Travel South Dakota is requesting proposals from qualified agencies that provide professional marketing and advertising services. Travel South Dakota intends to work with collaborative agency partners in the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive marketing programs to promote South Dakota as a travel destination to regional, national and international markets..
The South Dakota Office of Procurement Management (SD OPM) facilitates the collection of responses online. All proposals must be complete and received by Travel South Dakota by February 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CT.
To access the SD OPM system and review the RFP, visit their homepage and search for RFP # 25RFP15823, or follow this link to the Posting Board of the Central Bid Exchange. The RFP may also be found via this link:
Request for Proposals
For
Marketing Services
RFP #25RFP15823
Deadline to Submit Proposals:
Friday, February 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT
Offerors may submit inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities (Friday, January 16, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CST). Questions must be emailed to South Dakota Secretary of Tourism James D. Hagen at [email protected] with the subject line “Questions about RFP #25RFP15823”.
Travel South Dakota will respond to offeror’s questions/inquiries (if required) via email. In addition, all questions/inquiries and the State’s responses will be posted on the state’s procurement system. Offerors may not rely upon any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter specifications, terms, or conditions of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.
The deadline for submitting inquiries or questions is Friday, January 16, 2026 (5:00 p.m. CT).
1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-125 | 126-148
Questions & Answers
#1
Q: Is the proposal limited to 75 pages whether you respond to just one component or to multiple/all?
A: The proposal is limited to 75 pages whether you are responding to one component or to multiple components.
#2
Q: Do you have a historic perspective (or directional guidance) on the breakout of the $14m estimated budget and the split between 'agency services' and 'working media hard cost'?
A: Here is a quick budget breakdown for you that covers our state fiscal year of 2023-2026:
FY23-FY26
Strategic/Account Management: 11%
Production: 10%
Media: 76%
Ad Tech: 3%
#3
Q: While the stated purpose of RFP #25RFP15823 to identify the most qualified agency or agencies to execute all aspects of the South Dakota Department of Tourism’s / Travel South Dakota’s marketing objectives is clear, I would appreciate additional information regarding how many agencies are expected to be considered and ultimately awarded the opportunity to work with the South Dakota Department of Tourism / Travel South Dakota, as the language of the RFP suggests that multiple agencies may be selected as partners.
A:
- This is a wide-open RFP. We have no preconceived ideas, notions or ideas about any agency. We are simply looking for the BEST agencies who are committed to hard work and excellence.
- We currently work with five different marketing agencies, each handling one or multiple components of our work (the same components laid out in the RFP).
- We may continue to work with multiple agencies once we have made final decisions OR we may choose just one agency who we believe can handle all components. Again, we are looking for the best and most talented team(s). We may find that in one or multiple agencies.
- Bring your A-game!
#4
Q: As for being invited to submit a proposal, do we need a formal invitation applied to our ESM profile? And if so, do I need to reach out to the Procurement Office or can your team authorize that?
A: You don’t need our permission or invitation (or the state’s) to be eligible to bid or respond. You also don't have to register (I know the state’s procurement site can be very confusing). Please find the RFP at this link: https://sdvisit.com/rfp.
#5
Q: Is there a current incumbent agency or agencies supporting Travel South Dakota across any of the components outlined in the RFP?
A: Yes, we have incumbent agencies overseeing all components outlined in the RFP.
#6
Q: How does Travel South Dakota define success from a broader economic impact perspective? Are there specific economic development or local impact KPIs that tourism marketing is measured against?
A: We look at the growth of the tourism promotion tax, growth in Historic Deadwood gaming revenues, BBB and BID tax growth in SD communities, general sale tax growth at the state and local levels, and hotel occupancy rates, to name a few. Please see pages 13-14 of the RFP for additional background.
#7
Q: From your perspective, what do you most want the world to understand about South Dakota that they may not fully see or appreciate today?
A: 1. A better understanding of our incredible national and state parks 2. Our vibrant Arts & Culture scene. 3. Our rich Old West, pioneer and Indigenous culture and history 4. Our expanding culinary scene 4. The incredible outdoor scenery and activities available in the state.
#8
Q: Who do you see as the core visitor to South Dakota today, and which audiences do you believe represent the greatest opportunity for growth moving forward?
A: Core audiences include families, retirees, adventurous couples with no children in the home. Please see the top of page 13 in the RFP for more information about marketing, research, core audiences (all found on SDVisit.com).
#9
Q: If the RFP results in multiple Agencies of Record rather than a single AOR, will there be a designated lead agency or primary point of contact at Travel South Dakota? How has inter-agency collaboration worked in practice in the past?
A: Yes, there is one lead agency, but the Travel South Dakota team is actively involved in day-to-day oversight. We have had excellent collaboration in the past between multiple agencies because we work hard to foster it.
#10
Q: To help inform scope and cost assumptions, approximately how many major creative campaigns are developed in a typical year across the various components?
A: We have many, including peak season, shoulder season, winter, fishing, hunting as well as niche campaigns centered around our stewardship Forever 605 initiative, Arts & Culture, and Indigenous experiences. There are also 15 community cooperative marketing campaigns our departments oversees and takes the lead on. In 2025, we had 32 different campaigns. An agency can expect 25-35 per year, depending on how an agency approaches campaign setups or the number of participating co-op partners. Most likely, one can expect 30+ custom, opti-channel campaigns with varying investments and numerous placements.
#11
Q: When evaluating experience, does Travel South Dakota consider the prior experience of individual team members in addition to the agency's overall experience?
A: Yes.
#12
Q: What’s one thing about working with Travel South Dakota that agencies often don’t expect until they’re in it?
A: We are extremely passionate, collaborative, responsive, professional, bring lots of marketing experience to the table and demand excellence.
#13
Q: We’re curious: what do you personally love most about South Dakota, and where do you see the greatest opportunity for the state’s tourism story to grow over the next few years?
A: I love that we have a plethora of experiences to share, including many hidden gems. The responses we hear over and over from visitors are the following 1. We had no idea your state was so beautiful 2. We had no idea there was so much to see and do. 3. We should have spent more days/time in your state.
#14
Q: In Component 1, in the last bullet on page 25 where it states to develop a peak-season campaign: are you looking for spec creative in addition to media/strategy recommendations and budget?
A: Yes, correct.
#15
Q: Similarly for Component 2, in the last bullet on page 26 where it states to develop three peak-season marketing campaigns: are you looking for spec creative in addition to media/strategy recommendations and budget?
A: Yes, correct.
