THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607260191
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 39 lines
Harrisberger Creative Ltd., a Virginia Beach firm, has picked up the city of Portsmouth's advertising contract, beating out Group III, a Norfolk company that has done the city's work for years.
The city has about $350,000 budgeted for promotion during fiscal year 1997.
The new contractor's first job will be to design ``one coordinated theme'' to be used by all city agencies, communications director Ken Wheeler said Thursday.
``They'll be doing graphics and colors for the theme,'' he said.
When the contract with Group III expired this year, the city received eight responses to its request for proposals. Wheeler said six city departments served on a committee to choose the agency.
``It was a very open and thoughtful decision,'' Wheeler said. ``It was a consensus decision.''
Wheeler said he was pleased with the choice.
``Lynn Harrisberger is recognized as one of the best creative people in the area,'' he said. ``She has received 180 awards in 15 years.''
Harrisberger teamed with Collier and Associates to make the winning proposal, he said.
``Rez Collier is a media buyer who formerly worked with Group III and is familiar with the Portsmouth account,'' Wheeler said.
He called the new contract ``very cost effective.''
``We negotiated down to a 10 percent commission on media placement, instead of 15 percent,'' he said. ``And we will pay the Harrisberger subcontractors directly to avoid a 20 percent agency markup.''
Wheeler said he has formed a council with representatives from six city departments most involved in communications and marketing. They include the Portsmouth Museums, the Economic Development Department, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Parks and Recreation Department, Marketing and Communications, and the Portsmouth Public Schools.
``We will have a retreat in August to meet with Harrisberger to plan the whole year,'' he said. by CNB