Responding to reports that the Ministry of Tourism’s new advertising agency Fallon Worldwide had previously been eliminated from a group of finalists vying for a $15 million account, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Vernice Walkine said Fallon was never eliminated as no contracts were signed between the Ministry or any of the agencies at the time.
A story appearing on the AdAge.com web site, reported that Tourism Director-General Mr. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace had confirmed in December 2002, that Fallon had been eliminated in the semifinals along with the Harris Drury Cohen agency.
This would have left Martin Williams advertising agency and Mullen agency of Wenham, Mass. as the two remaining finalists.
An article appearing in the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, MN on Jan. 18, reported that Fallon’s Bahamas account win came as a surprise and that the Martin Williams agency did not know about a visit by a small contingent of Bahamians to Fallon Worldwide offices in January.
According to Ms. Walkine, the MOT’s selection panel, after analysing a number of advertising agencies, narrowed their search down to four companies. This selection was later reduced to two, which included Martin Williams and Mullen.
Ministry representatives visited the offices of Martin Williams and Mullen agencies.
In an interview with The Guardian, Ms. Walkine stated that Fallon was so close in ratings with the other two companies, that it was felt they deserved a visit as well.
“In the absence of a signed contract, all of our options were still available to us and we determined to exercise those options and the end result was that Fallon was selected by our executive committee,” she said.
“It was not that we had signed a contract with Mullen or Martin Williams agencies; the exercise was not over or completed. We believe that we were fully within our right to go back and take another look at Fallon and that’s what we did.”
Several weeks ago, the Ministry of Tourism announced its decision to select Fallon Worldwide as the country’s newest advertising agency to improve the image of The Bahamas.
The four agencies were chosen based on their presentations and the ministry’s selection criteria.
Criteria such as quality of work; case studies presented on behalf of other clients with similar business challenges as The Bahamas; any travel experience they may have had in terms of accounts; experience with web marketing; customer relationship management programmes or anything that went beyond the traditional advertising were some major concerns.
“We were looking for a marketing agency, not just an advertising agency,” Ms Walkine said. “So we are talking about an agency that can do for us more than what a traditional advertising agency would do.
“We determine that we reserve the right to select the agency that we felt could best suit our needs and so Fallon became a part of the mix,” she stated.
It was also reported on the AdAge.com web site, that Bozell Worldwide, an agency renowned for excellent service and a former advertising firm with The Bahamas for the last nine years, was not among the agencies bidding for the account.
“It is incumbent upon a client to review from time to time, its agencies. That is the only way you get the benefit of fresh ideas and new creative measures,” Ms Walkine advised. “We determined that we would engage in an agency, and of course Bozell was invited to participate, but they declined to participate. They instead suggested Mullen, one of their sister companies, to participate in the bid.”
By Lisa Albury, The Nassau Guardian
