The company behind Gov. Kristi Noem’s “Freedom Works Here” campaign was chosen despite hesitancy from some members of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
That’s according to a former marketing director who worked for the state agency that awarded the bid.
According to reporting by the news outlet Sioux Falls Live, the governor’s office developed a marketing plan with an out-of-state political marketing company. Once the request for proposal went live, a subsidiary of that company – Go West Media - received the contract for the work.
Nate Welch is the former marketing director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the state agency that awarded the contract. Welch sat through the proposal process. Before a hearing of state lawmakers Monday, Welch said it was made apparent Go West would be selected.
“The winning bid, that ultimately won and, again, as I mentioned no decisions were made, really was not impressive," Welch said. "The fellow directors and I, we discussed really kind of what an issue we might have with that. We had already known really going into that it was expected and preferred this would be the winning group.”
The governor’s office tells Sioux Falls Live that Go West was awarded the contract because their proposal was the strongest.
During a line of questioning by state lawmakers, GOED Commissioner Chris Shilken said Go West’s proposal did not include what the ads would look like.
Some of the ads that were ultimately made look similar to a pitch by South Dakota ad-agency Lawrence and Schiller, according to documents obtained by Sioux Falls Live.
Republican State Senator Lee Schoenbeck said the contract awarded was a personal services contract, which doesn’t require the request for proposal process.
He said he’s also concerned about what happened to the local ad agency.
“There’s an idea that was clearly stolen,” Schoenbeck said. “There isn’t anybody with two eyes and a functioning brain that wouldn’t say Lawrence and Schiller’s idea wasn’t stolen.”
The executive board adjourned without taking any action.
