Destination & Brand Marketing Strategy
City of Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Purpose of the RFP
The City of Carbondale, Illinois, is inviting proposals from qualified marketing firms or consultants to develop and implement a Destination & Brand Marketing Strategy aimed at accelerating economic revitalization, enhancing the city's identity, attracting new residents and businesses, and promoting tourism. The strategic plan will build upon the city's recent investments, unique cultural and natural assets, and long-term goals for inclusive, sustainable growth.
Key Objectives
The project's core objectives include:
- Tourism Promotion – Highlighting natural, cultural, and economic assets to boost visitor spending and tax revenues.
- Resident Attraction – Targeting new residents, remote workers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals to strengthen the workforce and housing market.
- Downtown Revitalization – Driving foot traffic, supporting small businesses, and stimulating investor interest.
- Unified Brand Narrative – Creating consistent messaging across city departments, tourism, and economic development initiatives.
- Strategic Alignment – Ensuring marketing efforts support infrastructure investments, events, and incentive programs.
- Image Improvement – Enhancing the city's reputation with compelling, positive messaging.
- Community Engagement – Cultivating local pride and countering negative sentiment through resident outreach.
- Regional Collaboration – Partnering with Southern Illinois University (SIU) and regional stakeholders for cross-promotion.
Scope of Work
The selected firm will be responsible for six major components:
1. Discovery and Research
- Conduct a branding audit and analyze public perception.
- Review city marketing efforts, tourism data, economic trends, and planning documents.
- Engage stakeholders via interviews, focus groups, and surveys (residents, business owners, SIU representatives, visitors, city staff, and officials).
- Produce a Research & Insights Report summarizing findings.
2. Marketing Strategy Development
- Define target audiences with demographic and psychographic profiles.
- Identify value propositions and messaging tailored to each audience segment (students, retirees, tourists, remote workers).
- Create a brand positioning statement and key message framework reflecting Carbondale's identity.
- Benchmark against peer communities and highlight Carbondale's unique differentiators.
- Develop authentic storytelling themes showcasing diversity, history, and aspirations.
- Assess how SIU and the Shawnee National Forest can be leveraged in messaging.
- Propose at least one "big, bold idea" to push beyond conventional strategies.
3. Creative and Tactical Plan
- Recommend branding, messaging, and visual identity elements (slogans, taglines, visuals).
- Outline implementation tactics across:
- Digital marketing (social media, SEO, video, paid ads)
- Public relations and media outreach
- Community engagement events
- Print and promotional materials
- Wayfinding and signage
- Strategic partnerships with SIU, tourism bureaus, and other stakeholders
4. Implementation Roadmap
- Develop a phased rollout plan including:
- Timeline
- Roles and responsibilities
- Recommended tools and platforms
- Budget estimates
- Key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Recommend an internal staffing structure for ongoing marketing management.
5. Final Deliverables
- A Strategic Marketing Plan with an executive summary and presentation materials.
- A brand messaging toolkit.
- Social media and content calendar templates.
- Sample creative assets or mockups.
6. Initial Marketing Launch Activities
- Following City Council approval, execute a limited pilot campaign using social media, digital ads, or print outreach to launch the new branding strategy.
Proposal Requirements
Submissions must include:
- Firm/consultant profile and qualifications
- Relevant experience in municipal, tourism, or economic development marketing
- Detailed work plan and approach
- Timeline
- Itemized cost proposal
- Portfolio samples (if applicable)
- References
Budget Allocation
The total project budget is $120,000, covering all services, deliverables, engagement activities, travel, and incidental expenses.
A portion is reserved for the pilot marketing campaign.
Suggested allocations are:
- Discovery and Research – $10K–$20K
- Marketing Strategy Development – $10K–$20K
- Creative and Tactical Plan – $10K–$20K
- Implementation Roadmap – $10K–$20K
- Final Deliverables – $10K–$20K
- Initial Marketing Launch Activities – $15K–$20K
Timeline
- RFP Release: August 11, 2026
- Proposal Deadline: September 26, 2025
- Selection & Award: October 6, 2025
- Project Kickoff: October 27, 2025
- Draft Plan Presentation: March 2026
- Final Plan Presentation: April 2026
- Pilot Campaign Launch: May 2026
In summary: This RFP seeks a capable partner to deliver a data-driven, creatively bold marketing strategy that positions Carbondale as a thriving place to live, work, visit, and invest, with a clear roadmap for launch and measurable outcomes.