The Greenwood Tourism Commission Board of Directors on Monday voted not to renew its contract with locally based Hammons & Associates Advertising for Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau’s advertising campaigns and collateral materials.
The job entails creating concepts and designing ads, posters and other materials the community uses to promote itself, said Allan Hammons, whose company was passed over.
“(The agency) also oversees media placement, handling columniation with various media outlets,” Hammons said.
Instead of sticking with Hammons, whose company has designed and produced advertising for the CVB since the CVB was first formed, the board chose to work with Focus Group, an advertising agency out of Gulfport.
In a split vote, four members voted for Focus Group and three voted for Hammons.
CVB Executive Director Danielle Morgan said the board issued a request for proposals, as required by state legislation, and narrowed a larger field of applicants down to Hammons, Focus Group and Hunt Marketing of Oxford. Those three finalists made proposals to the board.
“They’re all given the same amount of money to work with, and they propose how they’re going to utilize it,” Morgan said.
“It’s basically just a matter of who the board deems presents the best use of funds.”
Hammons has worked with the CVB for “more years than he can remember,” he said.
“It’s a disappointment for us because we live in this town, and we have a passion for it,” Hammons said. “But we respect the wishes of the board and will move on.”
Regarding Focus Group’s ability to represent Greenwood authentically and creatively, Hammons said that with today’s technology, a lot of this kind of work can be done from a distance.
“What will be lacking is general institutional knowledge that wouldn’t be available to someone far off,” he said.
Hammons & Associates has created multiple campaigns across the Delta with the Mississippi Grammy Museum, the B.B. King Museum and other Delta towns.
“The Blues Trail markers, Country Music Trail and Freedom Trail markers commemorating events and people in the Civil Rights Movement, all those are projects that have sprung from our office,” Hammons said.
The board of directors is composed of voting members from each of the city’s 7 wards, appointed by the mayor and approved by city council. Also on the board are representatives from the Civic Center, the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic/Industrial Board, the Restaurant Association and the Hotel Association.
The tourism commission, according to the City of Greenwood’s web site, “advises the city’s executive branch on the promotion of tourism and conventions,” in addition to carrying out tasks assigned by the mayor.
Hammons & Associates’ Facebook page says it “has had a relationship with the Greenwood CVB that goes back to its shaky beginning.”
It goes on to say that for several decades the company “has worked with the Greenwood CVB to ensure that our city is well positioned as a desirable travel destination and has the very best marketing tools. After all, this is our hometown and we take special pride in seeing that Greenwood is more than just competitive. We put our heart and soul into our work and we sincerely appreciate the opportunity to share our experience in tourism-related activities with the CVB board of directors.”
Still, says Hammons, he accepts this as purely a business decision.
Morgan emphasized that the board was not unhappy with Hammons & Associates or its work.
“I want to be clear about that,” she said, “but because it's mandated in our legislation, we have to look at competing bids for work and in this particular process, the board voted to bring in another company.”
Morgan said that the legislation governing tourism commissions makes no mention of hiring local firms, and that some board members lean that way but others do not.
No board members could be reached for comment on the vote.
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
