Marketplace lucrative for advertising, marketing, communications services
by Mary Scott Nabers
CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
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Here are a few examples of contracting opportunities during the last fiscal year:
- The Lower Colorado River Authority solicited a firm to provide media advertising for its Campaign to Eliminate Dumping project.
- The San Antonio Water System put out a solicitation for a firm to assist with strategic messaging, crisis communications, media coordination, social/emerging media consultation and messaging for targeted public information campaigns.
- The Travis County Health Care District advertised for public relations, advertising and public affairs services such as strategic communications planning, advertising, Web content, developing branding, producing collateral materials, developing public awareness and education and building coalitions and partnerships.
- The University of Texas at Austin solicited advertising services for development of strategy and an action plan to launch a capital campaign.
- The City of San Marcos advertised for marketing, research and creative design firms. The engagement included branding services and a marketing plan to help city and community organizations be more successful in recruiting and marketing.
- The Garland ISD sought proposals to assist with marketing, advertising and public relations for its Special Events Center.
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit contracted for advertising services.
- The City of Fort Worth sought proposals for marketing design and development of its KnoWhat2Do public education campaign.
- The Houston-Galveston Area Council hired four public relations agencies to provide services related to its Clean Air Initiatives and the Commute Solutions Program.
- The City of Dallas solicited a firm to provide an advertising program for the Dallas Convention Center.
- The El Paso ISD sought public relations services that included communications programs, strategic planning, crisis management, damage control, media training, community outreach and public awareness campaigns.
- The University of Texas at San Antonio sought a sports marketing firm to help generate revenue from broadcasts, promotions, sponsorships, corporate rights and advertisements.
- Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority advertised for a contractor to develop public information materials and provide video production services.
The reality is that communications-related contracting opportunities with government entities are practically endless. Even when budgets are tight and cost-cutting is evident in other areas, government communications budgets are rarely reduced. Many government programs carry mandates for constituent outreach. It is hard to understand why firms offering advertising and communication services would ever overlook the public sector marketplace.
