The state Department of Parks and Tourism will open its advertising contract for bids in March and is distributing an updated request for proposals to agencies in November.
Tourism Director Joe David Rice discussed the bid process and fielded questions Friday from interested agencies. Arkansas has nearly $15 million budgeted for promoting parks and tourism.
Rice said the state will no longer split its contract between an online company and an advertising agency. Currently CJRW is responsible for advertising and promotions of the state tourism industry, while Aristotle oversees the website Arkansas.com.
"We're going to go to a single service. It's more efficient and better for taxpayers," Rice said. "We're trying to bring our bidding process up to the 21st century."
A document outlining what the state agency is looking for will be distributed in mid- to late November. Advertising firms must submit their qualifications by 5 p.m. Jan. 6. Finalists will be selected Jan. 16, according to a preliminary project schedule.
CJRW, or firms operated by its founders, has held the tourism account since 1979. It was recently awarded the public relations and marketing portions of the contract to represent the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Its other state agency work includes the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace.
No representatives from Aristotle or CJRW attended the meeting Friday. An email to Aristotle CEO Marla Johnson was not returned. CJRW President Darin Gray said in an email that information shared at the meeting Friday "was previously shared during public meetings of State Park, Recreation and Travel Commission, which we attend every month."
"CJRW has proudly represented Arkansas Parks and Tourism since 1979 and has witnessed unprecedented growth in tourism in our state," Gray said. "We look forward to the opportunity of continuing our relationship with Parks and Tourism for many years to come."
Presentations from selected agencies will be made March 21. A nine-member panel will hear presentations from those agencies. The agencies will have access to the same photos and stock footage to build their presentations, Rice said.
Agencies have not made presentations to secure the contract since 2002.
"We'll make ... sure we have a level playing field," Rice told those in attendance at the meeting. "We'll have a fair shot for everybody."
Representatives from Cranford Co. and Mangan Holcomb Partners attended Friday's public meeting. Both firms confirmed their interest in securing the parks and tourism business.
Mangan Holcomb represents the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. It also recently secured the digital portion of the state contract with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through its subsidiary, Team SI.
"We are very interested in the process, as evidenced by our attendance at the public meeting," Mangan Holcomb President Sharon Vogelpohl said in a statement. "We look forward to the release of the [request for proposals] and will make a decision about next steps."
Cranford Co. was founded in 2014 by brothers Jay, Ross and Chris Cranford. All have previous experience at CJRW with the tourism account, Ross Cranford said in an email Friday.
"Yes, we are interested in pursuing the account," Cranford wrote. "Being the core strategic and creative team on the APT account for many years, we have a lot of experience successfully promoting all the great things Arkansas has to offer tourists. (And we have several tourism clients today, like the Arkansas River Valley.) We are a forward-thinking brand agency that specializes in video, digital, social, etc. So we can offer many ways to engage potential visitors, from a state away to around the world."
Fahlgren Mortine of Ohio has expressed an interest in the account, and suggested that department restrictions on conflicts of interest be revised to allow agencies to also represent tourism entities in states that do not border Arkansas. Rice said that after a discussion with state Department of Parks and Tourism Director Kane Webb, he believes that the current rule, which prohibits the agency of record to work with other states, will be tweaked.
"We'll listen to all suggestions, then up to our discretion about which of those we'll take," Rice said. "... We're inclined right now to follow that recommendation. I think that's going to happen."
Business on 10/15/2016