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State to spend $750K in developing ad campaign to undo harm

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – An agency that seeks to attract businesses and jobs to Indiana will pay a New York public relations firm up to $750,000 to develop an ad campaign aimed at rebuilding the state’s damaged image.

A contract posted Thursday to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation web site shows the quasi-governmental agency will pay that much to Porter Novelli for the first phase of the “reputation enhancement initiative.” The contract states the cost of the second phase will be determined after the scope of the work and other terms are determined.

The state has previously said it would spend $2 million on a public relations strategy to try to overcome the damage done after the General Assembly passed a religious objections law that critics contended was anti-gay and was later revised.