#16
Q: In Component 9, does the budget outlined on page 24 include printing costs as well? Or would those costs be above and beyond/in a different project scope/sourced by TSD directly?
A: The budget is for content production and creative design of the vacation guide as well as creating the eGuide. We contract the printing separately.
#17
Budget and cost structure
Q 17A: Please confirm whether the stated $350,000 PR budget is intended to cover agency fees only, or both agency fees and hard costs (media travel, media blitzes, etc).
A 17A: $350,000 reflects both agency fees and hard costs. This is total PR budget.
Q 17B: Is it possible to share any detail around how the budget has historically been allocated (agency retainer vs events vs press trips, etc)?
A 17B: It has roughly been around 65% spent on retainer/agency fees and the remainder on hard costs.
Q 17C: Please clarify whether media monitoring tool is contracted directly by Travel South Dakota or expected to be included within the agency PR scope and budget. If you are able to share the current tool (and it is a long-term commitment or open to review) it would be greatly appreciated.
A 17C: This has typically been contracted through our PR agency. Tools have varied over the years, and we are not particular as long as it delivers the information we are needing for research and reporting.
#18
Destination immersion tours
Q 18A: How many destination immersion tours are anticipated annually (IE headcount for media hosted)?
A 18A: We typically have 1-2 group trips (2-6 journalists each), including organization of our annual Buffalo Roundup press tour. We have invested more in independent press trips in recent years. Number of independent press trips annually varies by initiative and interest.
Q 18B: Are immersion tours: group tours, individual hosted visits, or a mix?
A 18B: See above (A 18A).
Q 18C: What level of agency responsibility is expected for immersion tours. Media recruitment and itinerary coordination only, or full planning and on site execution?
A 18C: We expect a high level of agency involvement both on the media recruitment and coordination of the trip. On our small group trips, we expect agency representation alongside our staff to further build relationships.
#19
Media events, media blitzes, and event activation
Q 19A: How frequently does Travel South Dakota anticipate media events or media blitzes?
A 19A: Annually.
Q 19B: Which industry events does the PR team for Travel South Dakota typically attend?
A 19B: PRSA, ESTO, Adrian Awards (as needed), Brand USA Travel Week, IPW, occasionally IMM.
Q 19C: Which markets have you historically done Media Blitzs in?
A 19C: New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington D.C.
#20
In-market media relations and partner coordination
Q 20A: What level of in-market media relations is expected, including outreach to regional and local outlets? As a % of overall time and effort, how much emphasis is put on in-state efforts?
A 20A: Our internal team handles all our in-state efforts. Occasionally support is kindly offered by our agency of record, but 95% of the local lift is handled internally.
Q 20B: To what extent is the PR agency expected to coordinate directly with tourism partners, attractions, DMOs, and industry stakeholders statewide?
A 20B: Building relationships is crucial to success. While we are mostly highly engaged with our industry partners, we do find it valuable to have the agency represented and engaged across the state as well. Typically, those conversations are handled in close connection with our internal PR team to facilitate a destination immersion experience, gather story ideas, and fact check.
Q 20C: Is partner coordination expected to be facilitative only, or inclusive of ongoing relationship management and counsel?
A 20C: Primarily facilitative. We do not expect our PR agency of record to serve as PR contacts for our industry members.
#21
Marketing co-op program
Q 21A: Has the marketing co-op program referenced in Section 6.2 previously extended into public relations activity?
A 21A: Not formally. Our PR team works to be an extension of our overall offerings and takes into consideration our niche campaigns and initiatives to leverage those story ideas.
Q 21B: Would Travel South Dakota consider PR aligned co-op participation tied to shared earned media storylines?
A 21B: It is possible.
#22
Q: Hosting - Are they expecting the agency must provide hosting server infrastructure? Or are they asking who you'd partner with? We don't host client websites, that’s more like GoDaddy, Amazon, WPEngine, etc.
A: No, we do not expect the agency itself to provide hosting server infrastructure. Yes, we would like to know who you do or would recommend partnering with for this service.
#23
Q: Is the expectation a redesign/rebuild of both sites, and ongoing optimization of existing sites?
A: No, we do not expect a redesign/rebuild of both sites. TravelSouthDakota.com was rebuilt and relaunched in late July of 2025. We are considering a possible redesign/rebuild of SDVisit.com in 2026. Yes, we do expect ongoing optimization of the existing sites.
#24
Q: What platforms are the current sites built on? What are the pain points?" Can't give migration strategy without knowing current state.
A: The TravelSouthDakota.com site is a decoupled site and site content is maintained via a Drupal CMS. SDVisit.com is not decoupled but is also maintained via Drupal CMS. There are few pain points at this time, although a couple of areas that we are working on refining in the near future are the information request process and fulfillment (data flow) and site search functionality to include possible AI integration.
#25
Q: Maintenance - CMS Updates, Ongoing website maintenance, and managing their training system - this is ongoing and really should be a separate budget (ie. $2,000/mo).
A: Yes, we currently do consider Maintenance to be a separate budget item paid via a standard monthly fee. You are welcome to itemize these elements in your proposal as you see appropriate. Specifics would be handled in the scope of work.
#26
Q: Maintenance - The RFP mentions CMS updates, ongoing website maintenance, and managing the training system. This type of ongoing work is typically structured as a monthly retainer (e.g., $2,000/mo) separate from project-based redesign work. Is that the intended structure, or are you expecting this bundled into the $800k-$1.15M annual figure?
A: Same answer as question above (A 25).
#27
Q: Could you let us know if you are open to a Canadian agency doing similar work with the States of California, Wyoming, Colorado, Michigan etc. and a host of cities across the US or do you have a local preference?
A: Yes, we welcome your submission.
#28
Q: The RFP is directed toward advertising/marketing agencies. Would proposals from other entities be considered if they are not an advertising agency but can fulfill certain components outlined in the RFP?
A: The straightforward answer is maybe. It all depends upon on the component(s) for which you are submitting a proposal. We have worked with established, talented and successful marketing agencies for decades and are seeking that same level of talent with this RFP. With that being said, if you feel your agency is qualified to handle the work of one of our components, we’ll welcome your submission.
#29
Q: What is the expected budget for the initial year of this campaign, for media buying specifically?
A: See page 20 of the RFP, 6.1 Component One: Brand Marketing, for what the department spends annually on its marketing campaigns.
#30
Q: How are you measuring media success today? What are the primary KPIs?
