Background / Introduction
Founded in 2024, the L.A. Local News Initiative is a coalition of more than two dozen organizations and philanthropists that have come together to support local news in L.A.. Guided by a community listening effort that included input from nearly 900 L.A. residents, this coalition represents a groundbreaking effort by philanthropy, media, and community organizations in L.A. to work together to fill information gaps, strengthen local democracy and make L.A. work better for Angelenos.
The new initiative will take a multi-pronged ecosystem approach by:
- Investing in the expansion of a community-centered, hyperlocal journalism model developed by Boyle Heights Beat, a trusted newsroom serving Boyle Heights and East L.A., so that more communities in L.A. can get quality, independent news relevant to their neighborhoods, produced by people who are rooted in their communities.
- Facilitating additional reporting resources at LAist and CalMatters for investments in local beats and state government reporting, making these resources available to ecosystem partners, while continuing to rally philanthropy to advance local news as a mechanism for civic engagement.
- Fostering collaboration among ecosystem partners, by coordinating content sharing, and providing shared resources that will help existing news outlets in L.A. do more reporting and bring more journalism to more people.
Our Values
- Free, Independent Local Press: We believe all Angelenos deserve to have a source of unbiased information that equips them to thrive in their daily lives. Our work will meet high journalism standards, be independent, non-partisan, and free to access. We’ll prioritize reaching as many Angelenos as possible, in the most effective ways possible.
- Community-first: We center the needs of local communities, with an ultimate goal to strengthen communities and make LA work better for Angelenos. Journalism should be focused on serving people most affected by the subject matter and equipping them to take action.
- Equity & Inclusion: We need a representative, equitable, and inclusive local press. Newsrooms should be representative of the communities they cover, shift narratives to be centered on community perspectives, and provide pathways into newsgathering for residents.
- Trust: We believe that building trust must be a core principle of our journalism. As a baseline, the journalism we support must be accurate, independent, unbiased, non-partisan, and a trusted source of shared facts by the communities we serve.
Learn more about the L.A. Local News Initiative at localnewsforla.org.
Project Overview
The L.A. News Initiative is seeking the services of a full-service branding and marketing firm to develop the brand and visual identity for the umbrella organization that covers independent newsrooms located across the county.
Project Goals
The goals of this project include:
- Provide guidance to key stakeholders about how to approach the naming/ branding of this initiative
- Develop a brand architecture that resonates with our established audience in Boyle Heights and the eastside, but also reflects our service of more communities across Los Angeles
- Develop a brand identity for the L.A. Local News Initiative that represents our mission of the organization and deeply incorporates community input
- Develop all branding (e.g., logo, style guide) including collateral and assets for marketing materials to be used across all platforms (e.g., desktop, mobile, social media, print)
- Develop branded templates for the organization to use as it generates content for social media platforms
- Be willing to develop the brand through a highly inclusive process in which members of Los Angeles communities can actively share input to ensure naming/branding resonates locally
Project Deliverables
- Name for the L.A. Local News Initiative that considers we’ll be launching a portfolio of related community brands
- Comprehensive brand/visual identity for LALNI and a refresh of the brand/visual identity of its publication Boyle Heights Beat that includes input from stakeholders and residents including:some text
- Logo (provided in vector and sized pixel file formats; in JPG and EPS format that can be manipulated using Canva/Adobe Illustrator; RGB and hex values provided; is effective in color and black/white)
- Style guide (font/typeface, color palette)
- Brand assets and other graphic elements for a host of collateral materials (e.g., social media, print materials)
- Templates for standard communications materials such as electronic letterhead, business card layout and deck template
- Templates for ongoing social media content creation, such as for Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook
- Note: Resident input may be in the form of small focus groups, online polls, etc. Stakeholders may include organization leadership, board members, and community advisors
Timeline
Submission for proposals open: September 10, 2024
Deadline for proposal submission: October 10, 2024
Project completion: January 31, 2024
Vendors may propose an earlier completion date in their proposal.
Budget
All fee schedule types will be considered. Respondents are asked to break out all fees, costs, and third-party costs.
Selection Criteria
The L.A. Local News Initiative will evaluate bidders and proposals based on the following criteria:
- Responsiveness to the required outlined in this RFP
- Previous experience and past performance
- Samples and/or case studies from previous projects
- References for brand development experience
- Projected costs
- Demonstrated passion for local news
- Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and operate within budget
The L.A. Local News Initiative reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value as determined solely by the L.A. Local News Initiative.
Submission requirements
The following must be included in the proposal:
- The company name, the name of a contact person, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and website.
- A description of respondent’s principal business including company background, characteristics of business strength, and products and services offered.
- A description of the qualifications of the staff who would work on the project. A team that includes professionals with proven expertise in brand strategy is highly desirable.
- A description of why you believe your agency is a good fit for this project.
- A description of the process you use when developing a brand package.
- A description of the company’s ability to complete the project within the desired timeline.
- Answers to the following questions:some text
- How would you think about creating a brand (name, logo, etc) in relation to the three strategic pillars of investing in expansion, facilitating investments, and fostering collaboration?
- How would you engage the community in this process?
- A summary of respondent’s experience in providing deliverables similar in size, complexity and nature to those requested in this RFP.
- Examples of respondent’s work including relevant samples of branding projects the branding company has completed.
- At least three (3) references for similar projects completed by the respondent, including name of organization, name of contact person, address, telephone number and email address.
- A detailed pricing proposal including the estimated number of hours, and fees for each of the project’s elements.
- A description of any additional recommended items or services, including the estimated number of hours and fees.
- A proposed timeline for completion of the project, including milestones and the vendor’s proposed methods for engagement of stakeholders during the process.
- A clear understanding that all project elements will be the exclusive property of the L.A. Local News Initiative and that the L.A. Local News Initiative will have exclusive rights to each of the elements, including the design artwork.
Submit your proposal
Contact Information
For questions or concerns connected to this RFP, we can be reached at: operations@localnewsforla.org