Before Running RI’s Tourism PR, Havas Worked for Cianci’s Campaign

Name: Go Local Prov
Price range: $

Sunday, April 10, 2016

GoLocalProv News Team

For New York-based Havas, which handles RI’s Commerce Corporation’s public relations account, the state’s controversial tourism account is not their first high profile client in Rhode Island.

A Havas subsidiary, Havas Social Providence, worked for the 2014 campaign of the late Vincent “Buddy” Cianci. The Cianci campaign was billed tens of thousand of dollars by Social Providence, but was only paid a fraction and was dismissed by the campaign during the course of the summer. The Havas effort for Cianci and for the RI tourism effort were both led by Marian Salzman. She is the CEO of the firm.

The Cianci campaign issued a payment of $5,500 in September of 2014, according to State Campaign Finance Reports. Havas’ Social Providence is headquartered in New York according to state fillings.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Running Rhode Island's Public Relations

Havas was selected in September of 2015, as one of three agencies empowered to rebrand Rhode Island's tourism efforts. The campaign blew up into a national embarrassment late in March. To date, Havas has been paid more than $1 million since they came on board in the fall of 2015. Recently, Havas agreed to return $100,000 to the state of Rhode Island. The firm was responsible for producing the Rhode Island video that included footage from Iceland.