A: BBB tax revenue, tourism promotion tax revenue, Historic Deadwood gaming funds generated, hotel occupancy rates, attributable hotel and flight bookings and booking efficiencies/CPM, hotel and flight search generated plus search CPM, website visits generated, campaign/placement-specific engagement metrics, leads generated, associated post-impression activity, plus brand lift, foot traffic and spending reports, depending on campaign or partner.
#31
Q: Will out-of-state agencies be considered equally, or are there points earned in the scoring process for local agencies?
A: All agency submissions will be considered equally.
#32
Q: Is your incumbent agency welcome to propose on this RFP?
A: Yes.
#33
Q: Can you share the name of your incumbent media agency?
A: We currently work with 5 agencies: Karsh-Hagan, Lawrence & Schiller, Miles Partnership, Love Communications and the Lou Hammond Group.
#34
Q: In the context of out-of-state bidders, what is the extent of in-person marketing needs? Any events (outside those listed in the RFP) that will require in-person attendance? How often would you desire local photo/video shoots?
A: Outside of what is listed in the RFP, there may be events that pop up that will require in-person attendance. Local photo/video shoots will depend upon the creative concept(s) / direction being proposed by the lead creative agency and if that direction requires fresh/new video/photo assets, etc.
#35
Q: Component 1 – Brand Marketing (Q 35-45) --- Does any new campaign work need to fit within any existing brand architecture/identity?
A: No, the agency awarded this component would have the license to help define and evolve our brand architecture, ensuring that our efforts, no matter how many agencies are awarded in the various components, are cohesive and impactful.
#36
Q: Is there appetite to completely replace the existing “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” campaign or should any brand work be considered an extension of this campaign?
A: Yes, we enter this process open to new ideas and committed to strategies that achieve our top-line goals and elevate South Dakota’s brand.
#37
Q: Can we have access to any existing brand perception studies?
A: Yes, past studies are available on our Research & Reports page on SDVisit.com.
#38
Q: Does South Dakota plan to keep existing audience segments (Memory Makers, Moment Seekers, Thrill Chasers, Known Travelers) or does the agency have license to pursue different segments?
A: No, the awarded agency has the license to define and pursue different segments.
#39
Q: If existing audiences still have a place in South Dakota’s plans, are comprehensive audience personas available for reference?
A: Yes—our audience, audience archetype, and audience segments are available in our brand book. Additional information is available in previous webinars posted on our Webinar Series page. Upon award, the agency would have access to extensive audience personas and segments in our CDP.
#40
Q: Does the desire for a new brand identity coincide with any larger social changes in the state’s identity?
A: No, any desire or motivation to continually evaluate and potentially evolve our brand identity is purely driven by our mission to enhance the quality of life for all South Dakotans by strengthening our communities and their tourism economies, encouraging responsible stewardship of our destination, and creating meaningful experiences for all to enjoy.
#41
Q: How have recent socioeconomic changes impacted South Dakota’s approach to tourism, if at all?
A: We’re fortunate that the vast majority of our stakeholders and residents understand the positive impacts of tourism on our state and its importance to local economies. As such, there’s been a history of accountability, strong engagement, and support that exceeds the norm across the country.
#42
Q: It appears that “Nationwide” was removed from the campaign markets list in 2025. Is there a strategic reason for this and should the selected agency expect this to be the case moving forward?
A: Yes, there were strategic reasons for the shift, as we optimized select placements to maximize impact and performance efficiency. National efforts were still maintained through select channels, tactics, and partners. And no, this shift was in response to current market conditions, and our goal is to continue expanding our reach to grow brand awareness.
#43
Q: How do the South Dakota “Passport” programs currently fit into South Dakota’s overall marketing strategy?
A: The Passport program currently serves as a secondary touchpoint for engaged audiences, with the goal of inspiring and incentivizing exploration to all corners of the state, helping us build awareness of lesser-known visitor experiences and advancing our initiative to promote the distribution of visitors across geography and season. Surprisingly, it’s been a valuable tool for engaging locals and stakeholders, helping foster pride in our state and in our work promoting it.
#44
Q: From a media spend perspective, how does South Dakota currently prioritize its experience-specific campaigns (Arts & Culture, Native American Culture, Hunting, and Fishing)?
A: These campaigns are secondary and tertiary to our seasonal brand and co-op campaigns in media spend. They have performed exceptionally well, though, and have warranted discussion about whether some (such as Arts & Culture or Indigenous) should be part of our primary campaigns’ strategy and creative sets.
#45
Q: What third-party data partnerships currently exist that inform audience segmentation and targeting, media performance measurement, and economic impact?
A: We work with Tourism Economics for economic impact, Future Partners and Love Communications for audience insights. Love Communications, ADARA, Datafy and Google Analytics for third-party media performance measurement.
#46
Q: Component 5 – Consumer and Industry Websites (Q 46-51) --- What is the ideal launch date for the new website?
A: We are considering a possible redesign/rebuild of SDVisit.com in 2026. TravelSouthDakota.com was rebuilt and relaunched in July of 2025 and do not expect any rebuild in the immediate future.
#47
Q: Will the relaunch of the website coincide with a rebranding?
A: We would expect a reskin or refresh with a rebranding. We strive to ensure our brand is cohesive across channels and efforts, and that will remain of utmost priority to us.
#48
Q: Are there any essential integrations for CRM, email marketing, or other important functions?
A: Yes, currently Salesforce, BlueConic, Crowdriff, and direct FTP connections on TravelSouthDakota.com; Integrately and Zoho on SDVisit.com. TravelSouthDakota.com is a decoupled site and site content is maintained via a Drupal CMS. SDVisit.com is not decoupled but is also maintained via Drupal CMS.
#49
Q: Is South Dakota able to temporarily share view-only Google Analytics access?
A: Yes, for those agencies that are chosen as finalists, we can grant temporary view-only access.
#50
Q: Beyond the project team, what stakeholders will be involved in the approval process?
A: We’re collaborative as a team, and major project kickoffs or elements (such as in a redesign) would be presented to a broader representation of the Travel South Dakota team. That being said, we understand the need for one voice of truth, and approvals or edits would be handled through a designated project point person.
#51
Q: Once this RFP is awarded, will the current vendor maintain the production website or will the code and CMS be opened up to the new vendor to maintain between award and launch of the new website?
A: The sites would be migrated to the awarded vendor for maintenance and management in collaboration with our current vendor and Travel South Dakota staff. This is relevant for both websites.
