City approves $698,000 contract with Mental Marketing
The Paso Robles City Council approved a $698,000 annual agreement this month with Mental Marketing for promoting tourism in Paso Robles.
The money is spent on a managing a marketing program, funding a destination manager position, attending trade shows, placing print and online advertising, managing social media, creative services and brochures.
The funds are designated on behalf of the Travel Paso Alliance for services associated with activities which will promote tourism and benefit the industry in terms of advertising and marketing of Paso Robles as a destination location. The funds for the marketing efforts are collection by a business improvement district (BID) that the city created in 2008. Mental Marketing has maintained the contract with the city since April of 2009.
The BID Committee and city staff will jointly oversee those expenditures to assure they are within the scope of the marketing strategy and the fiscal means available in the BID fund, according to the council resolution.
Councilmen Fred Strong, John Hamon, Ed Steinbeck and Duane Picanco voted in favor of the resolution. Councilman Steve Martin was absent.