Response due October 1, 2026
LakeCounty
problem
Lake County already has what people travel for. What it lacks is one system that helps visitors discover it, plan a longer stay, and return.
Lakes and internationally known trout water create distinct reasons to visit.
Year-round residents hold the knowledge that must shape the brand.
Fewer than 80 traditional lodging rooms make itinerary design and regional stays central to the strategy.
No unified tourism brand leaves room for one shared identity, visitor platform, and measurable campaign.
Lakes and internationally known trout water create distinct reasons to visit.
Year-round residents hold the knowledge that must shape the brand.
Fewer than 80 traditional lodging rooms make itinerary design and regional stays central to the strategy.
No unified tourism brand leaves room for one shared identity, visitor platform, and measurable campaign.
Pere Marquette and trout country
Turn a reason to arrive into a plan for the day.
Research will define priority audiences and the questions that bring them here: where to fish, paddle, launch, stay, and continue. Those needs shape the site architecture, content model, and trip-planning tools.
More than 300 miles across the county
Use the trail network to extend stays and seasons.
Operator offers, trail conditions, route guidance, events, and seasonal stories become one useful campaign calendar rather than a series of isolated posts.
Idlewild, past and present
Let Idlewild's stewards define how its history is shared.
Listening sessions, content review, archival interpretation, and clear approval ownership protect the history while giving current residents space to define what visitors encounter now.
Blessing of the Bikes and local traditions
Turn a signature event into wider local spending.
An interactive calendar, suggested loops, merchant offers, coordinated messaging, and optional kiosk-to-phone handoffs connect marquee events to the rest of Lake County.
One connected visitor system
Make every reason to come lead to the next.
One shared brand organizes Lake County's many attractions. The website helps visitors plan. The campaign creates timely reasons to travel. Kiosks and partner tools carry the same system into the county. Measurement shows what leads to longer stays and return trips.
One system from identity to action
Start with the people, assets, audiences, and decisions.
Stakeholder sessions, visitor research, an asset inventory, and peer analysis establish what Lake County can credibly own and how success will be measured.
Test two creative directions, then build one useful identity.
An original name, logo, tagline, palette, type system, voice, and image language are tested across signage, advertising, digital channels, and visitor materials.
Connect the story people see to the trip they can plan.
Target markets, campaign tools, destination pages, an interactive calendar, accessible components, stable short links, analytics, and optional QR access form the operating core.
Carry the system into the county and leave staff ready to run it.
Two kiosk concepts, build recommendations, social and email templates, flyers, billboards, two training sessions, documentation, and 30 days of support complete the handoff.
Arrive / stay / return May to OctoberPeak seasonNovember to AprilOff-season
Create a visual world people recognize before they see the name.
Travel Oregon showed how distinctive creative can increase attention and site traffic. Lake County needs an unmistakable idea rather than a collection of interchangeable scenic claims.
Turn attention into a clear reason to visit now.
Priority drive markets, specific itineraries, lodging realities, partner offers, and measurable landing pages connect the campaign to an actual trip.
Build winter into experiences people can choose.
Tasmania's Off Season program packaged hundreds of operator experiences. Lake County can connect trail conditions, fireside stays, fishing, food, and community events into ready-to-use itineraries.
Measure what happens after the impression.
Site visits, itinerary saves, event actions, partner referrals, optional kiosk scans, return visits, email growth, and operator reporting show which activity creates useful local demand.
Outcomes reported by other tourism organizations show how distinctive creative, market testing, and bookable experiences can be evaluated. They are reference points, not Lake County projections.
A twelve-month path from listening to launch
Listen and map
Months 1 to 3: kickoff, stakeholder plan, resident and operator sessions, visitor and market research, asset inventory, competitive review, analytics baseline, and decision criteria.
Define and design
Months 3 to 6: positioning, message architecture, at least two identity directions, testing, selected identity, guidelines, voice, imagery, and initial applications.
Build and activate
Months 6 to 10: campaign plan and templates, website UX and content, development, interactive calendar, optional kiosk-to-phone access, kiosk directions, fabrication recommendations, security, and QA.
Launch and transfer
Months 10 to 12: content entry, accessibility checks, two training sessions, documentation, launch, analytics dashboard, partner activation, 30-day support, and optimization plan.
- Oct 7
- Finalists informed
- Week of Oct 12
- In-person interviews
- Nov 13
- Selection and contract target
- Dec 4
- Kickoff target
$130K working allocation
A mid-range response inside the stated $100,000 to $150,000 budget. The formal proposal should clarify subcontractor markups, travel assumptions, maintenance, optional services, hourly rates, and exclusions.
Working payment schedule: 25% contract and kickoff, 25% research and strategy approval, 25% identity approval, 15% build completion, 10% launch and handoff.
Total / $130,000The right team for the whole route
Bryan Kluge
Creative direction, design, identity, narrative systems, presentation, and senior client collaboration. Experience includes The New York Times and Amazon.
Lead creativeTourism and public-sector lead
Prime or senior partner with comparable non-metro destination work, procurement experience, stakeholder facilitation, and three verifiable commissioned examples.
Confirm before submissionMarketing strategist
Audience research, drive-market planning, media, campaign measurement, partner activation, and annual KPI framework.
Confirm before submissionDeveloper and QA lead
CMS selection, structured events, accessible front-end, security, performance, analytics, training, documentation, and launch support.
Confirm before submissionPartner strength is the submission gate.
The RFP scores experience and portfolio at 55%. This concept demonstrates the proposed thinking and design standard, but it does not replace the required three comparable commissioned projects, references, named personnel, insurance information, conflicts statement, and live URLs. Proceed only when a credible tourism or public-sector partner closes that gap.