ABOUT THE GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), a 501 c (6) organization, creates marketing that inspires visitors, meetings and convention planners from around the globe to book, stay and spend in Miami and the Beaches, helping to generate 15.1 million visitors, 25 billion dollars and 130,100 jobs for our economy each year. We maintain a network of international offices, and work closely with a range of partners, governments, industry organizations and our community to deliver a strong and sustainable tourism industry for the region. More information: Miami & Beaches Visitor Information & Research GMCVB Tools & Resources RFQ SUMMARY The GMCVB seeks an agency (or agencies) that can deliver creative, original, and effective advertising, marketing and digital solutions, working in collaboration with the GMCVB in the development, implementation and optimization of world-class marketing programs, further accelerating Greater Miami and The Beaches growth as a year round international travel destination. The GMCVB s annual marketing budget typically ranges between $5-$7 million. The agency will provide recommendations regarding the best use of those funds to achieve our business goals. The Request for Qualification process launching on February 15 th, 2016 will identify a primary agency partner to support Advertising, Marketing & Digital efforts (Lead Agency), a Web Development Agency, and a Website Advertising Sales Agency. This is the Lead Agency RFQ. The GMCVB may select a combination of agencies as appropriate, making a cost, value, and quality decision based on our needs. Candidates may bid on one or more RFQ areas. Agencies may collaborate to respond to portions of the RFQ, as long as all relationships are fully disclosed. Should an agency using partners be selected, the GMCVB may choose to contract and interact with all parties including subcontractors directly. Agencies with primary offices within the Eastern Time Zone, plus or minus one hour, are preferred. If the selected Lead Agency is not located in South Florida, the organization must provide a full-time representative onsite, embedded at the GMCVB offices, or at a new South Florida office of the Agency s selection. The GMCVB is an equal opportunity employer. All partners are encouraged to meet or exceed the minority goals provided by Florida law, through their own hiring practices as well as through contracts with qualified minority or women-owned subcontractors. Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 2 of 12
AGENCY SCOPE & CAPABILITIES The GMCVB seeks an Advertising, Marketing & Digital Solutions Agency (Lead Agency), as well as various supporting agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to support Marketing programs including strategic planning, brand development, creative advertising and marketing campaign development, media planning, social media, digital Marketing, mobile-first website design, content strategy, search marketing, analytics and optimization, and ecrm. Lead Agency candidates must offer: Strategic, insight-driven creative Mobile-first digital marketing experience Demonstrable International marketing experience Data-driven marketing management expertise PRIMARY BUSINESS GOALS The GMCVB works with its agency partners to develop and implement strategies and programs that are integrated with the GMCVB s overall efforts. I. Increase awareness and consideration of Miami as a world-class destination for leisure, meetings and convention travel in the United States and internationally. II. III. Increase the total number of overnight visitors annually, as well as increase the length of stay in Greater Miami and the Beaches. Increase meetings and conventions in Greater Miami and the Beaches, driving 50 new Miami Beach Convention Center city-wide bookings in the next 5 years. TARGET AUDIENCE & PROGRAMS The GMCVB s primary audiences include Leisure Consumers, Meeting Planners, Travel Agents, Tour Operators, GMCVB Partners and Journalists. In addition to our general market programs, targeted advertising programs focus on African American, US Hispanic, and LGBT Visitors, showcasing Miami s multicultural diversity. The Sports Marketing program draws events and attention to Miami s sports offerings. The Boutique Hotel program targets Film, Fashion and Entertainment prospects. The Miami Temptations programs promote GMCVB partners and areas of interest to visitors and locals. GMCVB MARKETING The GMCVB s marketing expenditure within the Advertising & Digital Marketing discipline typically ranges between $5-$7 million. About 50% of the budget is allocated to digital marketing and advertising support, 30% for traditional advertising, 10% for social Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 3 of 12
