Request for Proposals: Destination Branding Services - Visit Dawson City

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS — Destination Branding Services, Visit Dawson City

1. Introduction

The Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) invites qualified branding and design professionals to submit proposals for the development of a new visual identity and brand guidelines for Visit Dawson City, the destination marketing organization for Dawson City, Yukon.

The successful proponent will develop a modern, distinctive, and timeless destination brand that reflects the unique character of Dawson City while supporting tourism marketing efforts across digital, print, advertising, signage, merchandise, and other promotional materials. The resulting brand should be memorable, adaptable, and designed for long-term use across a wide range of applications.

2. Background

Visit Dawson City promotes Dawson City and the surrounding Klondike region as a premier tourism destination. Through strategic marketing, partnerships, and visitor services, Visit Dawson City inspires travel to one of Canada's most iconic northern destinations. The organization markets Dawson City to visitors across Canada and internationally through digital advertising, print publications, social media, trade shows, travel media, and industry partnerships.

KVA is seeking a refreshed destination brand that will strengthen recognition of Visit Dawson City while authentically reflecting the community's identity and appeal. The successful proponent should demonstrate an understanding of Dawson City's unique character and create a brand that reflects its authenticity. The desired outcome is a timeless destination brand that will remain relevant for years to come.

3. Project Objectives

• Develop a distinctive and memorable visual identity for Visit Dawson City.
• Create a brand that is timeless and suitable for long-term use.
• Develop a flexible visual identity system that performs consistently across digital, print, advertising, signage, merchandise, and other promotional applications while remaining recognizable at both large and small scales.
• Provide comprehensive brand guidelines that support consistent implementation.
• Deliver all final artwork and editable source files for future use by KVA.

4. Scope of Work

4.1 Core Brand Identity — The successful proponent shall provide:

• A new primary logo.
• Secondary logo variations (horizontal, stacked, icon, etc.).
• A stand-alone brand mark or icon.
• A colour palette including CMYK, RGB, HEX, and Pantone specifications.
• Typography recommendations (licensed or open-source fonts).

The successful proponent shall present three to five distinct initial logo concepts for review by the Klondike Visitors Association. Following the presentation of the concepts, the successful proponent shall include a minimum of three rounds of revisions to the selected concept prior to final approval. Any additional revisions may be negotiated between KVA and the successful proponent.

The final logo package shall include versions suitable for a variety of applications, including full colour, one colour, black, white, and transparent background where applicable. The logo shall remain clear, recognizable, and legible across a wide range of sizes and applications, including websites, social media, print publications, signage, promotional products, digital advertising, and small-format uses such as social media profile images and favicons.

4.2 Brand Guidelines — The successful proponent shall develop a comprehensive brand standards guide that includes, at minimum:

• Logo usage guidelines
• Clear space requirements
• Minimum sizing requirements
• Examples of incorrect logo usage
• Colour specifications and usage
• Typography hierarchy
• Graphic elements
• Examples of print applications
• Examples of digital applications
• Accessibility considerations, including colour contrast and readability

4.3 Project Approach and Stakeholder Engagement

The proposal shall describe the proponent's approach to collaboration throughout the project. While a formal public consultation process is not anticipated, proponents should outline how they will engage with the Klondike Visitors Association and key tourism stakeholders during the branding process. At a minimum, proponents should describe:

• Their proposed discovery and research process.
• How feedback will be gathered and incorporated throughout the project.
• Key project milestones and review opportunities.
• Communication methods and anticipated meeting schedule.

KVA anticipates working collaboratively with the successful proponent throughout the project to ensure the final brand accurately reflects the identity and aspirations of Visit Dawson City.

4.4 Final Deliverables — The successful proponent shall provide editable and production-ready files including Adobe Illustrator (.ai), SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, and font files. All files shall be organized and supplied in a logical folder structure suitable for future use.

5. Intellectual Property

Upon final payment, all intellectual property rights associated with the final approved branding package, including all logos, artwork, graphics, and supporting files, shall become the exclusive property of the Klondike Visitors Association. The successful proponent shall transfer all rights, title, and interest in the final approved work to KVA and shall provide all editable source files required for future reproduction and modification.

6. Artificial Intelligence Policy

The Klondike Visitors Association requires that all creative work submitted under this contract be original work created by the successful proponent. Logos, illustrations, graphic elements, icons, and other visual assets generated wholly or partially using generative artificial intelligence will not be accepted. The successful proponent may be required to certify that all final creative deliverables are original human-created works and are free from copyright, licensing, or ownership issues arising from the use of generative artificial intelligence.

7. Proposal Requirements — Proposals should include:

• Company profile.
• Project team and key personnel.
• Relevant experience.
• Two to three examples of similar branding projects, preferably for tourism destinations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, or place-based brands.
• Description of the proposed project methodology.
• Description of the proposed stakeholder engagement process.
• Proposed project timeline.
• Detailed project budget.
• A minimum of two professional references.

8. Submission Instructions

Proposals shall be submitted electronically in PDF format no later than Tuesday, August 11th, 2026. Submissions should be emailed to: Andy Cunningham, Marketing and Event Manager, Klondike Visitors Association — [email protected]. Late submissions may not be considered.

9. Reservation of Rights — The Klondike Visitors Association reserves the right to:

• Accept or reject any or all proposals.
• Cancel, amend, or reissue this RFP at any time.
• Request clarification or additional information from proponents.
• Negotiate changes to the scope of work, timeline, or pricing with the preferred proponent.
• Not award a contract if no proposal is deemed acceptable.

The lowest-priced proposal will not necessarily be accepted.