The Government () opened a new bid to hire three companies to manage digital communication of the petista management, by Secom (Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency). The amount provided for in the notice is R $ 98.3 million for a period of 12 months.
The previous attempt to hire this service provoked a crisis in the government, after the emergence of suspicions of irregularities in the bidding process, during the management of Minister Paulo Pimenta (PT) at the head of Secom.
In June 2024, the Federal Court of Auditors reached R $ 197.7 million to four companies. The following year, the court, but the new minister gave up following that hiring model.
The resumption of bidding was a charge of Lula and one of the missions assumed by Sidonium. The government bets on digital communication to stop the investers made in the opposition networks, especially by pockets, in the final stretch of the government.
The new bidding provides that contracted companies should plan the Lula government’s digital communication, “moderation of content and profiles on social networks”, “analysis of feelings” (technique for interpreting users and opinions of users in networks) and “implementation of innovative forms of communication”.
The period established is 12 months and may be extended if contractual values negotiated with companies are considered advantageous by the government. By planning, the bidding process can take six to eight months.
The bidding was opened at a time when the Lula government works to reformulate its communication strategy, focusing on networks, in coping with political sectors. This includes the defense of taxation of the richest and a discourse that aims to improve the perception of government actions, especially in the low -income population.
In addition, the president still has difficulty overcoming the engagement produced by the right in the digital environment, just over a year from the election campaign, when Lula is expected to run for a new term.
“Instead of focusing exclusively on a campaign or actions against misinformation and fake news, this bid seeks to proactively present to the population the concrete benefits of public policies, with accessible, engaging, inspiring and continuous language,” says one of the documents with guidance to companies interested in competition.
Candidates are expected to present to the government a detailed communication plan for Pinterest, LinkedIn, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and Kwai networks. The briefing presented in the bidding states that this plan should allow “organic engagement and the expansion of the reach of government institutional messages.”
The operation of agencies for conducting digital campaigns will follow the same logic of choice of advertising agencies that serve the government. In this model, several companies are hired and they compete with each other with each campaign commissioned by Secom.
The bidding material asks companies to submit a proposal to “publicize the main programs of the federal government, such as worker credit, midfield, popular pharmacy, people’s light, family Bolsa, Prouni, Fies.”
“Some contents should also be thought strategically to directly impact the largest number of federal programs beneficiaries – as young people, adults and families attended by initiatives in the areas of education, health and social assistance. These groups are considered strategic because they are directly involved in the execution of public policies,” the document says.
Secom’s previous bid was involved in complaints of irregularities because, on the eve of the announcement of the winners of the dispute in April 2024, in a formal manner the initials of companies that would win: Digital Plant, Communication Area, Moringa L2W3 and the BR and Tal consortium.
