Springdale Chamber Wants Proposals from Ad Agencies

Springdale Advertising and Promotion Commission is accepting proposals from ad agencies.

Bill Rogers, vice president for communications and special projects for Springdale Chamber of Commerce, said the commission wanted to allow proposals from other agencies who might be interested in promoting Springdale.

“It’s due diligence,” Rogers said. “They need to open it up. They haven’t done it for four or five years.”

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods Inc. (CJRW), based in Little Rock and with a Springdale office, serves as the commission’s existing ad agency.

“We’ve just received the formal RFP document from the chamber, and will be reviewing their needs and expectations for 2017,” said Brian Rudisill, president of CJRW in Northwest Arkansas.

Deadline to submit a proposal is 4 p.m. Aug. 31, according to a chamber news release.

If a new agency is selected, the plan would be for the agency to start Jan. 1. This fall, the commission would likely hear proposals from three or four agencies, depending on the number of applicants.

“This is about promoting Springdale,” Rogers said. The city is easily accessible and offers opportunities for business or travel with “top-flight meeting space.”

The commission’s existing ad budget is about $200,000. But this fluctuates depending on the amount of money the commission receives, Rogers said. The proposal includes a budget of $150,000 or more.

On Oct. 8, 1991, Springdale City Council created the commission and established a 1.5 percent sales tax on hotel and motel stays in the city. In 2011, the tax was increased to 2 percent.

“That generates revenue to allow us to market our community more,” Rogers said.