#52
Q: Component 8 – Research & Reporting (Q 52-60) --- Can you please provide a title or category list of all research South Dakota Tourism has conducted within the past three (3) years?
A: In this fiscal year, the breakdown is as such:
- Website usability study
- Top Personas study
- ROI, Image and Perception study
- Dashboard integration for visitation and economic impact metrics
- Focus Groups – travel behavior and motivators, destination perceptions, creative testing, competitive testing etc.
- Travel forecasting
- Visitor volume and spending
- Visitor profile
- Economic impact – State and County
- Resident Sentiment – State and Local County/Region
- Geolocation tracking
- Media conversion and attribution
- Market performance study
- Visitor Spending –credit card data
- Hotel data and performance
- Short term rental data and performance
- Campaign engagement metrics and KPI’s
- Campaign bookings and revenue
- Website analytics
#53
Q: Have you engaged outside firms to measure advertising effectiveness and ROAS? Would this be in scope?
A: Yes, we work with several vendors. One of the vendors tracks hotel and flight bookings and revenue by media placement, and another company uses a panel-based survey to measure effectiveness of advertising (and performance by creative showing awareness, intent to travel and overall return on investment).
#54
Q: Increasingly, XXXXXX is using big data analytics to measure and monitor destination reputation sentiment, as well as a consolidated view of ratings and reviews for points of interest throughout the state. Is this of interest to South Dakota Tourism and/or included as part of the research RFP and budget?
A: Yes, this would be of interest, and we would recommend including this as part of the RFP. We will determine if it will be something worth the investment based on how it will provide direction on marketing strategy and likelihood to see a return with increased visitation, length of stay and visitor spending. This can be discussed further during the negotiation phase.
#55
Q: Similarly, XXXXXX Travel Intelligence does extensive resident sentiment research for destinations around the world. Does South Dakota Tourism survey state residents about their understanding and support of the tourism industry to build advocacy for SDT’s efforts, and should we include these capabilities in our submission?
A: Yes. We do measure this for the state and local county/region level. We would suggest including this in the RFP and feel it is an important part of our research portfolio.
#56
Q: For many years, XXXXXX DK Shifflet PERFORMANCE data division provided SDT with visitor volume and spending estimates, as well as state visitor profile information. Is this to be considered part of the scope of work for this RFP and should we detail our capabilities in our submission?
A: We currently work with a vendor to receive visitor volume and spending data annually and rely on this data as part of our overall economic impact reporting. We suggest including this as part of your RFP submission.
#57
Q: In the past three (3) years, which SDT research project investments would your team consider to be the most and least valuable to your organization?
A: Visitor Profile Study, ROI Image and Perception Study, Resident Sentiment Study and Campaign Level Bookings and Revenue performance.
#58
Q: What current third-party measurement providers are being used to measure the effectiveness of media?
A: Adara, Datafy, Google Analytics.
#59
Q: With multiple agencies of record across creative, social, and media, what is the current protocol for data sharing between vendors to ensure all teams are moving in the same direction? Is Component Eight viewed as the central source of truth that partners will look to in an effort to align strategy?
A: We encourage data sharing and collaboration across all agencies regardless of which components they are selected for. However, it will be critical for the agency selected for Component 8 to have a proven track record of working collaboratively with various research partners, collaboration across agencies, ability to show their expertise in custom research and analysis, and most importantly, show how that research was used to deliver results.
#60
Q: Which metric(s) are currently used to ultimately determine the success of campaign efforts? How are these results communicated to all stakeholders?
A: A number of results are used together to show a true picture of success. For example, we will monitor monthly visitation and spending data such as hotel performance, park visitation, length of stay, geolocation data, and taxable sales collections but also use that in conjunction with marketing engagement metrics such as CTR, return on ad spend, cost per click, post impression rate and video completion rate. We feel it is important to monitor both to get a true measure of campaign success.
#61
Q: Of the capabilities outlined in Component Eight (8), which are considered to be the highest priority to accomplish first?
A: The first priority would be to ensure the selected agency can provide tracking and reporting of all campaign elements as well as other aspects required to manage and measure results of an integrated marketing campaign. We know this will involve collaboration across multiple agencies, but the vendor selected for component 8 would be responsible for coordinating this effort.
#62
Q: Which responsibilities are expected to be led by the chosen partner versus supported or informed by others?
A: Market analysis, psychographic analysis, focus groups, determining the motivation and influences for consumers and conducting monthly meetings to share findings and emerging trends across all agency partners would be led by the chosen partner.
#63
Q: Is there an existing cadence or forum where cross-agency insights are shared today?
A: Yes, through shared interactive dashboards and weekly meetings with all agencies.
#64
Q: Is the historical budget amount intended to support always-on research functions, or is it specific to campaigns or one-time initiatives?
A: A combination of both. Primarily for always on research and reporting but would have the ability for an increased budget above this level for special one-time initiatives for additional studies as needed.
#65
Q: How does Travel South Dakota define success for Component Eight (8) in the first 12 months?
A: Success within the first year would be to have a strong foundation for campaign performance tracking, in-depth consumer insights that inform marketing strategy decisions, and strong collaboration and information sharing across agencies. We also see a measure of success by the level of trust in the research provided across agency staff, our internal team and our industry stakeholders.
#66
Q: For sections that include both national and global campaign components, can proposers bid solely on the U.S. (domestic) portion of the scope if that aligns with their operational capabilities? The RFP mentions that awards may be made to multiple agencies, so we want to ensure we are adhering to your intent for how partial section participation may be structured.
A: Yes, that is fine.
#67
Q: In addition to the RFP itself, are there any other documents that need to be filled out from "Appendices" or "Attachments"?
A: No.
#68
Q: Creative Assets: To what extent will the winning agency be expected to utilize existing creative assets versus developing entirely new brand concepts for the July 1, 2026, start date?
A: We understand that there will be a transition period, and we have existing media plans in place that will run through the summer, allowing for a grace period as any new agency comes online. We can be patient, as what we’ll value most is doing the work needed to go to market right with anything new.
#69
Q: AI Integration: Regarding Section 5.8, does the State currently have any specific legal or ethical restrictions on the use of Generative AI for final creative deliverables that we should be aware of when drafting our policy?
A: Here is our state Bureau of Information and Technology’s guidelines for reference “State of South Dakota Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines & Acceptable State Use.”
#70
Q: Retainer vs. Project Fees: Beyond the confirmed monthly fee for website maintenance, does the Department prefer a fixed monthly 'management retainer' for all other components, or a 100% hourly billing model against approved SOWs?
