FAYETTEVILLE — The Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission will seek proposals from agencies as it searches for the firm that will design the city’s advertising campaign to draw visitors.
The contract at stake covers the next three years. The commission spends about $400,000 annually for its advertising campaign.
The commission has used the Sells Agency — an advertising, marketing and public relations firm with offices in Fayetteville and Little Rock — since 2001. This year, it will go through an RFP, or request for proposals, process.
“Nine years ago, we went out for RFPs, selected three to interview and Sells was selected,” said Marilyn Heifner, director of the Advertising and Promotion Commission.
Six years ago the contract was renewed without a bid or proposal process. And three years ago, the A&P Commission went through the RFP process and Sells Agency was selected again, Heifner said.
Now, rather than signing another three-year contract, the A&P will accept proposals from firms interested in doing business with the commission.
This change in how the contract has been approached in the past is not a reflection of any dissatisfaction with the Sells Agency, commission members said Monday. Instead, it’s a shift to do a better job at bidding out contracts. In April, the commission unanimously approved a policy change to have the A&P rebid contracts every three years.
“I’ve never been a real proponent in no-bid contracts,” said Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan, a member of the commission. “I personally like RFPs. But I’m not necessarily married to that.”
“I kind of go by the principal, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” said Maudie Schmitt, another member of the A&P Commission.
“But then again, we represent the people,” Schmitt added, signaling a need to keep the contracting process above reproach.
“It’s kind of double-edged sword,” chimed in Neal Crawford, another member of the commission, who praised the Sells Agency. “Because they’ve done a great job. But you don’t want to present the picture that this is a closed-door operation.”
The contract with Sells Agency runs through the end of 2010. The approximately $400,000 annual budget includes about $40,500 in fees for the agency, with the remainder used specifically for the placement of ads, development of creative materials and placement costs related to advertising through a plan developed by the advertising agency.