Brand Reputation Campaign

The RTD Communications and Engagement Department is seeking a qualified brand marketing agency to perform research and develop a comprehensive creative campaign concept designed to accentuate positive brand attributes, shift public perception, and increase positive brand sentiment.

RTD will award one single purchase order from this RFQ.

This initiative focuses entirely on strategic brand positioning, audience research, and creative concept creation. Full-scale multimedia production, media buying, and campaign execution are strictly excluded from this scope and will be handled directly by RTD’s internal Marketing team.

Phase 1: Research, Brand Assessment, and Discovery

The selected agency will conduct a deep-dive evaluation of current customer, non-customer, and community sentiment across the Denver metro footprint. Activities include:

• Data Review: Analyze existing RTD customer satisfaction surveys, regional transit studies, media coverage tracking, customer segmentation studies, Economic Impact Study, and Quality of Life Study.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Conduct up to ten (10) focus groups and internal interviews with RTD leadership, operators, and community ambassadors.
• Competitive & Peer Analysis: Benchmark narrative strategies used by other major metropolitan transit authorities facing similar public perception challenges.

Phase 2: Strategic Positioning and Messaging Framework

• Audience Segmentation: Define key target personas within the Denver metro area.
• Core Messaging Matrix: Establish tailored messaging pillars for each audience segment focusing on reliability, safety, environmental benefits, and economic impact.
• Tone & Voice Guidelines: Define the creative parameters for how RTD visually communicates across public-facing touchpoints during the campaign.

Phase 3: Creative Campaign Concepting

• Concept Generation: Deliver three (3) unique, fully realized creative campaign concepts (including themes, taglines, and key visual direction).
• Mockups & Spec Work: Provide illustrative storyboards, digital ad mockups, and script outlines [...] to demonstrate concept versatility.
• Testing & Validation: Conduct pulse-test focus groups on the proposed concepts to ensure messaging resonates constructively with the target Denver demographics.

Concept Presentation, Review, and Refinement

Agency will present campaign recommendations to RTD leadership and staff.

Project Management and agency coordination

Agency will include all costs associate with internal project management and coordination.

Deliverables

• Brand Assessment Report: Week 3
• Strategic Positioning Framework: Week 5
• Creative Concept Pitch: Week 7
• Final Campaign Guidebook: Week 8
• Final Digital Files: Week 8

Explicitly Out of Scope

• Final commercial video production or professional photography
• Graphic design for final deployment assets or fleet wrap fabrication
• Media planning, purchasing, or digital programmatic ad placement
• Website development, landing page coding, or app modifications

**Submission method:** One copy of the completed and signed quotation, including all required submittals, will be submitted through RTD’s online procurement portal prior to the date and time listed in the RFQ Schedule in a format that complies with Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. Quotations that are late may not be accepted!

Questions about RTD and this RFQ shall be submitted through RTD’s online procurement portal.

Payments are anticipated to be made on a Fixed Price basis. Award of a purchase order from this RFQ will be based upon "lowest responsive cost” procurement procedures.

Subject to the Termination provisions of the purchase order, the period of performance is 120 days.

Quotations shall be valid for a duration of no less than ninety (90) days from quotation due date.

Please only include cost in designated "cost" sections, or cost table if provided. Any cost information submitted or duplicated in other sections may result in response disqualification.

RTD has not specified an SBE participation goal for the Work to be performed under the Purchase order.