The Opportunity

The Los Angeles Local News Initiative (LALNI) is seeking a creative, results-driven marketing agency to develop and execute a comprehensive campaign for the launch of a new, non-profit community news organization in October 2025. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the narrative and public introduction of a transformative media organization with an ambitious vision to serve all Angelenos in their own neighborhoods.

With an anticipated budget of up to $100,000, the campaign’s goal is to generate significant and measurable awareness, drive community engagement, and build excitement about the future of community-centered news in Los Angeles. 

‍

Project Goals & Objective

This fall, LALNI will launch to redefine how Angelenos connect with their communities through trusted, independent and local journalism. To ensure we make an immediate impact we are seeking a data-driven, mission aligned marketing and PR partner to architect and execute a full-funnel launch campaign for our new digital news products. These products include: websites, digital newsletters, social media accounts, youth journalism programs.

Primary objectives include:

• Development of campaign plan (pre-launch, launch, post-launch) with clear, strategic, and targeted activities plan
• Targeted, effective, and measurable media buy performance
• Secure in-kind partnerships that build brand launch awareness
• Increases in traffic to websites, social media engagement, and newsletter signups
• Secured earned media speaking opportunities for LALNI's leaders surrounding the launch

‍

Scope of Work & Key Deliverables

The selected marketing partner will be responsible for the strategy, creative development, and execution of the launch campaign. Our target communities at launch include (1) Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake, (2) South LA and Inglewood, and (3) Boyle Heights. While some metrics should measure growth within these three areas, the launch campaign should increase brand awareness more broadly across Los Angeles for this launch campaign.

‍About LALNI

LALNI was founded in 2024 in response to the need for a bold, new vision for local journalism. Guided by a community listening effort that included input from nearly 900 local residents, our launch represents a groundbreaking effort by a coalition of philanthropy, media, and community organizations in Los Angeles. Our shared vision is to partner together to fill information gaps, strengthen local democracy and make Los Angeles work better for Angelenos.

We are a newsroom that gives voice and visibility to Angelenos, community by community. The top priority of our journalism is that it represents and serves our neighborhoods, is deserving of their trust, and honors the vibrant collision of ideas that is Los Angeles. As a city, sometimes divided, often united, always evolving, we aim to see LA fully: a collection of neighborhoods of contrasts bound by a common embrace.

LALNI meets people where they are, with coverage that shares their concerns, trusted information that impacts their lives, and independent reporting that holds their officials accountable. We empower local voices who make our communities the heart of the story. We help people in Los Angeles stay connected to issues that matter, to the pulse of their neighborhoods, and to our city’s shared future.

Our multi-pronged approach includes: (1) launching and operating community-centered, hyperlocal news publications that deliver daily, rigorously-reported content that is responsive to the needs and interests of the local neighborhoods, and (2) fostering collaboration throughout the Los Angeles news ecosystem through 20+ media partners who have committed to sharing content and collaborative reporting so we can work stronger together and deliver more journalism to more Angelenos.

Our values are:

• 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 LALNI at localnewsforla.org.

Budget and Timeline

Our anticipated budget for this campaign is up to $100,000 with anticipated selection of a firm to begin this work by September 1st or preferably sooner, through December 31, 2025. Proposals that demonstrate creative efficiency and measurable value are highly encouraged. If the launch campaign is successful and it’s desirable for both parties, we may continue our engagement with the selected agency beyond our launch period with a renewal option for a longer-term partnership in 2026.

‍Proposal Requirements

Please include the following in your proposal:

• Agency Overview
  
  • Background, size, and core capabilities
  • Relevant experience with similar launches
  • Key personnel and roles
• Proposed Approach
  
  • Summary of your strategic and creative approach
  • Example campaign ideas (optional)
  • Suggested media mix and rationale
• Budget and Timeline
  
  • Estimated costs by activity or deliverable
  • Media spend vs. agency fees
  • Estimated timeline for onboarding, strategy, creative development, and execution
• Case Studies and References
  
  • At least two relevant case studies with results
  • Two client references from similar projects

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Understanding of our goals and audience
• Creative thinking and strategic insight
• Relevant experience and case studies
• Project management capabilities
• Cost effectiveness and transparency

Submission Details

Please send your proposal in PDF form to Xavier Vargas, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at xavier.vargas@localnewsforla.org by July 28, 2025 at 5 p.m. 

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling-basis as they are submitted, and agencies will be notified if they’re invited to an interview. Agencies invited to interview may be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Questions?

Submit all questions by July 21, 2025 at 5 p.m., and answers will be shared with all potential bidders.