Template revised January 10, 2019.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No. 8l
ACTION ITEM Date of Meeting March 11, 2025
DATE: February 26, 2025
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Pearse Edwards, Sr. Director, External Relations
SUBJECT: Competition Waiver for Maritime Communications Initiative
Amount of this request: $300,000.00
Total estimated project cost:
$495,000.00
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization under Revised Code of Washington 53.19 for competition
waiver authorizing the Port to specify local communications and marketing firm, DH, as the
communications, creative, producer, and media planner for the Port of Seattle’s (Port) maritime
communications and advertising initiative – the “Port for the Future.”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the Port’s budget, External Relations was allocated funding to create and execute a
communications and advertising initiative to educate the public on the history and relevance of
and showcase the economic impact of Seattle’s maritime sector. The External Relations team,
through a competitive bidding process, hired a local communications and marketing firm, DH, to
–
Manage the creation and development of multiple creative territories to tell the Port’s
story across digital, broadcast, print and experiential media sources.
Create and manage a paid media strategy, inclusive of creative development and quality
assurance, in alignment with the overall project plan and goals.
DH has since worked with Port staff to produce an initial video – “Made Possible by the Port” –
that showcases the history and economic and social impact of the maritime sector to the region
and teases a vision of the future of the waterfront.
When the initial scope of work was drafted in the fall of 2024, the “Port of…” or “Port for the
Future” concept was in its early stages of internal development and, while mentioned in the
Port’s scope of work with DH, was not detailed in the scope at a level to allow for execution of
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8l Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: March 11, 2025
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
messaging, creative concepts or content, and an impactful media buy to support that specific
body of work.
Since the budget to execute a second phase of the project focused on the future of the waterfront
exceeds the budget limits of the current CAT 2 contract with DH, we are seeking a waiver to
engage with DH with the future phase of the project.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $495,000, including writing, design, production,
project management, and media buy.
The project will be funded primarily out of External Relations promotional budget.
JUSTIFICATION
The purpose of this waiver request is to use DH’s design and marketing staff to efficiently carry
forward the second phase of this project. We request a competition waiver because it is not cost
effective or reasonable to compete this work.
Not cost effective. Continuing our work with DH is imperative because the maritime
communications and advertising initiative is a uniform body of work – threading a story to raise
awareness and advocate for the Port’s maritime industry and support the Port’s vision for the
future. The communications materials and associated multi-month media campaign across
traditional and digital media will share the historic relevance of Seattle’s rich maritime history,
economic impact and how maritime is embedded into Seattle business, civic, and entertainment
communities through to the “Teal New Deal” – a future maritime economy rooted in advanced
manufacturing and green clean energy.
To be successful the advertising creative must align core themes. Hiring a second firm to produce
creative would lead to distinct difference to messaging, look, and feel of the campaign elements.
In addition, bringing in a second firm would require weeks of on-boarding and delay
implementation of the initiative – costing us more internal staff time and money away from other
work. It would also open the door to unnecessary expenditures of hours as two firms would need
to be spending hours checking in with each other to ensure the work was completed rather than
one holistic team completing the work, negatively impacting the budget.
Diversity in Contracting
There are no aspirational goals for this competition waiver.
DETAILS
The Port will use the materials produced by DH to execute a robust media buy on both traditional
and digital media sources. The materials will also be integrated into ongoing Port
communications efforts like its website, blog and messaging added into press materials as
needed. Finally, it will also be integrated into presentations and materials for Commissioners and
executive leadership team members as they present the Port’s vision of a Port for the Future
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8l Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: March 11, 2025
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
externally this year.
Scope of Work
Within the Port’s vision for the future the Port would like to be sure to include ideas that paint
our industrial lands as an area for focus for the city and regional organizations. The Port has spent
years supporting and partnering with Maritime Blue, Greater Seattle Partners, and with the
Chamber and believe with a partnership with the City’s Office of Economic Development we can
attract green economy industrial companies that will support the type of blue collar and
manufacturing jobs that are the backbone of our economy. We can use this creative direction to
highlight the strength of our maritime industry while using it to lay the groundwork for a regional
effort to attract large manufacturing and logistics companies while also attracting the type of
funding to support a robust maritime start-up economy. The goal of the creative outcome would
be to highlight the strength of what we have built and using it to attract, retain and support the
“Teal New Deal” economy.
The key elements of the scope of work, include:
Project workplan $6,000
Messaging and Creative Development $94,000
Design Services $83,000
Media Buying Plan and Execution $304,000
Project Management $18,000
Schedule
All research, writing, editing, and design should be completed before TIME. The ads will run over
the course of this summer and fall of 2025.
Cost Breakdown This Request
Total Project
Project workplan $0
$6,000
$0
$94,000
Design Services $0
$83,000
Media Buying Plan and Execution $300,000
$304,000
Project Management $0
$18,000
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
Alternatives to not using DH for the second phase of the work are:
1. Compete the work for other firms to bid. The risk is significant timing delay and lack of
creative and messaging continuity.
2. Not to conduct the second phase of the work thus curtailing our ability to market the
future of the waterfront and help abate any further incursions in the Duwamish
Manufacturing/Industrial Center.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8l Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: March 11, 2025
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Cost Estimate
/Authorization Summary Capital
Expense
Total
COST ESTIMATE
Original estimate $0
$155,000
$136,000
AUTHORIZATION
Previous authorizations 0
$45,000
45,000
Current request for authorization 0
300,000
300,000
Total authorizations, including this request 0
495,000
495,000
Remaining amount to be authorized $0
$0
$0
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
None.
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
None.
