Culture, Leisure and Tourism Council Shirehall, Abbey Foregate SY2 6ND

Andrea Fox

Visitor Economy Officer Tel: (01743) 251706 Email: [email protected] Date: 25 May 2021

Contract Ref: DQNV138 TOURISM MARKETING CAMPAIGN: CONTENT CREATION SERVICES

Invitation to provide a quotation

Shropshire Council is inviting quotations for the provision of creative content for a new marketing campaign designed to support Shropshire’s tourism sector as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking for a content creation partner who can bring the campaign to life by writing a range of stories to amplify the campaign ideas and persuade audiences that they would enjoy what Shropshire has to offer.

Please find below details of the brief and quotation requirements.

INTRODUCTION are proposing to run a marketing campaign to promote the county as a tourist destination. The campaign will run between June 2021 and March 2022. The Council has secured funding for this purpose which will be overseen by a specially convened steering group.

The Council is now seeking partners to work alongside them and Visit Shropshire the current destination management organisation in a wider partnership to help them create a multichannel campaign that will: · Generate consideration and visits. · Engage local partners in the visitor economy and related sectors. · Develop a stronger image for Shropshire. · Engender local pride. Shropshire is a predominantly rural county with a number of highly attractive towns such as Shrewsbury, , , Whitchurch and , nationally significant natural assets such as , the Long Mynd and the , two World Heritage Sites of and Pontcysyllte and an AONB. The visitor economy has been heavily impacted by COVID and many businesses have been closed for long periods. However, there is now both a short-term opportunity to position Shropshire as an attractive destination and to build demand across the year and a longer-term imperative to create content and assets that can serve the destination well in the longer term. OVERARCHING BRIEF The COVID situation has meant that many rural destinations which may previously have struggled to compete with city breaks and well-known brands such as The are now in heavy demand as they can deliver some of the experiences that people are seeking: clean air, unspoilt landscapes, undiscovered towns and villages, simple pleasures, absorbing stories and traditions, local food ideally with low food miles, wellbeing, outdoor animation and the social life that everyone has so missed. Whilst welcoming this change in consumer sentiment, it is also important to manage that demand and to create a positioning that will continue to be attractive once the short-term effect of COVID has lessened. As a county Shropshire does not currently have enough bed stock to house overnight all those who may want to come at peak times so a key part of the campaign is to help level the demand as far as is possible and, where overnight stays are not available, to suggest new day trip destinations that previously may not have had the attention they deserve. The strategy we would like to adopt is one of identifying audiences for whom Shropshire offers a particularly strong or unique experience and in parallel to recognise that for some audiences Shropshire won’t deliver what they are looking for. We will use our funds wisely to try to engage strongly with those who we think will respond positively. There are a number of core strengths to the offer – culture and heritage, nature and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, two World Heritage Sites, local produce and a strong food culture, medieval market towns, opportunities to ‘get off the beaten track’ and explore, independent businesses – especially art and crafts – and some other more specialist interests that could ultimately draw bigger numbers e.g. year round festivals, Darwin, geology and evolution, ecclesiastical tourism, the War Poets And we anticipate that over the course of the project new themes and audiences will suggest themselves. The key objective of the campaign and, therefore of the supplier partners, is to be able to target precisely these engageable audiences and to minimise wastage. CAMPAIGN STRATEGY The campaign is likely to be divided into three phases: late Summer launch, Autumn/Winter breaks (including Christmas) and Spring/Summer 2022 bookings. The core organising idea that will drive the campaign is:

“Shropshire welcomes…” followed by an engaging description of the audience we’d like to welcome. For example: • Shropshire welcomes …. those who want to relax and recharge • Shropshire welcomes … those who like a bit of a challenge (hikers and climbers) • Shropshire welcomes… nature lovers • Shropshire welcomes … curious minds (history buffs, kids) • Shropshire welcomes … Autumn (celebrating autumn landscapes and festivals)

Some themes will be broad, some more niche, some expected, some surprising. By having a core idea which we can flex across our product, audiences and the campaign period we hope to make it easy for partners and consumers to get involved and to generate a huge number of new messages about the county.

CONTENT CREATION REQUIREMENT Working with the steering group and the PR partner you will quickly be able to pull together or create information, interviews, video clips from a range of sources either for direct consumption from our website or to back Up some of our newsworthy stories across the campaign period.

We would expect you to: • be highly collaborative – it will be a small team with a big agenda. • be proactive in suggesting where new or repurposed content is needed (having reviewed existing assets) • create a monthly partner eshot in collaboration with Visit Shropshire • be able to translate the campaign idea into a variety of formats. • work quickly.

To be successful, you will need to demonstrate: • strong writing and/or journalistic skills • how much work we could expect over the 10-month period but accepting that there will be periods of high activity and others of less. • recent experience of providing content in travel and tourism that has achieved specific results. • ability to create a range of different types of content from articles to eshots. • understanding of what content works in what channel and how to adapt to ensure excellent SEO. • your ability to create a distinctive and empathetic tone of voice for Shropshire.

