A $25 million state advertising contract to promote tourism in Maryland is set to change hands today if the Board of Public Works approves the move from Gray Kirk Van Sant to two other local firms, Trahan Burden Charles and Media Works.
Roger Gray, the head of the agency that lost the contract, dismissed the assertion by an anti-O?Malley Web site that there was any politics involved.
“We?re disappointed that we lost the tourism business,” Gray said, noting the three other state contracts his firm holds with Maryland Lottery and the health department. “We lost this thing on pricing.”
According to state documents, TBC?s winning bid for creative services was $1.5 million, $400,000 less than the GKV bid, and Media Works? bid for placing advertising was $787,000, almost half of GKV?s bid but $37,000 higher than TBC?s bid for media services. Media Works? “superior technical offer ? outweighed their 5 percent higher price,” the board?s agenda says.
Joy Berg, owner of Media Works, which has $25 million in annual billings, said she had been asked by state officials not to talk about the contract until it was approved by the board. Karen Glenn Hood, a spokeswoman for the Department of Business and Economic Development, also said she was not permitted to release any more details other than to say, “Inthese fiscally challenging times, we have to go with the lowest bidder.”
On May 9, OMalleyWatch.com claimed TBC got the contract due to more than $20,000 in contributions to Gov. Martin O?Malley?s campaign.
If there had been any indication of political influence, “I?m not afraid to raise my hand on an issue like this,” Gray said. “I don?t think O?Malley operates that way.”
Gray said every dollar in the current tourism ads they are producing and placing generated $34 in visitor dollars, a major increase in return on investment.
Gray?s firm contributed $7,000 to the campaign of former Gov. Robert Ehrlich.
