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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESPONSE - RFP - 7207 REBRANDING PROJECT - LINCOLN CENTERLincoln Center Rebranding RFP # 7207 lightsource creative communications <vww.Iighrt,oL, cccreaIive.con; t .lightsouroecmative.com Teamwork and partnership for meeting marketing objectives All competing agencies will talk about teamwork. We can back up the claim with a key Lightsource difference: we have no creative director, a deviation from the typical agency model. Our entire team plays that role. This approach benefits our clients. Creative direction is not limited to one person's vision, rather, it benefits from a diversity of opinion and experience. Additionally, our entire team becomes emotionally invested in the distinctiveness and effectiveness of our creative concepts. Lightsource applies this philosophy internally and externally; complex problems require complex solutions and no one individual or agency has all of the answers. We carry our team approach to our clients, taking politics off the table by asking questions and engaging all contributors vital to the outcome of the project. We will work well with organizations integral to marketing the Lincoln Center. Lightsource has the experience to join organizations to form a unified team for marketing success. The scope of our involvement is driven by delivering the best solution possible and keeping in mind the primary objective of driving visitors to the Lincoln Center. Our local roots, knowledge and investment in our community Everyone on our Northern Colorado team lives here because we love it here. We find great satisfaction in helping local communities, businesses and organizations grow and thrive. Our generous contributions to the community highlight our commitment to the region where we live, work and play. Over the past 14 years, Lightsource has provided pro-bono services for Respite Care, Matthew Shepard Foundation, United Way, Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Force Soccer, Poudre School District, Boy Scouts of America, Food Bank of Larimer County, and Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation. 121 West Lapone / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 I fax 970.224,2814 / .page. 9 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications yr Jlghtsourcecreative.com Behind effective messaging: deep understanding A little history here. Lisa started Lightsource in 1996 and quickly recognized that the Achilles' heel for many creative agencies is "messaging," or knowing what needs to be said to an audience to change their thinking or behavior. Therefore, she recruited Gordon away from Hewlett-Packard where he had been managing OpenView, the most successful HP brand next to LaserJet. Prior to Gordon's decade with HP, he received an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. In relation to other agencies, we depend heavily upon the written word. A project begins with a thorough conversation with the client, exploring audience, objective, and marketplace factors affecting audience mindset. We work with diverse clientele across industries, from Poudre Valley Hospital to Hewlett-Packard. Each client has different needs; yet there's commonality to our approach: we strive for a deeper understanding of their organization and industry by remaining curious, asking ongoing questions and analyzing what we learn. Our creativity and ultimate success depends on our knowledge of an organization's message, audience and objective. You can depend on our fresh and innovative design and on -target messaging, but most of all you'll feel that you're being listened to, understood, and you'll know that your projects are being completed on -time and on -budget. Count on regular communication of projects status, detailed project timelines, clear and accurate cost estimates, and deadlines met. The scope of the project for the Lincoln Center will benefit from this all-inclusive, creatively original model. "YVe want to scream from the rooftops about itihat a great firm we think you are and the fabulous a ork you do!" — Allison Hines, Respite Care (970) 207-9435, allison(LDrespitecareinc.org 121 West Laporte / Fart Collins, CO 80524 I 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 10 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared.. by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsourcecreative.com Processes and tools We are a disciplined organization. Every deliverable will come with a concrete schedule, clearly identified owners, and our passion for meeting deadlines. We use an online project management system that provides real-time online reporting for our clients. We will help you save time and reduce errors through tools, such as cloud -based collaboration, where you, Lightsource and other vendors share documents and databases. For example, we will create secure portals for every asset imaginable, for quick and secure access. When you give us a call, anyone answering the phone will know just who you are and how important your call is. When you send an e-mail after other shops have closed, most likely someone is going to reply