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Capitol Corridor Advertising RFP

Ravi Sreekakula

Capitol Corridor

Advertising Support – Fiscal Year 2017

Request for Proposal

 

About the Capitol Corridor/CCJPA

The Capitol Corridor is an intercity rail service connecting the most economically vibrant urban centers in the Northern California megaregion – from the Sacramento capital, to the tech hub of Silicon Valley, and including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. With a Cafe Car and free wi-fi on board, Capitol Corridor trains provide a convenient, reliable, and comfortable alternative to the congested I-80, I-680, and I-880 freeways for both work and leisure travelers. The extensive network of bus connections further extends the Capitol Corridor’s reach to destinations like Reno, Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, and Monterey.  The Capitol Corridor operates fast, reliable and affordable intercity rail service to 17 stations in 8 Northern California counties:  Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, a 170-mile rail corridor. Annual ridership is approximately 1.7 million.

The six local transit agencies in the eight-county service area provide the administration and management of the Capitol Corridor through the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA). The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is the CCJPA’s administrative managing agency and provides day-to-day management support to the CCJPA.

 

Scope of Work

CCJPA is seeking an advertising firm to develop, execute, and apply new creative concepts to support and promote an update of Capitol Corridor’s brand and develop a versatile new suite of advertising elements that incorporate the new creative concepts. This contract will run for the period of May 1, 2017 through September 30, 2017.

The selected firm will revitalize messaging and creative elements, analyze markets and develop strategy for existing promotional offers, present media plans, procure media, incorporate CCJPA’s marketing assets into the overall mix, and perform administrative tasks typically associated with advertising services. CCJPA requires that the firm have at least 5 years of experience with contracts valued at $100,000 or more, preferably in the travel, leisure destination, public sector and/or transportation industries.

 

Tasks: The primary functions CCJPA is looking for the firm to perform are:

 

Development of Advertising & Promotions Plan (25%)

The CCJPA would like a media/advertising plan developed that provides consistent, targeted advertising to CCJPA’s intended audience.  The media plan may include a mix of television, radio, print, out-of-home, online paid search, social media, non-traditional media, and other digital advertising.  Primary tasks include:

  1. Advise the CCJPA in overall marketing analysis, strategy development and positioning of the Capitol Corridor intercity rail passenger service.
  2. Plan, develop, create, produce and implement quarterly advertising programs designed to increase awareness, ridership and revenue of Capitol Corridor rail service.
  3. Promotional Direction: Develop promotions and/or promotional partnerships with companies that share similar markets/sales objectives; create or review discount offers to promote product trial. Support existing annual promotions and events with updated creative and media recommendations.

Develop and coordinate promotions in conjunction with media buys. Plan and execute joint advertising, promotional, and trade-based campaigns with outside agencies

 

Creative Asset Development (30%)

The CCJPA is seeking a new creative campaign that will support promotional offers targeted at leisure/weekend and off-peak markets, with inclusion of destinations. Selected firm develop new creative look/feel for ads that will mesh with the current brand personality. Firm will update artwork, templates, copy and taglines for the planned campaigns. CCJPA would like to have an existing radio spot updated and re-recorded to reflect current offers, or a new spot created in its place.  A sample list of creative needs follows:

Ownership of Creative Content: CCJPA will retain ownership rights and native files to all creative content developed for these campaigns.

 

Media purchasing/management (45%)

Selected agency will develop a media plan to support the advertising and promotional plan.

  1. Media purchasing and management of advertising contracts to support the advertising & Promotional plan.
  2. Check and verify insertions, displays, broadcasts or other means used, to such degree as is usually performed by agencies, including providing tear-sheets, logs, or other proof that ads have run. Audit invoices for space, time, material preparation and charges.
  3. Provide account services management and coordination sufficient to support the advertising services outlined.
  4. Analyze media options and prepare a media plan for advertising campaign components
  5. Order advertising space, time or other means to be used for publication of CCJPA’s advertisements, at all times endeavoring to secure the most efficient and advantageous rates available. CCJPA is seeking recommendations that will maximize visibility for its product/promotions.

 

Budget & Administrative
Budget for these services is estimated at not more than $500,000 for all creative work, production, net media purchase and commission on net and firm fees.  All travel costs, shipping/mail, telephone/fax charges and firm administrative costs must be included in the proposed budget. Agency will submit status reports to measure tasks accomplished each calendar month of the contract. Creative charges will be estimated in advance and billed for each product.  Final budget will be determined at the time of contract signing.

 

Any additional services requested by CCJPA that do not fall under this scope of work shall be compensated outside of this contract on a project basis as estimated by firm and as approved by CCJPA.

 

Proposals should consist of no more than 7-10 pages and include the following:

 

JUDGING Criteria

 

Account Team

(Breadth of team, relevant experience, accessibility)

 20%
Budget

The maximum funding available for this campaign is $500,000 and proposals should not exceed that amount.

 25%
Experience with multi-channel advertising campaigns

(creative, print, radio, promotion, digital, social media, etc.)

 30%
Experience in the travel or transportation industries, or transferable experience preferred 20%
References 5%

 

SUBMISSION

Proposals (e-mail is preferred) must be submitted by 5:00pm Monday, April 24, 2017 to:

 

Ravi Sreekakula, Marketing

ravis@capitolcorridor.org

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority

300 Lakeside Drive, 14th floor East

Oakland CA 94612

510.464.7653

 

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