A: We currently use and prefer a monthly management fee.
#71
Q: Budget Fluctuations: Since the budget is dependent on tourism promotion tax and gaming revenues rather than the general fund, what is the historical frequency and margin of budget adjustments mid-fiscal year?
A: Historically, they have been minor, 0-3% at most.
#72
Q: Media Handling: Section 6.0 states the agency must have the financial capacity to purchase media without advance payment. Is there a standard timeframe for the State to reimburse the agency after receiving a signed state voucher and itemized invoice?
A: We prefer net 60 for invoicing, but our state payment system typically processes payments in 14-21 days from receipt.
#73
Q: Early 2025 estimates showed a significant drop in Canadian traffic due to political friction, new visa fees, and a 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Regarding the reported 20% decline in Canadian visitation in 2025, to what extent does the Department expect the new partner to prioritize international recovery versus domestic market expansion in 2026?
A: As international visitation typically accounts for 2% of our totals, domestic market expansion would be the priority and the best opportunity to offset fluctuations in our international markets.
#74
Q: In light of current 'cautious' consumer spending patterns, does the Department have a preferred messaging framework for 'value-driven' travel that maintains the premium nature of the South Dakota brand?
A: Yes, we like to present South Dakota as undiscovered and a hidden gem, as a world-class outdoors and road-trip destination.
#75
Q: How does the Department define the primary barriers to conversion for 'high intent' travelers who have not yet booked?
A: Besides conducting annual economic impact and advertising ROI studies to help identify, we also launched an ongoing online focus group research project that allows us to continue identifying and defining those barriers across strategy, creative, reputation, competition, and other factors. We also work closely with a vendor who supplies a monthly survey to a representative sample of U.S. travelers regarding their top deterrents to travel to South Dakota as well as a brand identity index ranked against our competitors.
#76
Q: Does South Dakota have any pre-existing plans for the 2026 U.S. 250th Anniversary that we should be aware of?
A: This America 250 page on TravelSouthDakota.com is a good resource for what’s currently planned and for any other events or efforts that come online. Our department is also tasked with coordinating and overseeing the official America250-sanctioned fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3. We are partnering with the U.S. Dept of Interior and the National Park service on this event.
We won’t have a dedicated paid media campaign centered around America250.
#77
Q: What locations does the Department consider to be primary competitors?
A: We encourage you to check out our prior research on SDVisit.com for competitor analysis and comparisons.
#78
Q: What have your past influencer efforts been? What was successful? What could be improved?
A: Our past influencer efforts have focused on creating authentic experiences that showcase the diversity of South Dakota. We host several individual influencer trips each year, ranging from traditional travel creators to niche influencers in areas like fishing, hunting, and outdoor adventure. These partnerships allow us to reach targeted audiences who are passionate about specific aspects of South Dakota. We also prioritize dispersing influencers throughout the entire state to highlight the wide range of destinations and experiences available beyond the most well-known attractions.
Our most successful efforts have come from creating authentic, immersive experiences that allow influencers to genuinely connect with South Dakota and share that passion organically through their content.
We are always looking to improve our influencer vetting process and open to different platforms to accurately pinpoint audience demos, account growth, engagement rate, etc. We could also do better at integrating relevant influencer content into our owned branded channels.
#79
Q: How should the proposed scope of work balance traditional 'destination marketing' with the newer 'destination stewardship' initiatives, such as the Forever 605 campaign?
A: The traditional campaigns are a priority, while our Forever 605 campaign is secondary and targeted to visitors in South Dakota and to residents.
#80
Q: Beyond the 16+ DMOs mentioned in Component Two, what is the Department's biggest pain point regarding 'cooperative marketing' integration across the state’s diverse regions?
A: Getting brand image and video assets for all partners and seasons.
#81
Q: What does 'operational excellence' look like for your ideal agency partner?
A: Clear, timely communication with the client and any other potential agency partners, fostering the collaborative spirit we prioritize.
Responsive, detailed, and collaborative account leads that effectively bridge clients with internal teams. Consistency in core team members.
Clear and accurate billing that aligns with the detailed Scope of Works and approved media calendars. Up-to-date billing tracker that includes both SOW and media calendars and is available to key client team members.
Vigilant monitoring of both campaign performance and internal processes to maximize results and minimize fraud or waste. Optimizations and insights are ongoing and actionable in the moment, with no surprises in the End-of-Campaign report.
Award-winning and innovative creative that’s presented weeks in advance of ship dates to allow for review time and potential edits. Creative is thoughtful and feels representative of the brand.
#82
Q: Your 2022-2025 strategic plan outlines the desire for a stronger partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). Is this still a goal going forward? Are there co-advertising opportunities with GOED?
A: Yes, we’ve found that we’re stronger together and especially value our current partnership with our Game, Fish and Parks department, which has led to some truly impactful campaigns that leverage the resources and strengths of both organizations. We look forward to exploring shared goals and strategies that could lead to partner efforts, even if simply sharing resources like consumer insights or communicating ongoing efforts to start.
#83
Q: Regarding the Department’s mission to encourage 'responsible stewardship of our destination' and the goal of 'responsible destination management,' could the Department provide further clarity on the strategic priority between these two areas:
○ Environmental Sustainability: Is the focus primarily on promoting low-impact travel, 'Leave No Trace' principles, and the preservation of natural resources/parks?
○ Economic/Product Diversification (Agritourism): Is the focus more on the 'expansion of markets' and 'destination development' through niche sectors like agritourism to support rural communities and strengthen local economies?
A: We launched our stewardship campaign in 2023 and encourage you to visit Forever605.com, plus our industry-focused page on SDVisit.com for more on how this serves to align visitors, residents and the industry behind the campaign pillars for the benefit of South Dakota and our resources for future generations. We are also prioritizing sustainability through the targeting of high quality-visitors, prioritizing length of stay over volume, and distribution of those visitors to all areas in the state – including our more rural communities. And yes, we see agritourism as a way to positively impact rural communities and economies while expanding the state’s product offering. Both are ongoing priorities.
#84
Q: Does Travel South Dakota anticipate awarding multiple components to a single agency of record where appropriate, or is the Department intentionally seeking a distributed, multi-agency model across components?
A: We do not have a predetermined agency model. The RFP is structured to secure the best talent for each program, whether that results in one- or multi-agency awards based on what best serves our needs.
