Utah has kicked off an agency search to pitch the state as a destination for business.
The Governor's Office of Economic Development is circulating an RFP for a comprehensive PR and integrated marketing campaign on a first-year budget of $250K.
The GOED is charged with diversifying the economy of the "Crossroads of the West" and encompasses national and global business recruitment, as well as tourism and the Utah Film Commission. Gov. Gary Herbert installed a new PR-savvy executive director, Val Hale, in late July.
For the business pitch, it envisions a firm providing market research, PR, event planning, government relations and creative marketing efforts like PSAs to tout Utah's low taxes and operating costs, as well as quality of life and young population.
The state expects to award a five-year contract.
Utah is home to Overstock.com, 1-800-Contacts, Sinclair Oil, Intermountain Healthcare, and a large National Security Agency data center, among major employers. Google has taken over the City of Provo's fiber network for its Google Fiber high-speed Internet push, while eBay has grown its Draper presence to more than 1,800. The state also has foreign trade reps in Europe, Israel, China and Mexico and a business-friendly foreign trade zone across 55 acres in Salt Lake City.
Proposals are due Nov. 21 through the state's online procurement sytem.
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