The Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the state agency that persuades companies to move factories or offices to the state, is seeking firms for its advertising and public relations contract.
Stone Ward, a Little Rock agency, has held the $1.1 million annual contract for 21 years, said Jeff Moore, the commission's executive vice president for marketing and communications.
The contract is open for bids every seven years, Moore said.
For the first time this year, the contract is divided into three parts -- public relations, digital marketing, and branding and multichannel marketing, Moore said.
"We have a need for more specialized marketing services and none more important than the digital piece of that," Moore said.
Under the digital marketing contract, the state agency will be implementing an "in-bound strategy," Moore said. An inbound strategy focuses on using key words to drive Internet traffic to the commission's website, Moore said.
Notification of the contract went out April 27 and bids close May 27, Moore said. The contract begins July 1, the beginning of the state's fiscal year, he said.
The commission is opening the contract only to Arkansas firms, Moore said.
It is possible that different agencies could be selected to handle different portions of the contract or that one firm could handle all three parts, Moore said.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has asked for an additional $500,000 for the commission's advertising contract, but it needs to be approved by the Legislature, Moore said. The contract has been about $1.1 million since Stone Ward won it 21 years ago, said Scott Hardin, spokesman for the commission.
The commission's account is very desirable for advertising firms, said Neal Moore, a Little Rock public relations and advertising consultant with Neal Moore Creative. He is not related to Jeff Moore.
"But it's a whole new ballgame now [than 21 years ago]," Neal Moore said. "The whole global economy is different."
Having different portions to the contract is common, Neal Moore said.
"They all have a digital marketing component now," he said.
Stone Ward will apply for the contract again, said Millie Ward, president of Stone Ward.
"We have loved our work with [the commission]," she said.
Ward said she could not comment on the bid process under the rules of the contract.
Business on 05/04/2016