media activities, and 10% for website enhancements. Approximately half of the GMCVB s media budget is targeted to International markets. U.S. markets include Florida drive markets, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta and Washington DC. International markets include Latin America, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, China and the Caribbean. Target markets during the course of the engagement will vary depending on market conditions. BRAND CAMPAIGN Miami with its warmth, beauty and multicultural vibe is inspirational. The current It s So Miami advertising campaign seeks to increase visitor length of stay by showcasing the wide variety of experiences throughout Miami and Beaches neighborhoods, as seen through the eyes of local Insiders. The campaign highlights a variety of neighborhoods including emerging heritage neighborhoods such as Little Havana, Little Haiti, Historic Overtown and West Coconut Grove. During the course of the Lead Agency s engagement, the GMCVB is open to the further evolution of the It s So Miami campaign, or the development of an entirely new brand positioning, attributes, and marketing campaign. ADVERTISING, MARKETING, & DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AGENCY OVERVIEW Working in collaboration with the GMCVB and its partners, the Lead Agency agency will develop and implement a strategic roadmap and marketing plan to target consumers, meeting planners and niche markets nationally and internationally. The ideal agency candidate will have experience within the travel, leisure and/or tourism industry or a related area, with experience targeting consumers and meeting planners. The agency should have experience leading & managing cross-agency projects with other agency partners and diverse client side stakeholders. The lead agency should have extensive International marketing experience including EMEA, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. The Lead Agency should have: a. Ability to collaborate with the GMCVB s leadership team to develop a long-term strategic marketing plan that delivers on business goals, establishing marketing influence and booking measurement reporting that demonstrates the GMCVB s impact on leisure tourism, meetings and conventions in Miami and the Beaches b. Expertise in creating effective brand strategies and creative advertising campaigns across all channels, in ways that are relevant and exciting c. Expertise in the development and management of media, including behavioral targeting, with a strong team of in-house planners and buyers, or subcontractors who are specialists in media buying, planning, and trafficking Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 4 of 12
d. Experience developing marketing programs within the travel, tourism, meetings and conventions industries, or another relevant category e. Ability to develop strategies to maintain brand and experience consistency as consumers switch devices, platforms and channels f. Demonstrable use of research and insight in order to develop marketing strategies and creative, as well as comprehensive analytics, dashboards and reporting that includes actionable recommendations g. Develop comprehensive mobile-first marketing communications including: advertising; search; social media; and ecrm strategy and plans for consumers and meeting planners, across an evolving omni channel universe h. Have experience targeting African American, US Hispanic, and LGBT visitors i. The ability to design and implement geographically targeted marketing programs, leveraging location-based marketing and other relevant strategies j. Have extensive expertise in developing multilingual marketing programs on a global scale k. Experience managing a global social media program based on measurable objectives, which span the entirety of the client s Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned channels (Note: Social media is collaboratively managed between the Advertising & Digital team and Media Relations team at the GMCVB) RFQ TIMELINE The following schedule highlights key events and associated completion dates. This schedule is subject to change at the GMCVB s discretion including abandonment of the process. Task Timing RFQ Release 2/15 Agency Intent to Respond and Questions due via email to RFQ@gmcvb.com 3/4 GMCVB posts FAQ 3/14 Agency Proposals due via upload to Box 3/25, 5 pm Agency Finalists announced All candidates notified 5/4 GMCVB visits lead candidates offices as needed 5/9-5/13 Finalist Presentations to GMCVB 5/23-5/27 Contract Negotiations and Award Notification June 2016 Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 5 of 12
RFQ INSTRUCTIONS & ADMINISTRATION INTENT TO RESPOND Agencies planning to submit an RFQ response should submit an Intent to Respond by Friday, March 4th, 2016 at 5 pm EST to RFQ@gmcvb.com. Additional information may be shared with those candidates that is not otherwise available. QUESTIONS FROM RESPONDENTS The GMCVB will accept questions through Friday, March 4th, 2016 at 5pm Eastern Standard Time (US) via email to RFQ@gmcvb.com. Please use the form provided and limit your questions to ten or less (priority ranked). The Q&A responses will be published and shared with agencies who have submitted an Intent To Respond. SUBMISSION DEADLINE Proposals must be submitted no later than close of business on Friday, March 25th, 2016 at 5pm Eastern Standard Time (US). FINALIST