RETURNING OF QUOTATION o The deadline for submitting your response is 9 am 4th June 2021 o Responses are to be submitted to both [email protected] and [email protected]

• Please submit your response in a Word document of no more than 600 words (not including pictures or exhibits) outlining your initial response to the task and any observations you would like to make on our proposed approach o We would also like you to provide: • Evidence of relevant work • Evidence of relevant experience • Biographies of people who are likely to work on the project o We will evaluate quotations received and short-list for interview based on the response criteria shown above. The three most highly scored proposals will be invited to a 30minute interview on Teams on 7th and 8th June. o Please provide details of your monthly fee from June 2021 to March 2022 inclusive. This will need to detail what is and isn’t included in your fees. The maximum amount payable for services will be £8,000. o We are seeking assurance that a start date of 9th June 2021 is possible

EVALUATION Your response will then be assessed according to our evaluation grid.

EVALUATION CRITERIA WEIGHTING SCORING 1-5 Value for money 20% Previous experience 30% Response to brief 50%

Freedom of Information Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from 1 January 2005, the public (included in this are private companies, journalists, etc.) have a general right of access to information held by public authorities. Information about your organisation, which Shropshire Council may receive from you may be subject to disclosure, in response to a request, unless one of the various statutory exemptions applies.

Therefore, if you provide any information to Shropshire Council in the expectation that it will be held in confidence, you must make it clear in your documentation as to the information to which you consider a duty of confidentiality applies. The use of blanket protective markings such as “commercial in confidence” will no longer be appropriate and a clear indication as to what material is to be considered confidential and why should be given.

Other Details Please raise any clarification questions you may have at least 3 days prior to the deadline of 4th June 2021.

Shropshire Council is committed to achieving Social Value outcomes through maximising the social, economic and/or environmental impact of all its procurement activity. Further information the Council’s Social Value Framework guidance can be found at www.shropshire.gov.uk/doing-business-with-shropshire- council. Please provide details of any additional Social Value you can provide through the delivery of this project.

If you have any queries relating to this invitation to quote, please contact [email protected] Yours faithfully

Andrea Fox Visitor Economy Officer

APPENDIX: BACKGROUND INFORMATION The following is taken from Shropshire Council’s new cultural strategy.

Unique Shropshire Shropshire is a unique and diverse county, with a rich blend of natural, industrial and social heritage.

We have a diverse and flourishing natural environment. The variety of geology in Shropshire is unequalled in any area of comparable size in Britain, or indeed the world, and inspired the world-renowned geologist, Roderick Murchinson, which means that Shropshire place names are known globally and used by geologists across the world. Geology and the natural environment also inspired the county’s most famous son, Charles Darwin, who was born and went to school in Shrewsbury.

Almost a quarter of the county is designated as the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and we have three national nature reserves. We also have internationally important wetland sites, special areas of conservation (of European significance) and many sites of special scientific interest. Shropshire has the third longest rights of way network in the country, including long-distance paths such as the Shropshire Way and Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, and national cycle routes.

Being on the border between upland Wales and lowland , Shropshire has had a complex and turbulent history. This fascinating past is reflected in a wealth of archaeological sites of all types and periods, and in a rich collection of archives. The fascinating heritage of the is recognised in the two world heritage sites that partly fall within the Shropshire unitary area: The Ironbridge Gorge and and Canal, along with The Flaxmill Maltings, the world's first -framed building, paving the way for modern skyscrapers. Shropshire also has the third highest number of listed buildings and registered parks and gardens in the country, and over a hundred conservation areas.

There are many museums and heritage attractions, including RAF Museum Cosford, Railway, Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Ludlow Castle, Shrewsbury Castle, Attingham Park, Dudmaston Hall, Oswestry Hillfort, Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd.

Significant sporting facilities include a 10,000-seat stadium, which is the home of Shrewsbury Town Football Club, Ludlow Racecourse and Lilleshall National Sports Centre.

Cultural vibrancy flows across Shropshire, from the distinctive county town of Shrewsbury with its major cultural assets, including Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery and Shrewsbury Market, to its sixteen market towns, each with fascinating culture and heritage, active cultural communities and distinctive stories to tell.

Farming diversification has nurtured a high-quality artisan food and drink sector, which in turn supports a highly independent retail and leisure offer for residents and visitors supported through food markets and food festivals.

Bordering Wales, with good connections to major cities in the north, south, west and the Midlands, Shropshire has an enterprising and independent spirit that manifests in higher than average numbers of small businesses and self-employed people, and strong arts, music and creative industries, heritage, leisure and visitor economies - many with potential for growth. There’s a rich diversity of arts provision, in particular visual arts and theatre, and the county is home to both locally and nationally significant organisations, venues and festivals supporting local artistic talent and attracting national and international artists. There’s also a vibrant community events and festivals programme, with hundreds of regular cultural activities in Shropshire’s annual events calendar, engaging large numbers of people and attracting inward investment.

There’s also a vibrant cultural community, with many dedicated volunteers driving a rich and varied culture offer across the entire county.” http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/vibrant-shropshire