within the hour. When you need urgent problem - solving, we'll be ready. If you ever find yourself frustrated by something standing between you and your objective, we'll be eager to offer a workaround and then make it happen. Scope of work and costs Lightsource estimates the rebranding project to cost $20,000. Our projected expenditures per phase are outlined below. Brand Identification- $13,500 Lightsource will deliver a complete branding package for the Lincoln Center. • Brand identification will be accomplished through detailed research and agency expertise. We will use primary research and our `concentric circles' approach for evaluation and to validate the effectiveness of brand elements. Lightsource will also provide a branding portal, and host a branding workshop for key personnel. In this workshop, we will discuss how to use the portal, and the branding standards to adhere to. 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 11 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications www.lightsourcecreative.com Identity Design- $2,500 The Lightsource team will comprise a list of slogans and key phrases that best represent the Lincoln Center. Working within our'concentric circles' model, we will test the slogans and phrases to determine a select few that have the most appeal and function. Lightsource will review the current logo, and suggest recommended changes or redesign if necessary. Branding Deliverables- $4,000 In addition, Lightsource will provide the following services: • Create a messaging hierarchy and story to promote the Lincoln Center to target audiences, including key tag lines and marketing messages. • Asses city's/community's signage, and internal signage • Suggest integration into website and social media. • Advise on collateral materials (video, brochures, et al). • Recommend approaches toward integration into customer service philosophy. • Include other recommendations. Working with Lightsource Throughout the process, Lightsource will: • Deliver fresh and innovative design and on -target messaging • Provide regular communication of projects status, detailed project timelines, clear and accurate cost estimates, and adherence to all established deadlines • Lead city representatives, commission members, and community stakeholders through a successful branding exercise Our Resumes About the Authors Educated and experienced, the Lightsource team includes 1 MBA from Harvard Business School 1 Masters in Education from Harvard University 1 Masters of Fine Arts from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania 1 Masters of Accountancy from Colorado State University 1 MBA from Lincoln Memorial University 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 1 fax 970.224.2814 1 page 12 Prapnetary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications 0 www.lightsourcecreativexom 1 Bachelor of Business Administration from Colorado State University 1 Bachelor of Arts in German from Colorado State University 2 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Colorado State University 1 Bachelor of Technical Journalism from Colorado State University 1 Bachelor of English from Lafayette College 1 Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Puget Sound 1 Bachelor of Psychology from Oklahoma State University 1 Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University 1 Australian shepherd The team's outside industry experiences includes • broadcast journalism • teaching • software development • agriculture • welding • ceramics • specialty manufacturing • international trade • construction • and many other industries References RLE Technologies, Lisa. Halbert, Ihalbert(orletech.com, (970) 232-3930 RLE is a Fort Collins -based technology company that manufactures facilities monitoring systems. Among many projects and marketing deliverables, we worked closely together with Lisa on their "messaging," i.e. what needs to be communicated to the marketplace about their value. We created a new identity and robust website through close synergy and the latest online collaboration tools. Agilent Technologies, Frank Elsesser, frank elsesser(o-)agilent. com, (916) 788-5623. An HP spinoff, Agilent makes test & measurement equipment and more. In this case, our tight collaboration with Frank and his colleagues led to "umbrella messaging," meaning how to represent a broad range of features and values under higher -level messaging. This 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 I 970.224.2806 / fax 970,224.2814 / page 13 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lighlsource Creative Communications w Aightsourcecreative.wnn has parallels to the Loveland project. In the case of Agilent, we've helped to develop "why choose Agilent" messaging that can successfully apply to any of their hundreds of products. We equate that to the hundreds of attractions in Loveland worth experiencing and therefore worth promoting. Harmony Club, Sheri Jensen, sheriiensen(cDcomcast.net, (970) 224-4622 Harmony is an upscale real estate development and golf course in Timnath. We worked closely with Sheri to get people to explore and buy properties and golf memberships. We work