PRESENTATIONS Each finalist may be asked to submit additional information, complete strategic assignments and/or recommendations. A select number of agencies may be asked to make formal presentations to the GMCVB. The GMCVB is neither requesting nor seeking any speculative creative work by any respondent, including during finalist presentations. CONTRACT & NEGOTIATIONS The GMCVB may pursue contract negotiations with finalist agencies of our choosing and reserve the right to negotiate concurrently or separately with competing proposers. All agency contracts will include requirements for specific service levels and measurable performance standards. Only a fully executed agreement shall bind the parties. LIABILITY & USE AND DISCLOSURE The GMCVB specifically disclaims any warranty or accuracy of the information included herein. It is the respondent's sole responsibility to conduct their own appropriate due diligence as they see fit. The issuance of this document and receipt of information in Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 6 of 12
response will not in any way cause the GMCVB to incur liability or obligation to you or your organization, financial or otherwise. The GMCVB reserves the right to use information submitted in response to this RFQ process in any manner it may deem appropriate. At this time do not submit any confidential information. RFQ RESPONSE FORMAT To ensure timely and fair consideration of each response, documents should be concise. Excessive responses may be counted against you. Agencies must clearly state on the cover page to which RFQ(s) they are responding. Agencies that provide Intent to Respond notifications will receive detailed RFQ upload instructions. The GMCVB reserves the right to ask questions for clarification and request additional information. RFQ RESPONSE OUTLINE Please include the following in your RFQ Response: A. Agency RFQ Overview 1. Agency name and contact details 2. Authorization Letter and Signature. Under the signature of a company representative, provide the names of individuals authorized to represent and negotiate the company s products and services. 3. Company Overview 4. Executive Summary. High-level summary of the most important aspects of your proposal, including a short explanation as to your qualifications and relevant experience. B. Agency Positioning, Vision, Philosophy 1. Positioning: How does your agency differ from the agencies with whom you usually compete? 2. Vision: What vision do you have for your company? Where do you see your agency five years from now? 3. Philosophy: What overall philosophy or credo do you operate by? 4. Integrated/Digital Approach: Please indicate, (at a high level, and as appropriate) how you integrate digital work, or that of multiple communications channels, into your approach. Is digital a natural area of activity resulting from a holistic Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 7 of 12
channel-neutral methodology, or is it an area of focus? What role does data play for your agency? C. Agency Strengths and Special Experience 1. Key Strengths: Describe the accounts or categories in which you believe you have special strengths. 2. Special Experience: Is there anything special about your agency experience or expertise that a new business prospect should know about? D. Agency History, Ownership, Current Size and Key Employees 1. Founding Date: When was your Agency opened? When was the office responding established? 2. Mergers and Acquisitions: List any subsequent mergers, acquisitions or name changes. 3. Current Ownership: Who are the current owners of your agency? 4. Current Size: Summarize the total billings, number of employees and number of accounts currently being handled directly by your office. 5. Key Executives: Provide a short biography of no more than six of your Agency s key executives and describe their current roles. E. Current Clients, Account Gains and Losses 1. Current Clients: List all current clients brands, products and services managed by the office responding. Rank them by size, indicate the dates they were acquired and, if possible, approximate budget ranges for each. 2. Account Gains: Of the accounts acquired within the past two years, please comment on why your agency was chosen to service these new accounts. 3. Account Losses: Of the accounts lost in the past two years, explain why they left or were resigned by the agency. F. Agency Billings History and Current Distribution by Media 1. Billings and Revenue: Chart your agency's gross billings for the past three years. 2. Spending by Media: Chart your agency s current spending by media network TV, spot TV, radio, outdoor, newspapers, consumer magazines, trade publications, digital, direct response, etc. Specifically how much do you spend by major publisher, broadcaster or Digital Leader (e.g. NBC/Universal/Google/NYT etc) Provide rough figures and percentages by media. Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 8 of 12
