• by Larissa Faw , December 5, 2014

Ohio's tourism board TourismOhio has posted a request for proposals (RFP) seeking an agency or agencies to help develop an Ohio tourism brand and market the state's tourism experiences. The RFP outlines a two-year contract which includes research, creative, media buying and planning services. 

"We look forward to partnering with an innovative and creative agency or combination of agencies to help us elevate Ohio's authentic tourism experiences in people's minds so they consider our state a relevant travel destination of choice," says Mary Cusick, Director of TourismOhio.

Applications are due to the Department of Administrative Services by 1 p.m. December 31, 2014. Interested agencies may download the proposal through the State Procurement Website. The RFP number is: CSP906015.

The TourismOhio RFP is broken into three parts: (1) Brand architecture and positioning, (2) Creative services (development of advertising and campaigns) and (3) Media services (strategy, planning and media buying). Agencies may bid on one, any combination or all three parts of the RFP. Questions will be taken through the Web site and answered through December 18, 2014. 

The agency or agencies selected to work with TourismOhio will conduct research to establish a distinctive brand for Ohio tourism. Then a creative services team will develop ads for television, print, radio and digital media outlets appropriate for at least three seasonal campaigns. A media services vendor will recommend, purchase and place a mix of media.

The selected agency will also work closely with Cusick, former CMO at Bob Evans Farms, who was named TourismOhio's Director in January 2014. 

"Approximately 195 million people traveled in Ohio last year, and our goal is to continue to grow visits to Ohio and extend the time visitors spend with us," says Cusick. "Our industry and stakeholders agree we need a brand that we can all embrace to share Ohio's authentic tourism stories." 

Ron Foth Advertising previously handled the account. Last year, the agency's Too Much Fun for Just One Day campaign focused on highlighting unique Ohio experiences and affordable getaways. The initiative targeted out-of-state travelers within 300 miles driving distance of Ohio through print, broadcast, online and social media channels to encourage families to extend their stay in Ohio for an extra night. This extra night is key to state economics. In 2013, Ohio welcomed an estimated 37 million overnight visitors who spent roughly $335 per trip, while day visitors spend $110 per trip.

However, the winning agency will have to pinch pennies. The agency will only have an annual $10 million budget, which is on the lower end among U.S. state tourism boards; by comparison, Visit California wields a $43 million annual budget. In fact, in 2013, funding constraints limited advertisements to appear only in May and June.

Still, tourism is a key industry to the state. Tourism is a $38 billion industry in Ohio and supports approximately 405,000 full-time and seasonal jobs.