SAAQ could drop $7M on ad campaign for online portal
Marketing agency could pocket $3M
Quebec's automobile insurance board could spend close to $7 million to promote its online platform SAAQclic, which has been tainted by glitches since its launch.
The first ad campaign is set to air on March 20, according to Radio-Canada.
The campaign intends to emphasize the simplicity and speed of SAAQclic online services. But since the portal went live on Feb. 20, it has come under fire for causing significant delays in service.
The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) did not grant an interview. Gino Desrosiers, a spokesperson for the SAAQ, confirmed in an email that the advertising campaign will run as planned on the radio, in newspapers and online.
The recent SAAQclic crisis hasn't influenced the launch date, nor the content of this first ad campaign, which costs $280,000, Desrosiers said.
But that sum represents only part of the envelope planned to promote SAAQclic: up to $6.9 million could be spent by December 2024 on advertising and communication costs for the platform.
Up to $3 million for Cossette
Marketing agency Cossette won the bid on May 22 to carry out advertising campaigns and other communication activities for SAAQclic, according to the government's electronic tendering system.
Of the $6.9 million, Cossette could earn up to $3 million, with the rest of the budget being devoted to media purchases and management fees by the Centre d'acquisitions gouvernementales.
According to the specifications in the call for tenders, the advertising contract has various goals, including "informing customers that they will be able to obtain several services from the SAAQ online."
The campaigns will also need to raise awareness about the website and make the portal and its use appear credible.
Premier François Legault said Tuesday there was a planning problem leading up to the SAAQclic launch.
He also confirmed that he would personally assess not only the work of SAAQ president and CEO, Denis Marsolais, but also that of the board of directors.
Based on reporting by Radio-Canada's Alexandre Duval