Centralized Problem Gambling Campaign and Access Portal for DBH

1. MISSION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The mission of the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is to provide statewide leadership of a high-quality mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system that is effective and valued by all Ohioans. DBH strives to be a national leader in implementing a comprehensive, accessible, and quality-focused system of addiction and mental health care and wellness for all Ohio citizens.

1. PURPOSE

The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to lead the strategic rebranding and redesign of Ohio’s statewide problem gambling public awareness messaging and to develop a unified, centralized “front door” to all prevention, treatment, recovery, workforce, and community-based gambling related resources across the state. The selected contractor will develop a cohesive brand and public-facing campaign that positions Ohio’s gambling efforts within a comprehensive public health framework, emphasizing prevention, early intervention, recovery support, reducing gambling harm, and systems coordination.

The goal is to create a modern, inclusive, evidence-informed and responsive campaign that increases awareness, reduces stigma, improves help-seeking behaviors, and strengthens engagement with Ohio’s problem gambling infrastructure. As a result, the overall campaign messaging will aim to change people’s knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors. Examples of this include: increase risk perception; reinforce positive behaviors; influence social norms; increase availability of support and needed services; empower individuals to change or improve gambling behaviors.

1. BACKGROUND

Ohio has experienced significant growth in gambling participation in recent years, including the expansion of sports betting.  Increased access and marketing have elevated risk factors for gambling related harm, particularly among young adults, college students, and historically underserved populations. Ohio currently supports multiple problem gambling initiatives across the continuum of care, but these initaitves are currently presented through multiple campaign identities and access points.  DBH seeks to unify these efforts under one, clearly identifiable, statewide brand and public-facing access portal.

1. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall design, implement, and evaluate a statewide problem gambling awareness campaign and centralized access portal over a 12-month contract period. Work shall be completed in phased implementation as outlined below.
All deliverables are subject to State review and written approval. Payment will be made upon completion of each of the phases below.

1. Phase 1
   1. Develop a project management plan.
      1. Detailed timeline
      2. Staff structure
      3. Governance and approval workflow
      4. Risk mitigation plan
      5. Media plan
   2. Conduct landscape and audience analysis that is culturally responsive and inclusive
      1. Review of existing problem gambling messaging
      2. Audience segmentation (minimum: general adult population, at-risk individuals, priority communities, youth/young adults, providers)
      3. Baseline awareness and perception survey
   3. Behavioral Strategy Framework
      1. Evidence-informed behavior-change model
      2. Stigma-reduction approach
      3. Message testing
   4. Community Engagement Plan
      1. Geographic strategy
      2. Minimum 6-event statewide schedule
      3. ADAMH Board coordination framework
      4. Event toolkit
      5. Engagement data tracking plan
2. Phase 2
   1. Brand development
      1. Campaign name and tagline
      2. Complete visual identity
      3. Brand standards guide
      4. Message testing

1. Phase 3
   1. Centralized access portal development
      1. Required capabilities
         1. WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
         2. Mobile responsive
         3. Searchable provider directory
         4. Helpline integration (988)
         5. SEO strategy
         6. Referral pathway tracking
      2. Deliverables
         1. UX strategy and wireframes
         2. Prototype
         3. Fully operational portal
   2. Portal must be live prior to full media deployment .
2. Phase 4
   1. Comprehensive Media Plan

1. Broadcast, CTV, digital, social, radio, OOH mix
2. Budget allocation
3. Targeting strategy
4. Minimum 25% of media budget allocated to priority populations
   1. Creative Production

1. Minimum two 30-second TV/CTV spots
2. Minimum two 30-second radio spots
3. Digital/social campaign suite
4. Print assets
   1. Two Major Media Flights

1. Statewide saturation strategy
2. Mid-flight optimization
   1. Monthly performance reporting

1. Phase 5
   1. Community Engagement
      1. Required minimums (15 events):
         1. Six in-person events statewide
         2. Three rural county events
         3. Three youth/young adult focused events
         4. Three events in high-prevalence counties
      2. Events must include:
         1. Branded activation
         2. Helpline promotion
         3. Portal promotion
         4. Interactive engagement and QR tracking
      3. Passive distribution does not qualify .
2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
   1. Awareness Metrics (Active Media Flights)
      1. 65–75% reach among Ohio adults
      2. Minimum 4–5 frequency exposure
      3. 8–12% increase in aided awareness post-flight
   2. Portal Performance Metrics
      1. ≥ 50,000 unique visits
      2. Bounce rate ≤ 60%
      3. Average session duration ≥ 1:30
      4. 12–18% engage with provider directory or helpline content
      5. ≥60% of traffic attributable to paid campaign placements
   3. Media Performance Metrics
      1. ≥0.3% Click-Through-Rate (display/social)
      2. ≥3% Click-Through-Rate (search)
   4. Helpline Impact Metrics
      1. During Active Media Flights:
         1. 12% increase in helpline contacts compared to previous year.
      2. Annually:
         1. 10% increase over baseline of 2025 contacts (9,600)
   5. Community Engagement Metrics
      1. Six qualifying activation events
      2. Minimum of 500 documented direct engagements statewide
      3. QR-linked portal visits tracked by geography
      4. Distribution consistent with approved plan.
3. Performance Accountability
   1. State may reallocate media strategy or withhold up to 10% of final payment pending satisfactory performance, according to KPIs.

1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR

Proposals must demonstrate:

1. Public Health Campaign Experience
   1. Minimum 5 years of experience developing and implementing large-scale public awareness campaigns.
   2. Demonstrated completion of at least two statewide or multi-regional public health or behavioral health campaigns within the past 5 years.
   3. Experience working with a state agency, government entity, or publicly funded system.
2. Large-Scale Media Management Capacity
   1. Demonstrated management of at least $1 million in annual paid media placement within the past 3 years.
   2. In-house or contracted media buying capability with documented optimization process.
3. Digital Portal Development Experience
   1. Demonstrated experience designing and launching at least two public-facing digital portals within the past 5 years.
   2. Demonstrated ability to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
   3. Experience integrating analytics and conversion tracking tools.
4. Organizational Capacity
   1. Dedicated project manager assigned full-time or substantial allocation.
   2. Clear staffing plan with identified key personnel.
   3. Financial capacity to manage a contract of this size.

Contractor shall not be subject to an “unresolved” finding for recovery under Section 9.24 of Ohio Revised Code.