#85
Q: For components involving creative development and brand marketing, how does Travel South Dakota envision the balance of creative leadership between internal staff and the selected agency(ies)? Are agencies expected to proactively evolve campaign creative year over year, or primarily execute within an established creative framework?
A: Our team will be a resource and partner in that process and ultimately provide final approval; otherwise, we will look to the awarded agency to proactively lead the evolution of the Travel South Dakota brand and the campaigns created within that architecture, working with all teams to ensure this work is cohesive across channels.
#86
Q: For components that include media planning and purchasing, does the Department have preferred media partners, buying platforms, or contractual structures already in place, or should agencies assume full responsibility for negotiating, placing, and managing media buys?
A: The agency can assume full responsibility, and if, in the select case, there is any partner or preference on our behalf, the agency can trust that it will be a collaborative part of any discussion.
#87
Q: Can you clarify how Travel South Dakota currently integrates research, analytics, and reporting across agencies and vendors? Is there an existing dashboard or data environment that agencies will be expected to plug into, or should respondents propose their own reporting frameworks?
A: We are looking to the agency awarded Component Eight to provide tracking and reporting of all campaign elements by making available a tool that connects with various vendors and systems for a central reporting system, and expect that agency to work with any others to ensure their information is piped in.
Currently, we have much of that information centralized in a single dashboard managed by our research agency, though each partner maintains their own reporting system for their own use and preference that the Travel South Dakota teams access. The various agencies currently collaborate on a consistent nomenclature for third-party measurement.
#88
Q: Beyond the meetings and conferences outlined in the RFP, are there anticipated expectations for additional in-state travel or embedded working sessions during the contract term?
A: It is dependent on the component one is submitting for. For components one, two, three, and six, we would say yes between content productions or shoots, co-op partner planning meetings, and media hostings, though those special projects can be reimbursed or billed to our account as work on our behalf. Otherwise, we do our best to schedule cross-agency, full-team working sessions where appropriate around the meetings and conference outlined.
#89
Q: When evaluating cost proposals, will greater emphasis be placed on hourly rates, retainers, media commission structures, or overall value and flexibility across components?
A: Overall value and flexibility, understanding that we should see some differentiation in the other elements between agencies, reflected in that.
#90
Q: How do you divide budget among the nine separate initiatives, as outlined in the RFP?
A: The budget is determined yearly by the Travel South Dakota team based on overall strategy, projects, and goals for the upcoming year. Historically, we have not seen large fluctuations or swings in that breakdown.
#91
Q: May a full-service agency pitch for solely Brand Marketing, Co-Op Marketing, Email Marketing, Print Guides, and Research, and what would be the fee structure?
A: Yes! We would still ask that you provide a detailed budget, including spend, fees, and production costs, for each component you respond to. We encourage you to show in your response where any efficiencies or savings are achieved by having multiple components, and how they may differ if only one were awarded.
#92
Q: May we include additional agency experience outside of the 3-5 year range?
A: Yes! We encourage you to do so.
#93
Q: We are a Florida-based agency with extensive travel experience, but would our location disqualify us?
A: No.
#94
Q: Is work-related travel costs (meetings, presentations, shoots, etc.) reimbursable to the agency?
A: Yes, if not a pre-determined or key meeting/event as stated on page 17 of the RFP.
#95
Q: Is it acceptable to partner with a PR agency, or would it be considered a separate contract?
A: If the agency chooses to partner with another agency with the intent to supplement the responding agency’s capabilities, we view that relationship as any other the agency might have with a media partner or vendor. The supporting agency’s contract and payment for services must be directly with the awarded agency, and all costs must be incorporated and identified in the replying agency’s proposal. We must have one contract for the awarded agency that submitted the RFP.
#96
Q: What is the typical billing cadence and payment timeline (Net 30, Net 60, Net 90)?
A: We prefer net 60 for invoicing, but our state payment system typically processes payments in 14-21 days from receipt.
#97
Q: How does Travel South Dakota balance drive vs fly markets, especially given rising travel costs and airline capacity volatility?
A: It depends on our campaign goals, whether we’re looking to expand into fly markets over existing drive markets, and on various economic factors and consumer sentiment. We take all this into account when planning the campaign and optimize as needed throughout the campaign’s schedule, adjusting to ensure we’re meeting goals and performance KPIs, while balancing the steady, multi-year commitment needed in growth markets.
#98
Q: Are international markets currently active, and if so, which countries?
A: Yes, we currently partner with Brand USA and use many of their co-op programs for our paid international efforts. This fiscal year, we are in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Australia and Ireland.
Through our Great American West partnership, our Travel/Trade efforts target the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Benelux Region, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
#99
Q: What level of media innovation is encouraged?
A: We know we’re not a Top 10 U.S. travel destination (not yet anyway!). We’re also not easy to get to. And we have a reputation for being cold. So, without the budget or the reputation of a Top 10 destination (or an international airport with numerous direct flights) as competitive advantages, we have to be innovative to be impactful.
We have challenges, but also something special that some people have no idea about. We’re looking for an agency partner who welcomes that and is ready to be scrappy and get creative to help lift our brand and achieve our goals.
#100
Q: Does Travel South Dakota subscribe to or own research tools of their own (Arrivalist, etc)?
A: Yes. We currently subscribe to Datafy, Key Data, STR/CoStar, Symphony, SATS+ State of the American Traveler and ADARA Impact.
#101
Q: What type of dashboards do you currently use for reporting?
A: Across our various agencies and some partners, we currently use dashboards built on the Amplify, Tableau, and Looker Studio platforms. We also utilize GA4, Google Ads, ADARA and Datafy.
#102
Q: Do you have a full-funnel media mix model?
A: No, we currently do not.
#103
Q: When asking for a campaigns/concepts – are you looking for full blown campaigns and plans or just high level concept and comms/media strategy?
A: We want to see thoughtful campaigns/plans that help us understand the inputs that led to the strategy and the campaign's components, while allowing responding agencies to differentiate themselves, so would encourage more full-blown campaigns.
#104
Q: Is an out-of-state agency okay? Do you have any geographic constraints?
A: Yes, an out-of-state agency is totally okay. We have no geographic restraints.
#105
Q: Would there be favorability for a woman/minority owned business?
A: We welcome all businesses to apply.
#106
Q: What email and web hosting do you use?
A: Salesforce is currently used for email. AWS is currently used for web hosting.
#107
Q: What’s your current email strategy? How is it used? How do you segment? What platform do you use?
A: Our eCRM strategy is robust and successful. We have several segments, including interest-based, community cooperative marketing partner sends, event-focused, engagement history, and more. Our current AOR uses Salesforce for both consumer and industry eCRM.
