Summary: Petaluma Bounty seeks proposals from qualified marketing professionals for a comprehensive values-based marketing campaign for farmers’ markets in Sonoma and Marin County, CA. The campaign is part of a four year research study to make farmers’ markets in the region more welcoming and inclusive to the whole community. The study is using community-engaged research to identify obstacles, opportunities, and innovations for low-income residents as well as people of color to shop at farmers’ markets. This is part of a collaborative project between Petaluma Bounty, the Center for Well-Being, UC Cooperative Extension, UC SAREP, and Farmers’ Market LIFE–a network of four farmers’ market associations operating 15-17 farmers’ markets in Sonoma and Marin County, CA. 

Submit a proposal on this Google Form. Priority deadline is February 15, 2020 with applications accepted after that date until filled. 

Goal: The goal of the campaign is to expand the customer-base of farmers’ market shoppers by: 1) promoting awareness of CalFresh and Market Match at farmers’ markets for low-income consumers; 2) making farmers’ markets in Sonoma and Marin County welcoming and inclusive to the whole community; and 3) mitigating obstacles and leveraging opportunities to shop at farmers’ markets, based on research findings.

Budget: Proposals not to exceed $39,000 inclusive of marketing plan, content creation and graphic design, branding toolkit, campaign costs, and capacity building training.

Deliverables: A comprehensive marketing campaign that promotes CalFresh and Market Match and is culturally appropriate and bilingual including:

• Marketing plan with monthly and annual goals
• Evergreen branding toolkit with templates, taglines, and key messages
• Media release and media contact list
• Comprehensive marketing campaign with large and small format print, video, and social media content
• Capacity building training for research team and market managers

Qualified applicants should be able to:

• Integrate community-based research findings into the campaign
• Refine culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate taglines and key messages that resonate with the community
• Comfortably receive and integrate feedback from community partners (market managers, research team, and community members) gathered through focus groups, interviews, market research, and pilot testing as part of the project

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with culturally responsive, values-based marketing campaigns 
• Bilingual English/Spanish and bicultural
• Familiarity with Sonoma and Marin County, CA

Timing: 8-18 month contract starting February 2021  

• Feb 1, 2021- Request for Proposals released
• Feb 15, 2021 – Priority deadline for submission of proposals (proposals accepted on a rolling basis until filled)
• Feb 15-28, 2021 – Screening interviews with top applicants and contract awarded
• March 2021 – Review existing materials and research findings; develop concept proposal and submit draft plan
• April 2021 – Preliminary materials to be available in advance of CalFresh Awareness Month in May
• July 2021 – Materials available in advance of National Farmers Market Week which is the first week in August
• December 2021 and beyond – additional materials available on a regular basis, capacity building training, and conclusion of contract based on performance on deliverables

What success looks like:

• Consultant leverage existing artistic content when applicable including: 
  • Portfolio of work from Paige Green Photography (Password: Sonoma) 
  • Raw video content shot by KRCB Public Media
  • Videos from Ag Community Events on Market Match
  • Previous CalFresh Awareness Month and National Farmers Market Week campaigns
• Consultant effectively integrates existing findings from community-engaged research and is open to additional collaborative opportunities for market research, focus groups, interviews and/or pilot testing.
• Grows collaborators’ capacity to maintain the marketing campaign into the future through a branding toolkit with templates, capacity building training, and technical assistance that increases collaborators’ skills in marketing and community engagement.
• All partners (market managers, research team, and consultant) feel their input was heard and integrated and are committed to an iterative group process.

Questions: 

Contact Suzi Grady, suzi@petalumabounty.org and Sarah Camper, sarah@petalumabounty.org.