particularly hard to bring out Harmony's unique "feel" and experience. Marketing deliverables included their new website, Flash animation, advertising, collateral, billboards and more. Hewlett-Packard, Tiffany Tuell, tiffany.tuell(cDhp.com, (408) 447-4034 or (408) 406-0222. While we've done many projects with Tiffany over the years, we suggest focusing on a major initiative called Outcomes, an executive tour. Lightsource used a variety of techniques to draw high-level customer decision -makers to destination cities in the US, Europe and Asia -Pacific. Pathways Hospice (formerly Hospice of Larimer County), Evan Hyatt, evan.hvatt@pathways-care.org, (970) 292-1078. With a new entity name and a refreshed identity, all developed with Lightsource, it was essential to build support for the new look and future growth opportunities. We worked closely with Evan and his colleagues to roll out the new identity to "concentric circles" of constituents to involve in the process, including their leadership team, board of directors, staff, and more. Respite Care, Allison Hines, allisonQrespitecareinc.oro, (970) 207-9435. Our 15-year relationship with Respite has included major initiatives. Every annual ball, a huge fundraising opportunity, involves a new Lightsource-developed theme and an array of promotional activities. Their spring fundraiser (raising $200,000) involves similar challenges. Securing buy -in from diverse constituencies has been critical to these successes. 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224,2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 14 proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsourcecreafive.com i g htsource creative communications Lincoln Center Rebranding Hello City of Fort Collins, Lightsource is thrilled to have the opportunity to bid on rebranding such a gem to Northern Colorado. Please allow us to explain why we are best qualified for the job. Perfect fit, and a track record of successful branding Lightsource is the agency behind Fort Collins' most comprehensive and successful brand development exercise. Known as the "Authentic" campaign and developed in 2004, it's still hard at work, visible on I-25 billboards, event promotions, T-shirts, and other marketing collateral.. As with "Authentic," our entire team, not a less -experienced sub - team, will be immersed in your project. Global marketing and brand identity experience Can a dozen people in Fort Collins truly be the marketing brains behind $70 billion of revenue? It's true. Sixty percent of Hewlett-Packard's $115B annual revenue is sold by channel partners. Lightsource is the #1 agency crafting messaging to these partners, and it's been that way since 2001 when Lightsource first defined HP's partner program, PartnerONE. HP works with Lightsource every quarter to continue this successful campaign, including advertising, public relations and social media. This is powerful evidence of the customer service we deliver and the measurable results we achieve. Lightsource lead for the Lincoln Center Rebranding project If Lightsource is awarded this project, our president and co-owner, Gordon MacKinney, will be project lead. A Harvard MBA, 30-year marketing veteran, and Northern Colorado mainstay (a regular Community columnist for the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper), MacKinney would be the principal presenter for all stages of the "concentric circles" approach described below, essential for garnering community support for the new Lincoln Center brand. He would be backed by a gifted team of writers, designers, researchers and project managers. Now please read on for details about how Lightsource will brand and define our city's beautiful new Lincoln Center. Kind regards, Lisa Malmquist Lightsource founder and co-owner 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 1 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w Aightswmecneabve.com Statement of Qualifications Lightsource is the right agency partner to identify the brand that reflects the newly renovated and expanded Lincoln Center as the place for arts and entertainment in Northern Colorado. Lightsource creates high -impact marketing communications strategies and deliverables that help businesses, organizations and communities captivate their target audiences worldwide. Lightsource's core competencies —on -target messaging, creative design, and client understanding —set the company apart from other agencies. It is tough to convey in a short description, but you will find that we "get it." We ask good questions, listen carefully to your answers, analyze with insight and show considerable smarts from the first in-depth interview to the final deliverable. If you could sneak covertly into our offices and observe us in action —brainstorming, questioning, challenging each other, and pushing for even better ideas —you'd be impressed by the energy expended. No nuance is too subtle to spark debate. We ask better questions, listen more, and dig deeper to uncover the most creative solution. With that said, let us share with you some success we have had with our current clients. Success Building Community Support: Downtown Fort Collins