#108
Q: Is this a mandatory review?
A: Yes.
#109
Q: Do you anticipate (or would your preference be) naming a single agency across efforts or multiple agencies across multiple components?
A: We are open to a single agency or multiple agencies. We currently work with five different agencies, located both out-of-state and in-state.
#110
Q: Are certain capabilities or components weighted more heavily in the evaluation process?
A: Not necessary, but we are looking for a well-rounded, reputable, experienced and financially stable marketing partners.
#111
Q: What words would you use to describe your ideal partner?
A: Professional, creative, collaborative, communicative, smart, insightful, hardworking, fun and always striving for excellence.
#112
COMPONENT TWO: Coop Marketing & Management
Q 112A: Do you envision the target markets to remain similar to the ones outlined in the 2025 Coop Marketing Program Booklet?
A 112A: Kansas City is primary for us, so you can add both Kansas and Missouri to that map and remove Oregon.
Q 112B: What DSP is currently being utilized?
A 112B: Currently, a few different platforms are utilized, including DV360 and Meta.
Q 112C: What audience groups (as noted in the Coop Marketing Program Booklet) are being targeted?
A 112C: Please see our 2025 Marketing Campaign page or Brand Standards on our industry site.
#113
COMPONENT FOUR: Email Marketing Program
Q 113A: What email platform do you currently use for your campaigns?
A 113A: Salesforce.
Q 113B: Can you give us an idea how large your lists are, what segmentation looks like & how often you currently send to the various lists?
A 113B: The consumer list size is approximately 380K. Several audience segments including interest and engagement based. We also incorporate cooperative marketing messaging through our partners into sends as well. There are sometimes three sends per week to the various consumer audiences. Messaging to our industry audience averages 3-4 sends per month.
Q 113C: Can you share a breakdown of email “hard costs” vs production costs in your current model?
A 113C: 9-10% of the budget for this component is currently dedicated to the strategy retainer the remainder to production and development.
Q 113D: Specifically for email, what are your main success metrics? IE: growing list size, engagement, specific conversions?
A 113D: Growing list and segmented list sizes; engagement with new and existing subscribers, fostering travel planning behavior like clicks to TravelSouthDakota.com and SDVisit.com for further engagement onsite and with our guides; amplification and intent-based actions with initiatives and promotions like our South Dakota Stories podcast or videos and Passport program; Open and Click-to-Open rates.
#114
COMPONENT FIVE: Consumer Website & Industry Website
Q 114A: The current sites are built within the Drupal and WordPress content management systems. Are you open to other content management platforms based on current best practices?
A 114A: Yes, all options can be considered. However, with a recent relaunch of TravelSouthDakota.com, we are comfortable with the CMS.
Q 114B: Is hosting expected to remain where it is currently hosted or be transitioned to the agency selected?
A 114B: Once the RFP is complete, this can be discussed between Travel South Dakota and the relevant parties. Also, see answer to question #51. RFP - Marketing Services | South Dakota Tourism Industry
Q 114C: What third-party integrations are currently in place?
A 114C: See answer to question #48. RFP - Marketing Services | South Dakota Tourism Industry
Q 114D: Are there any known constraints related to security, compliance, or state-owned infrastructure we need to account for?
A 114D: Short-listed agencies for website and eCRM will need to review documents and guidance from the State of South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology as part of the RFP process.
Q 114E: What is the current cadence for ongoing optimizations (weekly, monthly, quarterly)?
A 114E: Weekly.
#115
Q: What results or performance data is available on international travel to South Dakota, and, in particular, from Canada? This could include overall percentage of visitors, visitor spend and target audience segmentation differences (i.e., larger percentage of families with children).
A: In 2025, spending by international visitors made up roughly 2% share of our total visitor spend of $5.16B. International travel spending in South Dakota declined 6.8% in 2025. When looking at visitation volume, Canada makes up 52% of total international visitation with overseas markets making up 47% and Mexico 1%. Top overseas markets include UK 5.3%, Germany 3.4%, Australia, 3.3% and Spain 3%. Last year, visitation from Canada/Mexico declined 19.4% and overseas markets declined 1.9%. For South Dakota, Canada is expected to grow 6.5% in the next 5 years and visitation from overseas markets is expected to increase by 4.9%.
#116
Q: Of the overall visitors and travel spend, what percentage or overall composition are in-state travelers vs. out-of-state travelers?
A: In-state visitation is around 52% / out of state is around 48%.
#117
Q: Comparing three audience segments, what percentage of overall visitation and spend is attributed to each of the segments? If such data is not available, can you detail generally how each segment contributes to the overall economic impact and how that impact has shifted over the last three years?
A: While we don’t have visitation, spending or economic impact segmented by our target markets, we can share some findings with generational segments. Boomers currently make up the majority of our visitation with 34.5% share, followed by Millennials at 24.3%, Gen X 23.3% and lastly Gen Z at 17.9%.
#118
Q: Historically, what percentage of paid media investment has gone to in-state vs. out-of-state?
A: Historically, our in-state spending is around 15% of our paid media spend.
#119
Q: If there are Components that we don’t wish to compete for, where is the best place to indicate that – in the Executive Summary or somewhere else?
A: You don’t need to indicate any you are not competing for. You can simply respond to the components for which you are bidding. You may also indicate that in your Executive Summary.
#120
Q: In areas of question overlap, given the page limit, can we point back to previous sections where we feel the question has been thoroughly answered? (An example – in component four, the RFP asks “Describe your experience with or understanding both the travel and tourism consumer audience and tourism industry audiences” – we expect to have covered this thoroughly in earlier sections.
A: Yes, totally fine.
#121
Q: The RFP states that one of Travel South Dakota’s goals is to advocate for responsible destination management (which we love); are there specific campaigns geared towards this goal currently?
A: Yes, please see SDVisit.com and TravelSouthDakota.com to learn more about our Forever 605 stewardship program. Simply typing Forever 605 in the search engines on both sites will take you to this award-winning campaign.
#122
Q: In section 6.8, the RFP notes that traditionally Travel South Dakota has “spent around $500,000 annually, inclusive of all media and production costs” in the research and reporting component - does the $500K figure also include data collection costs (e.g. panel costs, interview incentives, etc.)?
