will the marketing kiosks be a separate budget or do these also need to be part of the $127,513, two-year budget?
Planning and design of the marketing kiosks is included in the $127,513 budget. The purchase of the physical kiosks is a separate budget.
Please clarify timing to show 12 months of activity. Is it Oct 2023 – Sept 2024? Or would you prefer to see June 2023 – May 2024?
Activity begins when a contract is executed and signed by both the Starkville Visitors & Convention Council and the chosen agency. Based on the timeline outlined in the RFP, the first 12 months of work will be June 2023 – May 2024.
Where has Visit Starkville seen the most social media success? Facebook? Instagram? Other?
Starkville’s Facebook and Instagram have both been successful. Facebook currently has more than 26,000 followers and Instagram has approximately 12,500 followers.
When you talk about the budget, do you just mean agency time and commissions for “media planning and placement + media placement fees” or does this also include the actual media costs?
Media planning and placement plus media placement fees refers only to agency time and commissions. There is a separate budget for paid media placement including digital, social and traditional media.
Will this project require outside talent such as actors or voice over? (If yes, for what time period would the project air?)
This project will likely require outside talent such as actors or voice overs. The time period will be the duration of the contract which is 24-months from the contract’s expected execution on June 1, 2023.
For determining campaign ROI, does the organization have concrete visitor values/lifetime value of a visitor established?
No
Regarding niche campaigns, will the organization work with their stakeholders to create promotions and packages? Or will the Agency need to collaborate with stakeholders – hotels, venues, etc. – to create these?
The Starkville Visitors & Convention Council will coordinate and work with local stakeholders.
Regarding the budget, is the total budget stated ($127,513.00) to be utilized during the term stated (Oct 1 – Sept 30)?
Funding for this project will be at a minimum of $127,513. The time period for the project is 24 months from the contract’s expected execution on June 1, 2023.
Is there a budget that would be associated with the period from the contract start (June 1) until October 1 when the fiscal year begins?
Funding for this project will be at a minimum of $127,513. The time period for the project is 24 months from the contract’s expected execution on June 1, 2023.
Can you provide access to the recent FY22/23 marketing plan and media plan?
For the purposes of this RFP, Starkville Visitors & Convention Council is not required to disclose the details of our marketing and media plan and strategy.
Have you gone through a process already to identify your target audience (beyond what is shared in the RFP)? If so, can you share the specific target audience demographics and user personas for the destination?
Please refer to the “Scope of Services” section of the RFP for these details.
Do you have a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system for photos and videos that can be used for the website?
If so, what do you use for DAM?
If not (or you wish to have a different DAM in place), is a DAM to be part of the website proposal?
We do not have a DAM system and do not wish for it to be part of this proposal.
Who manages the leads from the website and the database?
Staff members.
What database do you currently use?
N/A
What CRM do you currently use?
N/A
Who is your current website host provider?
N/A
What are the three most important items from a marketing standpoint that you feel need some improvement?
Please refer to the “Scope of Work” section of the RFP for these details.
Are you happy with your current agency(ies)?
Yes
What are the top attributes you look for in an agency partner?
Please refer to the “Scope of Work” section of the RFP for these details.
Are there any destinations that you admire?
N/A
Do you have an incumbent agency? If so, who?
Are they submitting a response to this RFP?
We have worked with several agencies and independent contractors over the past five years. Some will submit responses and some will not.
