Commission approves reengagement of FKQ for $200,000 anti‑trafficking media campaign

The Commission on Human Trafficking voted to reengage FKQ to refresh and run the county’s 'Don't Buy It, Tampa Bay' anti‑trafficking media campaign, with staff planning to move forward with a contract or RFQ process as appropriate.

Vice Chair Groover Skipper, who presented the proposal, said the planned campaign would run Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, 2026, and described a package that includes creative work, website/domain reactivation, a standalone social page and paid media buys. "The overall investment would be $200,000 and, as you can see, the estimated impressions would be 90,000,000 impressions for this campaign," Groover Skipper said.

Staff and commissioners discussed campaign elements: car and transit wraps, airport digital signage, billboards, paid social posts and a video‑heavy creative approach. Lisa (county staff) clarified that the $200,000 estimate includes web‑page setup and social‑page setup but not all ongoing paid‑ad spend; most of the money will flow to media purchases through FKQ as a pass‑through. She also said the commission would avoid monitored direct messaging on social platforms to prevent unmonitored help requests.

Commissioners debated procurement approaches. One member argued for consistency to avoid a costly rediscovery process if the county switched firms; another said legal and procurement review should occur. A motion to reengage FKQ and proceed with a contract passed by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will coordinate with procurement and county legal to finalize contracting details and estimate any additional paid‑media budget needed beyond the initial $200,000 package. The campaign timeline presented would position outreach to coincide with major events in the Tampa Bay area in early 2026.