The Regional Publication Workgroup is a collaborative effort to reframe the narrative of our communities to promote our assets and amenities through new communication channels to market outside of our own communities. We are seeking proposals for solutions that will advance that mission and begin to create a brand for the Thumb of Michigan. Innovative solutions will allow our Region to reach new audiences and spur economic and population growth in the Thumb.

TIMELINE:
RFP Opens - June 10, 2020
All Questions Due - June 29, 2020
Proposals Due - July 10, 2020

All proposals must be submitted electronically via Dropbox link below by 5 p.m. on July 10, 2020. Please label files with the name of the firm. Late proposals will not be considered. https://www.dropbox.com/request/rSCRG8Ueue0nEf0LJXFd

Contact Melissa Anderson, Sanilac County Community Foundation Executive Director, with questions via email only (director@sanilacfoundation.org) prior to 5 p.m. on June 29th. No phone calls will be accepted. All questions will be answered publicly on this web page.

Questions Submitted

Are there brand guidelines for the Thumb of Michigan/Huron County, or would that be something created within these innovative solutions of reframing the narrative?

There are currently no branding guidelines for the Thumb of Michigan and this regional collaboration. This is something we feel should be created within the innovative solutions of reframing the narrative and do not want to place limits on the creative members to visualize.

Regarding the community partners, is this part of the deliverables- having a solution on how to form community partners?

It is not a necessary deliverable, but the ability to create long standing relationships will be critical to the sustainability of such a project, so the ability to incorporate the culture of collaboration is imperative.

What other deliverables are you seeking?

At this time, we are only seeking the deliverables mentioned in the RFP. With that said, we understand that we do not know what we do not know. If you see a deliverable that we have missed or is pertinent to the success of the plan that you are proposing, we encourage you to present it.

Are there already in-use communication channels to market the Thumb region, if so, what are they?

Currently there are a variety of small print publications that reach outside of the region, all of which focus on just one of the many towns or counties that we are striving to represent as a whole.

What platforms are currently being used? There are no current platforms being used for the “Thumb” region as a whole. Individual towns, festivals, destinations, and counties, have used print, social media, and web advertising in the past, but not as a collaborative effort.

What type of visual mock-up are you seeking in the proposal?

If your proposal includes an email newsletter, we would expect to see a mock-up of that newsletter. Any tangible “big ticket item” or “new concept” should be put in a visual format that explains the general essence of your proposal.

Do you anticipate the “visual mock-up of the proposed solution” to fit into a future design project?

We understand that the visual mock-up that is presented during the proposal stage is a launching point to a potential partnership. Although some aspects of the design may be requested to move forward into a future design project, we reserve the right to include and exclude any proposal as deemed necessary.

Is there a start date and a deadline?

There is currently no start date and deadline for this creative solution that your company is proposing. We are a dedicated and motivated group and hope to create an aggressive timeline as emerging partnerships allow.

What is the budget?

There is currently no hard and set budget. The collaborative partners in the Workgroup are dedicated to finding the right solution vs. value/fit for our region.

Questions submitted will be answered here by June 29th.