As mentioned above, Lightsource is the agency behind Fort Collins' most far- reaching and successful brand development, the "Authentic" campaign. Beyond strong messaging and creative execution, the campaign's success is attributed to Lightsource's "concentric circles" approach to community engagement and buy -in. Here is the approach we took, which we also recommend for the Lincoln Center project: • Project definition: this involved the core team (innermost circle) from the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association, 3-4 people in close collaboration with Lightsource. Project data gathering: for this phase, we surveyed all members (-50) of the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association and met with them in person. This 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 2 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsourcecreative.com stage provided valuable inputs of current and desired perceptions that entered our creative process. Perhaps most important, this step turned this important group into active participants and therefore vested in the project's success. • Presentation of creative concepts to "inner circle". we presented our work to 3-4 principals, incorporated their feedback and then returned with refined concepts. Upon approval, we moved to the next stage. • Presentation of a smaller set of creative concepts to the next outermost circle. After meeting with the members of the Downtown Business Association, we had approval on a single concept, which became the "Authentic" campaign. • Presentation to the broader community, the outermost circle. We hosted a reception at an Old Town meeting place and invited government, business and community representatives for an official unveiling of the concept as reflected in many mockups: signage, event promotion, advertising, stickers for businesses windows, etc. With broad community acceptance, the project then moved into the next stage: rollout. For the Lincoln Center project, we would meet with you first to determine key stakeholders and constituencies, and then build a "concentric circles' plan accordingly. Success leading community change: Pathways Hospice Breakfast to in the park Nann111 U.n. • t r 4m, • W, ki... SNIMM. MIY 11. 1:30-11. GS MS Or! WK IYNr SUIIINS. SY 1011S 1S5 NW,. . V NMNI'. NMN•NYSWl GNG M DID .B61.IUD The "concentric circles" approach has worked very well for our clients over the years. Pathways Hospice (formerly Hospice of Larimer County) -- has parallels to the Lincoln Center project because of the diversity and critical importance of stakeholders. In Pathways' case, our "concentric circles" approach included their management team, their Board of Directors, the agency's staff, area doctors and other referrers in the medical community, patients and families, and the public at large. For this nonprofit organization and community institution, it was extremely important to garner strong buy -in before proceeding with the organization's new name (another process managed by Lightsource) and their outbound identity and associated campaign. Pathways is a current client and Lightsource was responsible for developing a strategic plan to roll -out a new name, brand identity and multiple promotion deliverables that have helped Pathways gain market share in Northern Colorado (for -profit hospice organizations presented a substantial threat. Lightsource helped bring Pathways key differentiators to the forefront). 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CC 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 3 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsourcecmative.com "Due to your efforts, all our ads, promotional materials and signage is ere visually impactful and professional, contributing to a successful re -launch of this cornmunitvoutreach event. Of course, you will receive a formal thank you from our Board of Directors and recognition in the Thumbs Up section of the Coloradoan. " — Kim Mueller, Pathways Hospice of Latimer County (970) 292-0029, Kim. Mueller(@pathways-care.org City brand development experience: Fort Collins Great Plates The Fort Collins Downtown Business Association hired Lightsource in 2005 to create a Restaurant Week for Fort Collins. Five years later with over 25 restaurants participating, the event is still a tremendous success, both for bringing people to Old Town Fort Collins and for nonprofit fundraising. As part of our research, we conducted an extensive nationwide study of other successful Restaurant Week programs. We interviewed city planners across the US (Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Houston, etc.) to find out what made their C O O P E R S M I T H' g events successful and what pitfalls to avoid. W e P U B 8 B R E W I N G reviewed their promotional materials, read online reviews, and received access to many media kit portals. We learned invaluable information on what the market will bear in terms of pricing, the importance of branding the event well, and the need to provide easy -to -use marketing materials for the restaurants to get on board. Lightsource created the look and feel of the event as well as the name "Great