TO: City Council DATE: June 29, 2026 DEPARTMENT: Administration Department
PREPARED BY: Cristal Munoz, Senior Administrative Analyst PRESENTER: Cristal Munoz, Senior Administrative Analyst AGENDA TITLE: Receive Report and Consider Approving Resolution for Professional Services Agreement with Creative Thinking, Inc., DBA The Idea Cooperative for Strategic and Creative Marketing Services for Visit Fort Bragg and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Contract (Amount Not to Exceed $180,000.00; Account No. 110-4321-0319).
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt resolution approving contract with the Idea Cooperative for FY 2026-2027 for contract amount not to exceed ($180,000.00).
BACKGROUND
On November 19, 2019, the Visit Fort Bragg (VFB) Committee unanimously recommended that the City Council approve a contract with The Idea Cooperative to implement a marketing strategy for the City. In the years that followed, The Idea Cooperative has continued to provide services until a Request for Proposals was issued in 2024, through which they were once again selected to lead the City's marketing and branding efforts. The current agreement with The Idea Cooperative is set to expire on June 30, 2026, and the City wishes to extend these services into Fiscal Year 2026–2027.
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The Idea Cooperative has consistently demonstrated responsiveness, adaptability, and strong marketing expertise in its work with the City. While the original scope focused on outbound destination marketing, The Idea Cooperative has proactively integrated communityoriented events that highlight and support the local businesses and residents who make Fort Bragg unique. Their flexibility was especially evident when the City needed to rapidly shift messaging during the COVID19 pandemic, as well as during periods of drought when visitor education on water conservation became a priority. In each case, the promotional calendar was successfully adjusted to address emerging needs.
The Idea Cooperative continues to deliver strong and measurable results across all marketing channels. In Fiscal Year 2025–2026, website traffic increased by 18 percent year over year, exceeding 129,000 annual visitors. Social media platforms grew by 14 percent, resulting in a combined audience of more than 42,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook, while engagement rates averaged 6.2 percent, significantly surpassing the tourism industry benchmark of approximately 3 percent. The Visit Fort Bragg’s eNewsletter subscriber list expanded by 2,500 new subscribers, reaching a total of more than 12,000, and seasonal campaign emails achieved an average click‑through rate of 11 percent, generating substantial traffic to winter promotional webpages. Paid advertising efforts produced an estimated 3.5 million impressions and 49,000 clicks, with an average cost per click of $0.42, outperforming typical destination‑marketing standards. Additionally, visitor guide downloads increased by 22 percent, indicating heightened interest and intent among prospective visitors.
These results demonstrate that The Idea Cooperative continues to deliver strong, datadriven marketing that expands Fort Bragg’s visibility, strengthens community engagement, and supports local economic activity. Their consistent performance and adaptability position them well to continue serving the City’s tourism and branding needs in the upcoming fiscal year.
FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
The budget for FY 2026-2027 includes $180,000 for The Idea Cooperative services for Visit Fort Bragg.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
A successful Visit Fort Bragg Campaign will increase travel to and from Fort Bragg, essentially all of which would be by personal vehicle. The additional trips will increase greenhouse gas emissions.
STRATEGIC PLAN/COUNCIL PRIORITIES/GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY This item is consistent with the Strategic Plan Goal 1: Invigorate Economic Opportunity And Community Vibrancy.
ALERNATIVES:
Do not approve resolution or provide staff additional direction.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Contract
NOTIFICATION:
Tom Kavanaugh, The Idea Cooperative
Visit Fort Bragg Committee Members
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3B
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT