Leon County Government “County” is accepting proposals from qualified firms for Digital Advertising Services.

Leon County Division of Tourism, also known as Visit Tallahassee in the marketplace is a department of Leon County Government, funded fully by the county’s Tourist Development Tax.  The Mission of the Leon County Division of Tourism is to enhance the region’s economic growth and quality of life by collaboratively inspiring the vitality of the Visitor Economy. The Vision of the Leon County Division of Tourism is for the Tallahassee region to be recognized as appreciated as one of the most diverse and vibrant destinations in the Southeast.

To achieve the above, the County desires to contract with an innovative, forward thinking and strategic digital services advertising agency with a track record of excellence to work in partnership with Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee to develop and implement an annual media plan, create experiential marketing/activations and develop and maintain Tourism’s destination website to promote Tallahassee-Leon County Florida as a premier travel destination to state, regional and national markets and help Tallahassee-Leon County stand apart from the other destinations in the state.

In 2022, the Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee developed a five-year Tourism Strategic Plan.  Goals of that plan include:

• Generate $5 billion in economic impact by Sept. 2026
• Increase the visitation to Tallahassee-Leon County through strategic marketing and sales by 3% annually.
• Increase local awareness of the Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee and the overall impact on tourism in Tallahassee-Leon County.
• Increase industry/community engagement and cultivate new partnerships to enhance destination development.
• Increase visitor services in marketing to enhance the visitor experience and extend stays.

Visit Tallahassee’s Strategic Plan can be found at https://visittallahassee.com/partners#Resources

A Mandatory pre-proposal meeting has been scheduled which proposers are required to attend in person or on-line via the posted Teams meeting instructions located in the Timeline of this ITN.   Attendance at the pre-proposal meeting is mandatory to be eligible for proposal award.

This solicitation has a project specific goal for the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) firms certified by the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) MWSBE Division (see Section 8). The MWSBE Division will deem responses responsive to the MWBE Section of the solicitation if they include a completed MWBE Participation Plan that is eligible for points and/or Good Faith Effort documentation.

The estimated annual budget to provide all services for this project is $1,000,000.

BRAND OVERVIEW

In 2020, Visit Tallahassee launched the new brand Pretty. Unexpected. playing off the unique charm and undeniably pretty and unexpected features found in Florida’s Capital City. This was the launch narrative around the current brand. A new branding campaign/slogan and creative campaign is anticipated to launch in 2025.

Tallahassee. Just named one of the South’s Top 10 Cities. Quite an honor. But if you’ve ever been here, not a surprise. We are… the best of both worlds. Pretty. Undeniably, pretty. Monet simply couldn’t have painted a more moving landscape. Massive Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss, winding rivers and rolling hills are written across this place. And we invite every adventure seeker and outdoor lover to come worship our exhibit. Unexpected. Delightfully unexpected. Government may be our industry, but unboring is our law. Here, we dance to touchdowns by day and music by night. We eat up art, science and history as much as French, Italian and barbeque. And we drink in only slightly more world class sporting events than craft beer. Tallahassee. We are the best of both worlds. We are Pretty. Unexpected.

CURRENT MARKETING STRATEGY

The key marketing goal of Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee is to increase visitation and spending in Tallahassee-Leon County. Visit Tallahassee currently uses Downs and St. Germain Research, STR Reports and Zartico for market research. In 2023, Tallahassee-Leon County saw 2.4 million visitors, an increase of 2.4% from FY 2022. The top five reasons for visiting Tallahassee-Leon County were to visit friends or relatives, for a business conference or meeting, to watch a sporting event, education related or to relax and unwind.

Visit Tallahassee research can be found at https://visittallahassee.com/partners#Resources

Targeted Travel Segments:

• Leisure Travel Audiences: Families, outdoor/nature/adventure enthusiasts, sports/recreation seekers, arts, culture and performing arts/concerts aficionados, history and heritage buffs, culinary and craft beer seekers, inclusive/accessible travelers.
• Group Audiences: meeting planners, associations, sports teams/organizations

Leisure Travel Markets:

• Geographic markets include major Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in Florida and the Southeast as well as Direct Flight Markets. Florida, Alabama, and Georgia have served as the foundation of media placement since nearly 75 percent of visitors arrive to the destination by car. In FY 2023, the top visitors came from Atlanta, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Jacksonville.

Seasonality

• Spring and Fall have traditionally been the high season for Tallahassee-Leon County due to cross-country races, college football and the Florida Legislative Session although Tallahassee-Leon County consistently receives approximately 25% of annual visitation each quarter, making Tallahassee a year-round destination. 
• The Florida Legislative Session (March‐April or January‐February depending on the year) generates high hotel occupancy Tuesday‐Thursday. Legislative Committee meetings typically precede the commencement of the regular Legislative Session by 45‐60 days.
• The college football season (September through November) offers significant visitation and often national visibility for weekend home games for Florida State University (FSU) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Each year, on weekends where there isn’t a home football game scheduled, cross-country events are generally scheduled that typically generate high hotel occupancy.

Visit Tallahassee research can be found at https://visittallahassee.com/partners#Resources