Plates" after several committee meetings attended by Old Town restaurant owners and DBA leaders. We led the weekly meetings right up to the first event, and designed and wrote all of the items for the media kit. We determined the price point of $18.68 for a meal based on the year Fort Collins was founded, and came up with the idea to add a charitable component to the event. Last year, Great Plates raised over $8,000 for the Food Bank of Larimer County. During a time of year when many diners don't typically venture out, the first two weeks of March, Great Plates has become a must -attend event. Here are some comments from Yelp.com: • "Great Plates has taken off and become a favorite culinary event in our town." • "I left [the restaurant] thinking about how lucky we are to live in Fort Collins, 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 1 970,224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 1 page 4 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w Jighlsourcecreative.com with wonderful places to eat and fun celebrations like Great Plates." • "Best part about Great Plates is that you are supporting your local businesses, all while not breaking the bank!" Even the DenveiPosthas weighed in: • "With 27 restaurants participating, Fort Collins' Great Plates is not nearly as big as Denvei s restaurant week, but with specials for $18.68, it's a chance to try something new up north." Track record of long-term clients: HP PartnerONE "K_315i2AilON Sixty percent of Hewlett-Packard's revenue comes through "channel partners," other companies bringing HP's products to the market. Lightsource was responsible for consolidating and aligning forty partner programs to form a single program, now known as PartnerONE. In doing so, Lightsource has become the prime outbound marketing agency supporting HP's partner program efforts (representing $70 billion of HP revenue), and communicating with all HP strategic partners throughout South America, US and Canada. Every quarter we develop marketing vehicles that communicate to this partner audience. Our activities include extensive use of social media, creating key marketing messages and relaying for websites, Twitter, blogs and more. Our clients trust us. We focus on their objectives and we help them achieve them. Our company is almost 15 years old and we have many of the same clients we had at the beginning. We invest in our clients and build strong relationships, allowing us to function as an extension of their team. This allows our clients to combine their expertise with ours to create an even higher level of originality and influence. By the way, go ahead and mention politics... Marketing impact is undermined when individuals or sub -entities deliver conflicting or diluting messages. We've seen it happen too often. As an extension of your marketing team, we work closely with you to build internal support and consistent brand and messaging. 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 5 Proprietary and Confidential Information prepared by Lightsource. Creative Communications w .lightsourcecreative.com '7 just is anted to stop for a moment and say- THANK YOU! We've put you through the ringer- over- the past several months on two different events, and,vou haven't skipped a beat!" — Stephanie Pearson, HP (317) 625-7837, Stephanie.Pearsonahp.coIn Market research experience & proposed approach for the Lincoln Center Over the past 20 years, we've both generated and leveraged a wide assortment of market research. Throughout, we've developed strong opinions about the optimal ways to apply and invest in market research. While we remain flexible to your preferences, we'd like to share these opinions and how they might apply for the Lincoln Center project. Market research for a typical brand campaign can consume 25-33% of its budget. In consumer marketing, this can be money well spent. For the Lincoln Center project, such a level of spending would be wasteful and unnecessary. Nevertheless, at a far lower cost than might be considered typical, research will be important for the following: • Understanding existing Lincoln Center perceptions as input to brand development • Understanding desired perceptions necessary to achieve campaign goals • Testing of draft brand concepts for their ability to convey desired perceptions • Relative effectiveness of outbound marketing vehicles (signage, website, social media, print advertising, promotions, etc.) to achieve campaign goals Marketing is both art and science. Marketing a performing arts center is more art than science. This means that while research will play an important role, it's not necessary to break the budget on it. That money is better spent executing the campaign. Here is another important reality to keep in mind. Similar to having too many chefs throwing ingredients into the bouillabaisse, having too many decision -makers and stakeholders can strip the flavor from a marketing campaign. The "concentric circles" approach described above will be essential to ensuring that the Lincoln Center can launch a fresh and distinctive campaign in spite of the many forces striving for something "safe." This also has a bearing