Back in June, the Florida Lottery handed over its general market advertising duties to Tampa-based agency PP+K, following a somewhat controversial review. The appointment hit a snag, however, when incumbent St. John & Partners filed a bid protest, recalling a similar protest lodged by Zimmerman Advertising when Florida Lottery awarded its account to St. John & Partners in 2009.
Among the complaints alleged in the agency’s 166-page bid protest was that Tallahassee consultant, and former deputy secretary of the Florida Lottery David Bishop, failed to observe a law regarding a two-year ban on former agency officials lobbying their former employers, as Bishop allegedly lobbied on behalf of PP+K some 15 months after leaving his position with the Florida Lottery.
Now the dispute appears to be resolved.
St. John & Partners settled its bid complaint over the $125 million contract with the Florida Department of Lottery last week, Tampa Bay Business Journal reported on Monday, finally making PP+K’s account win official. St. John & Partners and PP+K issued this joint statement on the issue:
“Recently, representatives from PP+K and St. John & Partners reached an amicable agreement to end the administrative protest over the Florida Lottery’s decision to enter an advertising and marketing services contract with PP+K. In order to avoid the potential expense and uncertainty of resolving the protest through legal or administrative proceedings, the parties came to an agreement to compromise and settle all claims that were raised. The administrative protest has been voluntarily dismissed. In keeping with the spirit of the amicable resolution, there will be no further comment from either party at this time.”