Specifications include, but are not limited to: Objectives OOG strives to use the most innovative and cost-effective advertising and marketing programs to raise awareness of Texas as a premier travel destination. With this in mind, the proposed agency shall have the following goals while providing advertising services for OOG: a. Use innovative advertising creative with powerful images and call to action messages, together with an effective media placement strategy, to measurably increase the advertising return-oninvestment, consumer inquiries, consumer advertising recall, advertising influenced travel to the state, and advertising influenced spending in the state. b. Measurably increase non-Texan vacation travel and overnight stays in hotels, motels and other types of paid accommodations that levy the state hotel occupancy tax. c. Achieve a competitive advertising cost per consumer inquiry (CPI) as determined by OOG. d. Use advertising and marketing strategies, messages, images and media outlets that enhance the image of the State of Texas as a tourist destination, generate maximum consumer response, and are at all times commensurate with the dignity of the State of Texas. e. Effectively integrate non-traditional media, including but not limited to, interactive media products (the Internet, www.TravelTex.com, and m.TravelTex.com websites). f. Conduct innovative and attractive cooperative advertising and marketing programs that extend the Texas Tourism message while generating maximum participation by Texas travel industry partners. g. Use innovative advertising creative with powerful images and call to action messages, together with an effective media strategy in both domestic and international markets as directed by OOG. A.2.2 Creative Services The contractor shall be responsible for the production of advertising, marketing and promotional materials, including but not limited to, collateral, Internet, presentations, photographs, mats, filming, editing, equipment rentals, display materials, and brochures as required to meet the contract performance requirements. A.2.3 Advertising and Marketing Services To meet OOGs tourism mission (Section A.1.8 (c)) and to fulfill the objectives detailed in Section A.2.1. OOG is seeking a full-service advertising agency to implement a comprehensive, strategic, results-driven advertising and marketing campaign, using an effective strategic position and effective RFP NO. 300-2-2 (PACKAGE ONE Part A) Page 14 branding elements, such as slogan(s) and logo(s) approved by OOG that distinguish Texas from all other travel destinations, clearly position Texas as a premier travel destination, and increase travel to the state. The contractors responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: a. Media Placements 1. Solicit, secure, place and monitor paid and non-paid media time and/or space in various domestic and international media, including but not limited to, broadcast, print, interactive, radio, out-of-home, and direct mail. The Contractor shall secure media placements and rates most advantageous to OOG and will not charge OOG any fees (i.e., commissions or mark-ups) for advertising services or media placements performed on behalf of OOG by the contractor. 2. Provide OOG with a written estimate of the number of consumer inquiries to be generated for the fiscal year and the average cost per inquiry for the media plan to be implemented. The estimate must state that cumulatively, all media placements to be made on behalf of OOG shall result in a total number of inquiries and overall average cost per inquiry that are within (+/-) five percent (5%) of the target numbers as established by OOG. 3. All media placements must be approved in advance and in writing by OOG. The contractor will not be reimbursed for any media purchases or placements made on behalf of OOG that have not been pre-approved in writing by OOG. b. Production - Provide full production services, including creating and producing advertising, presentation materials, collateral materials, publications, promotional items, specialty advertising items, exhibits, brochures, banners, bumper stickers and PSAs. Production services include, but are not limited to copy and layouts, type composition, engravings, finished artwork, photographs, photostats, mats, art assemblies, paste-ups, model fees, endorsements, testimonials, talent, story boards, scripts, music rights, filming, recording, video dubbing, editing, slide and video production, equipment rentals, scenery, properties, costumes, display materials, sales promotion, merchandising materials, copy writing, graphics, and design. c. www.TravelTex.com and m.TravelTex.com WebSites - Provide ongoing support and development for all aspects of the TravelTex.com and m.TravelTex.com websites. This includes, but is not limited to, graphic design services, technology, search engine optimization, programming, software, testing, maintenance, hosting, backups, beta test site, mirror site, e-mail marketing program, and project management. TravelTex.com and m.TravelTex.com must be fully functional, operational and available to consumers 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, 365 daysper-year. Daily automated activity reports and analyses are required. Maintenance includes phone and e-mail support, troubleshooting, database administration, site administration, hosting, installation of upgrades and patches, and transfer of literature inquiry request files to TxDOT. d. Call Center Operations - Provide and manage call center operations to successfully process inbound consumer requests for Texas travel literature and related materials generated by OOGs tourism advertising and marketing campaign via OOG owned toll-free 1-800 numbers: 1-800-888- 8839 or 1-800-8888-TEX (for calls originating in the U.S. and Canada) and 1-800-344-2828 for calls originating in Mexico. The current call center operations require the numbers to be maintained and to have an automated response refer callers to TravelTex.com for more travel information. However, during the term of this contract OOG may require that the contractor provide a full-service call center to manage the existing 1-800 numbers. If OOG request a fullservice call center, the call center operations would require:RFP NO. 300-2-2 (PACKAGE ONE Part A) Page 15 1. Fully-equipped and functional facilities, operational 24 hours-per-day, seven days-per-week. 2. Sufficient numbers of qualified, trained and knowledgeable English and Spanish-speaking Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) to ensure callers reach live operators who answer incoming calls and process requests for Texas travel fulfillment literature. 3. Use of automated desktop systems and OOG approved scripts to accurately collect and record caller data, including caller name, full mailing address, caller telephone number, date and time of call, OOG provided ad code of the advertising placement that generated the call, and other information required by OOG (e.g., traveler preferences regarding destinations, cities, regions, and activities). 4. Use of an OOG and TxDOT approved database program to record caller information collected by CSRs during telephone calls.