on the role of market research. Deciding on creative concepts for promoting the Lincoln Center will not be driven by science nor qualitative research findings. Subjective impression will play a huge role, particularly because of the diversity 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970,224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 6 Proprietary and Confidental Information prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsoumecieative.com of stakeholders in marketing the Lincoln Center. Market research will serve to convince these stakeholders that those behind the campaign have done due diligence. This will make the campaign "safer," while increasing the odds of a fresh and high -impact campaign. Let's explore the four buckets of research described above in more detail and what Lightsource proposes. Understanding the Lincoln Center current perceptions as input to brand development Particularly since this information comes into play prior to any creative brainstorming, its impact on the final execution is diluted. Therefore, minimal investment should be made. We recommend an inexpensive online survey, a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended question, put to multiple concentric circles: stakeholders (this increases their buy -in, plus they have valuable perspectives), and residents . Understanding desired perceptions necessary to achieve campaign goals This need not involve expensive primary research. The characteristics of a positive perception that generates traffic are largely known and can be verified by studying existing sources, most via the Tnternet. Testing of brand concepts for their ability to convey desired perceptions At this point original primary research becomes more important. The creative development process will produce a short List of concepts. We recommend an online survey supplemented by Face-to-face encounters, either man -on -the -street interviews or a small number of focus groups, to isolate preference and open-ended perception (e.g. "what word(s) comes to mind when you see this?") Relative effectiveness of outbound marketing vehicles to achieve campaign goals Extensive primary research at this point is not necessary. So much depends upon target audience. We already know which vehicles work best to reach teens versus young professionals versus retirees. Secondary research will be adequate to ensure that execution dollars are spent wisely. Our overall message to the City of Fort Collins regarding market research: use expensive primary research sparingly (mostly for testing draft creative concepts), use secondary research to build confidence among stakeholders and validate assumptions, and redirect research money toward reaching people with the new Lincoln Center brand. k Our track record in wisely spending research dollars lends credibility to what we suggest. Here's an example. Lightsource helped First National Bank of Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska come up with a new name. We created and recommended Points West Community Bank, which they accepted and have now become. Lightsource researched bank naming and name association, by geography, against a database of 26,000 US -based financial institutions. We saved thousands of dollars by using extensive secondary 121 West Lapone / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 7 Proprietary and Confidential Intonnation prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications w .lightsourcecreative.com research and turned to primary research only for final validation. Targeting the right audience Before any project can proceed, one must understand: 1) which message using 2) what creative approach delivered to Message (Marketing3) which audience will achieve 4) what objective? Too many marketing dollars are wasted because all 4 elements were not completely understood. Lightsource will make no such mistake. We understand that to promote the Lincoln Center you must clearly communicate benefits that your audience can easily understand and resonate with, then substantiate those benefits for credibility. With this understanding, we can help you determine what marketing mix will improve your marketing endeavors. The more audience -specific the message —both in the content ("what gets communicated") and the way it's delivered ("how it gets communicated") —the more likely people are to notice and remember it. Here's what Lightsource recommends: 1. Segment: identify your top audiences. 2. Focus: prioritize those audiences. 3. Target: customize messages to those audiences. Only then, choose the key vehicles for delivering those customized messages to each audience in a targeted way, at the right time. High -impact deliverables aimed at specific, clear targets yield the greatest return on marketing investment. "You gays rock/ The vv-ebsite looksgreat. We definitelypicked the right agency for all of our rnanv n>arkettng needs. " — Lisa Halbert, RLE Technologies (970) 232-3930, LHatbertorletech.com 121 West Laporte / Fort Collins, CO 80524 / 970.224.2806 / fax 970.224.2814 / page 8 Proprietary and Confidential Intonnafion prepared by Lightsource Creative Communications