Fresno-based agency JP Marketing began a five-year contract with the Fresno County Department of Public Health in 2018 that has since involved in the time of Covid-19. Photo contributed

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors recently voted to give an additional $2.29 million to JP Marketing to continue health media outreach efforts.

The $2.29 million comes from CARES Act funds.

Jane Olvera, president and founder of JP Marketing, said the contract includes communication and outreach efforts for all divisions and programs of the Fresno County Department of Public health.

“Our contract cap will increase approximately $1 million per year for contract years 2021, 2022 and 2023. This ensures we have room in our contract to execute against unforeseen needs or opportunities in the coming years, but does not necessarily mean we will invest to the contract cap levels,” Olvera said.

During the last fiscal year ended July 1, 2020, efforts were mostly based on the Covid-19 response and community outreach.

“However, we have several other important public health issues that still require our support and attention, therefore an increase in our contract cap is warranted,” Olvera said.

Fresno County was granted the opportunity on behalf of the state to campaign for the Black Infant Health campaign for Northern California, which also warranted the contract cap.

“Our JP team finds our partnership with the FCDPH to be deeply satisfying. We know that our work contributes to a healthy Fresno County and that our efforts are rewarded when we know we’ve made a difference, one person at a time,” Olvera said.

Fresno County entered into an agreement with JP Marketing in 2018, when the health department sought to streamline its communications for several different marketing campaigns.

The county put out a scope of work and request for proposals and went to bid. JP Marketing was awarded the partnership for a five-year contract — three years with two one-year extensions.

“The firm that we work with has to grow in knowledge with us, and we have to be able to download a lot of information to them to be able to help us be very precise and to be able to market information,” said David Pomaville, director of public health for Fresno County Department of Public Health.

Pomaville said that the bids from marketing agencies were close in dollar amount.

“It really came down to which firm did we think was going to provide the best overall value for the county and the most effective program,” Pomaville said.

JP Marketing’s campaign scope with Fresno County has included awareness related to lead poisoning, water safety, dental hygiene, tobacco prevention and Black infant health campaigns.

“And then we rolled into Covid, and we spent the last year really trying to shape and target messages around Covid. That was the big driver for going in and adding the additional dollars into the contract,” Pomaville said.

The reach spans Twitter, Facebook, bus wraps and billboards.

The firm partnered with Fresno County to put out a campaign for Covid-19 prevention involving spokespeople in the Central Valley. The county used people who represented more cross-sections of the community.

“We know we have really incredible spokespeople in our department,” Pomaville said. “But sometimes we want a voice that’s somebody else.”

The county plans on putting out a similar message about the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Right now, the anxiety is kind of about, ‘I want the vaccine and where do I get it?’ But in 60 days, it’s going to be, ‘we have the vaccine; where are you at?’” he said.

Covid-19 took center stage for the department of public health’s marketing campaigns, but Pomaville says the department hasn’t lost sight of other health issues to educate the public on.

“It doesn’t help me to tell a teenager what to do, right? But if they have people from their peer group or people that they connect to that can be that voice, that’s what we want,” he said. “Working with a company like JP — they really help us get that aligned and get that right spokesperson.”

The total increase of $2,292,223 is spread out over the three remaining fiscal years. $1,006,741 will go toward 2020-2021; $892,741 will go toward 2021-2022; $392,741 will go toward 2022-2023.

The increase will allow for Fresno County to keep marketing without getting sequential yearly amendments.

“I believe that we’re accountable in terms of our spending and we’re being responsible in terms of how we’re putting our campaigns together, and doing those types of things better than we’ve done in a long time. So that feels good to me,” Pomaville said.