A new report released in January 2006 by the Government Accountability Office sheds some light on expenditures related to public relations and advertising activities in fiscal years 2003 through 2005 among seven federal departments. These seven federal departments account for nearly all the obligated federal dollars for public relations and advertising activities in fiscal year 2003 – Commerce, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Treasury, and Veteran Affairs. Altogether, these agencies spent $1.62 billion on media contracts during this time period: $1.4 billion (87 %) with advertising agencies, $197 million (12 %) with public relations firms, $15 million (1 %) with media organizations, and $90,000 (less than 1 %) with individual members of the media.

The report contains summary data about each of these contracts including the type of agency awarded the contract, a brief scope of work, and dollar amounts obligated each fiscal year. As you review the top 20 in the list below, you can see the total value for single contracts over the 2 ½ years (unless otherwise noted)

Links to pages are descriptive of these programs and may not be directly related to the contracts mentioned in this report.

1. Advertising for Navy recruitment activities – $194,261,891
2. Advertising for the Air Force Recruiting Program - $179 million
3. Advertising and PR support for the ‘Verb’ campaign – $170,584,599 (3 contracts)
4. Advertising for the Marine Corps recruitment efforts - $133,885,354
5. Public relations for the Medicare Multimedia and Education Campaign – $72,942,740
6. Public relations for the Public Education and Awareness Program for Next Generation U.S. Currency – $54,395,180
7. Advertising of the JAMRS program – $47,565,908
8. Advertising for the IRS communications, marketing and taxpayer information program - $41,460,206
9. Advertising to promote the US Mint’s “core products” - $26,783,398 (2 contracts over 3 years)
10. Advertising for US Mint 'numismatic products' sold to the public – $16,689,492 (2 years)
11. Advertising for the National Flood Insurance Program Marketing and Communications Outreach - $14,510,151 (2 years)
12. Advertising for the Medicare Multimedia and Education Campaign (“Spanish Market”) - $13,359,942 (2 contracts; 2 years)
13. Public relations for various CDC public health-related media services and campaigns – $7,191,502 (2 contracts)
14. Advertising for the DHS Ready Campaign – $6,348,017 (2 years)
15. Advertising to support VA health care staff recruitment - $5,603,000 (2 years)
16. Advertising to educate the public about the features and benefits of Treasury securities and the availability of the products - $5,203,622
17. Public relations for the Go Direct [Deposit] Pilot Campaign - $5,334,450 (2 years)
18. Public Relations for the Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign - $4,999,817
19. Public relations for the National Diabetes Education Program - $4,728,442
20. Public Relations for Hispanic outreach by the Agency for Health Research and Quality - $4,201,050