Tourism agency’s ad pact clears panel

The state Department of Parks and Tourism’s proposed advertising, marketing and website contract with the Little Rock advertising firm CJRW for $ 15.2 million a year sailed through a legislative subcommittee Wednesday.

The department’s proposed contract with CJRW for fiscal 2018, which starts July 1, didn’t prompt any questions from the Legislative Council’s Review Subcommittee. Subcommittee members reviewed several hundred contracts proposed by state agencies.

Ultimately, the proposed Parks and Tourism contract, which is renewable each year, could last up to seven years, according to the Bureau of Legislative Research.

CJRW, or firms operated by its founders, have held the tourism account since 1979.

In February, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery executed a five- year, $ 34.5 million advertising contract with CJRW under which the firm will keep separate the employees who work for the lottery and those who work for another gambling client, Oaklawn Racing & Gaming. Mangan Holcomb Partners previously held the lottery contract.

A nine- member evaluation committee scored CJRW’s proposal for the Department of Parks and Tourism’s contract higher than those submitted by D&G Collaborative of Little Rock and New Orleans and Birdsall Voss and Associates of Milwaukee, according to state records. The firms were the three finalists for the contract. Originally, 13 firms met the minimum requirements in their proposals submitted in response to the department’s request for proposals for the advertising, marketing and website contract. The other firms included Stone Ward, Mangan Holcomb Partners/Team SI and Cranford Co. LLC.

Currently, CJRW is responsible for advertising and marketing under its contract with the department, while Aristotle oversees the website Arkansas. com under a separate contract with the agency. After the committee’s meeting, Department of Parks and Tourism Director Kane Webb said the department will spend roughly the same amount under the new contract, “and it’s not going to go up much.”

He said department officials decided to merge the two contracts because “marketing is digital and traditional these days,” and “we wanted one agency to deal with.”

CJRW will be subcontracting with a digital firm, Miles Partnership, that has several contracts around the nation, Webb said. Aristotle didn’t rebid on the contract.

“I think it’s a really good contract for the state. It’s a much more efficient way for us and our staff than having to deal with two different entities because that website we got is a beast. It changes almost minute to minute. There are constant changes,” Webb said.

“I think long-term, we’ll probably save a little money, too, so we are excited about it,” Webb said.

Asked whether the department will do anything differently with its advertising, he said, “I’m sure that it will change.

“Because we’ve got a new partner on board with Miles, so I think it is natural. But we haven’t decided yet,” Webb said.