A: Yes. The $500k is an average of what we have budgeted and includes the entire cost of our research efforts. The panel costs, incentives and other data to support the research efforts have been contracted by the agencies with a 3rd party (such as consumer panel company) who they generally use and trust. Keep in mind, in cases where we feel there is a need for a custom study or research project, we are able to invest more if we feel that it is necessary.
#123
Q: In section 6.9, the RFP notes that traditionally Travel South Dakota has “spent around $50,000 to $100,000 annually, inclusive of all media and production costs” in the vacation guide and print guide production component - does that amount also include the actual printing costs?
A: See answer to question #16 in the Q&A section. RFP - Marketing Services | South Dakota Tourism Industry
#124
Q: When responding to the point-by-point questions in section 7, would you prefer that respondents follow the same order of bulleted questions, or can we reorder for purposes of narrative flow?
A: You can reorder to better fit your flow.
#125
Q: In section 7.8, when providing reporting examples, is it acceptable to redact the data (or some of the data)? We recognize that there is a platform for marking portions of response as confidential but would appreciate the chance to insure confidentiality for our clients if possible.
A: Yes. We are fine with this.
#126
Q: Are there any social media channels that are currently off limits (TikTok or others)?
A: Tik Tok is currently off limits.
#127
Q: If multiple agencies are selected for one component, how will you define the “lead” vs. “supporting” role for that specific component?
A: We will only award one agency per component.
#128
Q: What work is expected to remain in-house or with the AORs?
A: Generally, much of our work is handled by our agencies. What we do in-house support often serves our industry-focused needs or the work of the Global Travel/Trade and Industry Outreach and Development teams (see us for a breakdown of teams and roles/responsibilities). Otherwise, it’s internal support, in conjunction with our agencies, for our greater efforts.
#129
Q: Is there a component of B2B marketing needed that relates back the goal of increasing the number of tourism-related jobs?
A: No, those efforts are through our various internal projects across teams (like in response to #2), or we see the impact through the demand we’re able to generate from our overall efforts.
#130
Q: What international locations do you currently market to?
A: UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Nordics, Australia, the Benelux, Canada, India and some Asian markets.
#131
Q: What international marketing partnerships do you hold currently?
A: We currently have full-time representation in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Nordics, Australia, and the Benelux, targeting both the travel trade and media. In addition, we have recently been active in Canada, India, and Asian markets through opportunities and relationships we have developed, as well as through Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization. These marketing partnerships reach both consumers directly and the travel trade.
#132
Q: If you are currently marketing internationally, are these seasonal or evergreen campaigns?
A: A combination of evergreen efforts in our more established European markets, with a primary focus on the travel trade, complemented by seasonal, direct-to-consumer campaigns targeted for late winter and early spring in conjunction with Brand USA.
#133
Q: What media tactics are you currently using that work really well and are there any tactics you haven't used but would like to explore?
A: Across all campaigns and efforts, we have fairly robust multi-channel efforts and haven’t left much unexplored — aside from animatronics, virtual reality, 3D forced perspective, 4D and interactive installations or we once really, really wanted to turn a motorcoach into a roaming buffalo mobile or mobile Wall Drug Store (much in the spirit of the Planter’s Peanut Nutmobile, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile or the legendary LL Bean Bootmobile.) We also haven’t been able to get real tattoos through internal review yet either (not yet anyway).
We’ve found that our multi-channel approach works really well when channels amplify our message across each other, and especially when layering in storytelling, how we can through episodic series, long-form docs, PR, content creator and influencer relationships, or through overlooked channels like audio, activations and cool swag as part of a lead-gen program.
#134
Q: Do you give preference to an agency within South Dakota or are you open to agency support across the country (based on experience and capability)?
A: No preferences are given. We are open to any and all agencies, and all are on equal footing.
#135
Q: Are the current support agencies hitting metrics as expected?
A: Yes, our current agencies are meeting metrics but that does not influence any future decisions about marketing agencies we may work with.
#136
Q: What is the length of time you have been working with your current partners?
A: We have been working with our current agencies (total of 5) for the past four years.
#137
Q: In regards to the $5M Peak campaign (Q 137-144): Should the media plan include creative costs?
A: Yes.
#138
Q: Should ad serving fees be included in the $5M total?
A: Yes, even if just estimates.
#139
Q: Is social media considered in this $5M, or is there a dedicated budget for that in a separate section?
A: This includes paid social media only; the rest comprises Component Three: Organic Social Media & Influencer Marketing.
#140
Q: Does this include niche campaign efforts (ie, Forever 605, Arts & Culture, Sturgis Rally, etc)?
A: Correct!
#141
Q: Do you have specific audiences you want us to focus on for this campaign, or should we include audience targeting and supporting research recommendations in this scope?
A: We encourage you to include audience targeting and supporting research on which your strategy is based on.
#142
Q: Should paid search efforts be included here?
A: Yes.
#143
Q: Does this budget include activations, partnerships, and content creation, or is there a separate dedicated budget for those elements?
A: This budget does not include activations (see Component Seven) but should include any relevant partnerships and content creation that you feel are important to the strategy.
#144
Q: Is there a specific goal for this campaign? EX: grow awareness with a specific (Gen Z) audience(s), or show improvements in tracked bookings, etc.
A: No, we encourage you to share what you think the campaign's goal should be to help us achieve our mission to enhance the quality of life for all South Dakotans by strengthening our communities and their tourism economies, encouraging responsible stewardship of our destination, and creating meaningful experiences for all to enjoy.
#145
Q: General Questions (Q 145-148): What current key performance indicators do you find most valuable?
A: Post campaign: Est Booking Revenue Generated, Post-Impression activity, attributable visitation, trackable spend, ROAS, and CPL.
Monthly: Impressions, Uniques Reached, relevant engagement metrics specific for placements, Rate of Est Booking Revenue + Searches Generated, and PIR.
Weekly: Relevant delivery and engagement metrics specific to placements (Imp, CTR, VCR, Competed Views, Engagement Rates, etc.).
#146
Q: Is there a specific number of case studies you’d like to see for components 1, 2, and 8?
A: Yes, three for each.
#147
Q: Where should SEO be addressed?
A: Those are currently addressed under our SEM budget, created as an item in the scope of work for an awarded contract, and we will again address them as SOW items for an awarded agency. As these are ongoing efforts that impact our overall brand efforts, please provide them where you see fit under Component 1 or 2, and note that they can be viewed as ancillary to the component campaign and budget. Please share what you view as the ideal investment in them.
#148
Q: Would you like to see SEO specific case studies?
A: If including in a component, yes.
#149
Q:
A:
#150
Q:
A: