The National Institute of Tourist Promotion (INPROTUR), under the direction of the Chief of Cabinet of Ministers, has awarded a contract for USD 195,000 to Puken Media S.A. for the management of the "Visit Argentina" campaign on social media in China. Although invitations were sent to three companies in the sector, only Puken Media S.A. submitted a bid, which was accepted without objections.
The breakdown of the contract includes USD 15,000 allocated for opening accounts on Chinese platforms such as Weibo, Red and WeChat, and USD 180,000 for the administration of these profiles for one year, in addition to content publication.
The contract signing was handled by Natalia Alejandra Recio, Executive Secretary of INPROTUR, who is under the supervision of Guillermo Francos, Chief of Cabinet.
Puken Media S.A. details in its proposal the provision of services such as opening official Visit Argentina accounts on Chinese platforms, management of permissions, account verification, design and setup with the aesthetics of Visit Argentina, and account management. The company has a team with profiles such as English-Chinese Translator, Program Director, Content Manager, Community Manager, and Graphic Designer, among others.
Experts in digital communication have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of this investment, especially considering that the budget allocated to the company contrasts with cuts in critical areas in Argentina. Although the contract stipulates that the company must present monthly performance reports, the absence of clear metrics and penalties for unsatisfactory results has been questioned.
The economic offer presented by Puken Media S.A. was evaluated in accordance with the technical requirements, and despite being the only proposal received, it was awarded 40 points, meeting the criteria established in the bidding process. The Evaluating Commission recommended awarding the contract to Puken Media S.A., for a total of USD 195,000, divided for the opening and administration of social media accounts in China.
It is expected that Puken Media S.A. will generate content, design campaigns and present performance reports, all validated by INPROTUR. While the company fulfilled the proposal, some doubts remain about the transparency and effectiveness of this investment, in a context of significant cuts in other areas of the Argentine economy.
