On Monday, January 26, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board selected a5 Branding & Digital to provide marketing and communications services, and instructed Village staff to negotiate a contract for services across all Village departments, including RecPlex. This action supports expanding Village communications capacity by providing access to a larger team with broader professional resources to maintain consistent, high-quality communication services for the community.
This initiative is aligned with the Wisconsin Innovation Grant program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, which supports local governments in expanding service capacity, modernizing operations, and strengthening long-term fiscal sustainability. Grant applications must include a fully executed contract and are due by March 31, 2026.
The Village released the Request for Proposals (RFP) in October 2025, seeking a qualified firm to provide branding, digital marketing, public relations, design, and content development services. Six proposals were received. All candidates were informed that the change would transition services from an in-house, three-person Communications Department to an external provider and that costs must align with the existing $348,000 annual department budget, excluding advertising and print production costs.
After an internal review, five firms advanced to in-person interviews. Evaluation criteria included proposal quality, understanding of scope, municipal experience, team structure, service approach, professionalism, and ability to meet budget requirements. Following the review, the Village RFP team determined that a5 Branding & Digital best met the RFP requirements. The firm demonstrated strong strategic capability, a scalable team structure, and the capacity to deliver comprehensive marketing and communications services aligned with Village operations.
Next steps include negotiating and finalizing a contract for Village Board review and approval and submitting the completed contract as part of the Wisconsin Innovation Grant application.
“The selection of a5 Branding & Digital provides access to an expanded team of specialists with a broad range of expertise,” explained Village Administrator Eric Rindfleisch. “This approach increases the capacity of marketing and communications support while maintaining the same overall cost structure. If the Wisconsin Innovation Grant application is successful, grant funding would reduce communications costs over the next five years.”