State pays for PR and marketing website that remains hidden; seek and you will not find
I can guess why Julie Sande, the commissioner of the state commerce department, claims that it is not a matter of public interest to know details about how she spent $3 million on a public relations marketing contract, a deal that could be worth as much as $9 million by 2030.
I filed a public records request on April 11 with the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development for the information. Here is that simple request.
I asked for a waiver of fees, as spelled out in state law, because $9 million is obviously in the public interest.
After hemming and hawing and a long delay, the department said it would not release whatever documents it had unless I first sent $70.06 to the state. It would take an hour of work to produce the information. There was no clue on whether 99 percent of the information would be redacted and claimed as secret.
I challenged that decision, saying a fee waiver was justified because “the records are likely to contribute significantly to the public's understanding of the operations or activities of the state government.”
An underling of Sande’s wrote me June 24 that I “did not provide any information on how the records are likely to contribute significantly to the to the public’s understanding of the operations or activities of state government. You likewise failed to address the requirements in 2 AAC 96.370(a)(4) and (5).”
I could send $70.06 to Sande, but that’s not the point.
Information about the handling of this contract by Sande and her underlings would contribute to the public’s understanding of state government.
A reasonable conclusion is that she’d rather not disclose the information.
The $3 million marketing contract is with Six-7 Strategies, a company owned by longtime political operative Kevin Sweeney. It may be renewed for a total of up to $9 million by 2030. Sweeney’s company did not apply for this contract when it was first advertised last summer.
Let’s start with the most outrageous element of this matter.
Sweeney’s contract called for getting a website up and running by March 14 promoting the advantages of doing business in Alaska to the world.
“The website will support economic development by attracting investors and others looking to develop a new business or grow an existing business in Alaska. This site is a key component of the department’s marketing initiative. This site will be branded unrestricted by state standards and geared towards attracting investment and business to the State,” the contract says.
“The website design must be highly functional using modern design techniques. The design must be mobile responsive and intuitive to navigate,” according to the contract.
I wrote here April 11 that the new website was nowhere to be found.
I wrote Sweeney on April 11 asking about the website, but he did not reply. I wrote again on June 4 and asked for a list of vendors he has hired and for how much.
He replied by sending a link to akbusinessinitiative.org, which claims that Alaska is “The Frontier of the Future.” He did not provide any information about vendors.
There is no link or no mention of akbusiness.org on the state commerce website.
Sande’s department has chosen to keep the light of this expensive marketing plan under a bushel.
It raises a question of competence. The first rule of marketing is letting people know what you are trying to market.
Buried in the Alaska Business Initiative “terms of use” is a statement that it is a commerce department venture.
But all you can find on the commerce website is a note from late 2023 saying that the state intends to hire someone “to develop an initial marketing plan and advise on strategies to effectively market Alaska.”
This out-of-date “highlight” is the first one on the Department of Commerce’s list of highlights. It’s possible that no one pays any attention to the highlights.
Sande should find it in the public interest to explain why no one has bothered to reveal the existence of this marketing effort.
All in all, the Dunleavy Alaska Business Initiative sounds exactly like the Alaska Development Team under a new name.
Early in his tenure, Dunleavy launched the “Alaska Development Team” with a $441,000 no-bid contract to the grandson of Dunleavy supporter Bob Penney.
In December 2019, Dunleavy’s 10-year budget outlook claimed that the Alaska Development Team would be an essential element in creating a stronger economy for Alaska.
“Instead of subsidizing desirable but unprofitable activities, the ADT (Alaska Development Team) is directed to work with Alaska businesses, state and federal agencies and departments, economic development organizations, industry organizations, and chambers of commerce (collectively ‘Alaska’s Stakeholders’) to identify and facilitate the removal of barriers to doing business in Alaska, to help retain and grow existing industries, to attract new opportunities to Alaska, and to deliver the message to investors and industry participants the benefits of doing business in Alaska,” Dunleavy’s budget office said.
On his personal list of first-year accomplishments, Dunleavy said he “Established the Alaska Development Team to attract new investment and opportunity.”
In early 2020, the Alaska Development Team claimed to have four leaders on the state payroll, chasing development here, there and everywhere.
By the end of 2020, the development team was entirely gone from the 10-year budget outlook.
Today, the only Alaska Development Team “team member” is Sande, the commerce commissioner, which qualifies the ADT for a prime spot on the list of imaginary offices, such as the food office and the energy office.
The Alaska Business Initiative website, the one that has been kept secret, makes many similar bold claims about Alaska being the place where opportunity meets innovation. The text would make the state chamber of commerce blush.
“From energy and mining to technology, Alaska’s diverse and sustainable economy is built for growth. Our pro-business policies, skilled workforce, and unparalleled connectivity to major markets in North America and Asia make investing in Alaska a smart, strategic choice. The Alaska Business Initiative is your partner in navigating the landscape of opportunity, ensuring that your business has the support, resources, and network needed to succeed in one of the most dynamic and forward-looking economies in the world.”
The Dunleavy plan is to sell Alaska as imagined on the colorful pages of this 32-page pamphlet titled the “Alaska Standard,” a document created under a previous state contract. The Alaska Standard, created by Bridge House Advisors of Chicago, promotes development of oil, gas, minerals, renewable energy, etc. in Alaska.
The state marketing contractor will “counter the misinformation messaging targeting younger people and younger Alaskans. By telling Alaska’s story related to development, projects and economic activity in the state, this initiative will increase demand for Alaskan products and services while promoting existing efforts to grow Alaska’s economy.”
The site includes a letter from Dunleavy in which he claims Alaska will be the “Panama Canal of the North” with the increase in Arctic shipping and the state has “nearly unlimited natural resources.”
The site could use some editing. For instance, the claim that “the governor appoints the lieutenant governor” is not right.
There is a mix of things that may or may not happen that are stated as fact. The claim that Alaska has a “rapidly growing economy” is false.
The site claims that the state plans to develop three new “orbital spaceports” and “two hyper-sonic test ranges,” which is something that Alaskans should be told more about. The same applies to the statement that more than 25 data center prospects have been vetted across the state.
One document identifies former Dunleavy campaign volunteer Andrew Jensen, former state food czar, as the one-man Alaska Office of Energy Innovation.
Some of the rhetoric sounds like the Dunleavy support group created by Dunleavy and key political allies that promotes Dunleavy as a miracle worker and claims “Alaska’s Golden Age is Here.”
Your contributions help support independent analysis and political commentary by Alaska reporter and author Dermot Cole. Thank you for reading and for your support. Either click here to use PayPal or send checks to: Dermot Cole, Box 10673, Fairbanks, AK 99710-0673.
The top “highlight” on the state commerce website is a statement from 2023 about marketing that no one has bothered to correct. The state is paying for a marketing website, but has failed to even mention its existence.