G. Scope and Nature of Agency Services 1. Agency Services: List the various services offered by your agency and the number of full time employees dedicated to each department (e.g. account management, strategic services (including account and communications planning, research, etc.), creative (including digital), digital media planning and buying (specific to digital media, social media, SEM), production (broadcast, online, print production, etc.), CRM, PR, promotion, experiential marketing and website. a. What is the physical location of the proposed staff providing services? 2. Creative Development Process: Discuss your creative development process and communications planning process. Please discuss where research tools fit into your process and the ability of data and analytics to deliver marketing ROI. 3. Media Services: Describe your capabilities and strengths in media research, planning, buying, monitoring and overall stewardship of your clients funds. 4. Digital Services: In addition to any digital services listed above, please describe established strengths and capabilities including mobile, search, CRM, ecommerce, website development, analytics 5. Other Specialized Services: List any other specialized services your agency offers to its clients, either directly or indirectly through its parent or sister companies, subsidiaries or network of affiliations 6. Subcontractors a. Which services or parts of this RFQ will you hire subcontractors to provide? b. How do you manage subcontractors so that the client is able to easily convey its strategy, goals and objectives and answer questions from the people working on its accounts. H. Agency Work Process and Case Histories 1. Work Process and Practices: Describe your agency s work process (if you use a specific discipline), and any particular practices you employ that help you produce consistently effective marketing. How do you see your clients role in the strategic and creative development processes? I. Agency Compensation Policies and Practices 1. Compensation: What is your philosophy regarding agency compensation? Do you have any preferences regarding commissions vs. fees? How do you normally like to structure compensation? Are you open to a performance-based compensation arrangement? 2. Fee Schedule: In what areas do you charge fees in addition to commissions on media and production and what is your fee schedule for these services. Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 9 of 12
3. Please include your standard rate structure, including hourly rates for staff roles required to service the scope described in the RFQ document. RFQ Submissions without agency rates and/or compensation information will be automatically disqualified. J. Conflicts 1. Please list any current clients that may be a conflict of interest and any mitigations you use as part of your business process to protect against conflicts 2. Please list all current travel clients of any size (they may or may not be a conflict) CURRENT CUSTOMER & AGENCY REFERENCES Please provide contact information for at least three current clients and two agencies you have collaborated with. Wherever possible, please include travel industry or destination marketing clients as references. For each reference, please indicate the following: Contact Name and Title Contact Phone Number and Email Brief Service/Relationship Description Contact Company Name Client Industry/Agency Type Length of Relationship CASE STUDIES a. Please provide at least two case studies that demonstrate innovative thinking and experience relevant to tourism marketing. Both must be omnichannel and include digital and social media. At least one should demonstrate international marketing capabilities. Please provide any case studies you may have relevant to multicultural marketing, including development of marketing to African Americans, Hispanics, and/or LGBT audiences. b. For each case study, make sure to include a timeline of relevant details to easily understand where you started, what challenges were faced, how you overcame them in particular, how did your team adjust and capitalize on learning? What did you do to change your approach? What impact did your change in approach have on the goals of the client, its brand, business and its audience? c. Case studies must include, but are not limited to: 1. Client Requirements 2. Challenge, goals/kpis and objectives Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 10 of 12
3. Strategy and approach developed, and rationale why 4. Metrics selected and rationale for selection 5. Value delivered against chosen metrics 6. How do the case studies provided apply to GMCVB? Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 11 of 12
FORMAT FOR INTENT TO RESPOND & QUESTIONS FOR GMCVB Due: Friday, March 4th, 2016 5:00 PM EST Send to: RFQ@GMCVB.com Please designate one contact to receive all communications for clarification and verification of information related to this proposal. Company Name Primary Office Address Contact Name Contact Title Email Address Telephone Questions for GMCVB (please limit to ten questions or less, in priority order) 1) 2) 3) Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Proprietary & Confidential RFQ Page 12 of 12