Myths
and Frequently Asked Questions
About PSAs
It is impossible to provide all the answers to the many questions that have been posed to us over the past 20 years of distributing and evaluating public service ad campaigns. However, we have provided some insight to those questions that are most important as you travel through the complete cycle from campaign planning to evaluation. In addition to these FAQs, you should also, use the Site Search feature at the top of the PSA Research Center home page to find additional articles on the subjects in which you are interested. If you have questions for which you can’t find an answer, contact Bill Goodwill at bill@goodwillcommunications.com.
Campaign Planning
Q: What are the things I need to think about before hiring an ad agency, or beginning work on budgeting and campaign strategy?
A: There’s no short answer for this question, but we have made it much easier for you to gain insight from experienced PSA producers, ad agency executives and professional distributors by typing “Campaign Planning” into the Search Engine on our site.
There are three articles that may be particularly useful in planning your campaign: Using PSA Strategy to Get Media Support, Twenty Tips for Successful PSAs and Effective PSA Campaigns
Q: What is the best way to handle “kill” dates so we don’t get in trouble with the unions by letting PSAs air beyond the talent agreement?
A: First, make sure that your collateral packaging includes a pull date if there is a definite date when the talent payments expire, because by placing that expiration date on the collateral – storyboards, external label and/or on the tape itself – you have fulfilled your obligation to notify stations. If, however, you did not put a kill date on your package, and you’re not sure at the outset when you will terminate the campaign, then when that date occurs, simply send a postcard to stations telling them to pull the PSA. When trying to decide how to handle this situation, be advised that TV PSA campaigns can still get respectable levels of airplays two years after release and unless you are releasing another campaign to replace what’s airing, you should try to let it air as long as possible to build more value for your efforts.
Q: What are the pros and cons of using celebrities in my campaign?
You should think very long and hard about the decision to use a celebrity, but perhaps more importantly, who that person will be. The public typically reacts very favorably to celebrity spokespersons, and they undoubtedly will generate a fair amount of publicity opportunities for your cause or issue. However, there are definite downsides as well. When using celebrities in PSAs, many people remember the celebrity, and forget the message. Also, if the celebrity is currently airing on a particular TV network show, competing networks, and their affiliates will normally not use the PSAs, for obvious reasons.
Using a celebrity spokesperson can have ethical or moral negatives. For example, how would you like to have spent your valuable production resources on a TV PSA featuring Robert Downey, Jr. just before he was arrested for drug abuse? How would you feel about Kobe Bryant as your spokesperson given his legal problems? Most experts agree that if you are going to use a celebrity, that person should be involved or affected by the issue that you are promoting or of sterling moral character. Paul Newman comes to mind.
For more articles on using celebrities in PSA campaigns, go to http://www.psaresearch.com/biboverall.html.
Creative Considerations
Q: What are the guidelines we need to follow when we have a corporate sponsor which is willing to underwrite a PSA campaign...how do we gain exposure for them such as tagging PSAs with their name?
A: This is a complicated question in that there are a variety of ways - some subtle and some overt - to incorporate your sponsor's name, tag or image into a PSA, and the amount of flexibility you have in terms of "corporate plugs" varies depending upon the medium. Broadcast networks and most broadcast stations will not permit any type of commercialism whatsoever, no matter how subtle and in many cases this includes asking for funds. On the other hand, local cable and radio stations may permit commercial plugs, or visual depictions such as corporate logos.
In the broadcast TV context, most organizations that have been successful with PSAs that are paid for by a corporation, either use a related non-profit foundation to disseminate their PSA message or they find other creative ways to get their message across. Cellular telephone companies, for example, distributed a PSA through their industry trade group promoting the donation of cell phones to Town Watch groups. They got PSA airtime since their foundation was an IRS 501(c)(3) organization and their industry got credit for doing something for public benefit. They also mentioned the tie-in in other non-broadcast promotions such as counter cards, direct mail and paid print ads.
Another non-profit client got a pharmaceutical company to pay for a PSA campaign because they manufactured the leading medicine to cure the ill that was being promoted in the PSA. By funneling their corporate support through the foundation, they were able to get the message out that ultimately will sell more of their product as an adjunct to their paid advertising program without it appearing overtly commercial. This is a smart tactic because studies indicate that PSAs and editorial support have more public credibility than paid ads.
Still another group of interested parties - commercial and non-profit - formed a coalition to address the problem of colo-rectal cancer, calling themselves the National Colo-rectal Roundtable and launching a PSA campaign on the issue.
Finally, we had one client who purchased media time in the very important market of Washington, DC because they had to guarantee a certain level of exposure for their corporate sponsor. The same creative was then distributed to other markets as a PSA, yet there was absolutely no conflict between the two communications techniques.
These are the types of subtle, yet effective ways to get your message aired, exercise greater control over message dissemination and still provide some benefit to your corporate sponsor. For additional insight on the subject, type “Cause Marketing” into the Search Engine on our site.
Q: What spot lengths and print ad sizes are the best to produce?
A: As many as you can afford. The key to getting good placement of PSAs is to provide the media as much flexibility as you can, because it increases the chance that your PSA will get used when there is un-sold time available. This is true in all media - broadcast and print. And, don't overlook sixties...yes we said sixty-second TV spots. SIGMA data indicates that when a :60 is included in the mix, they are used from 56-72 percent of all PSAs aired. It sounds too good to be true, but that's what the data indicates consistently from one campaign to another.
Obviously longer length PSAs are worth a lot more than other shorter lengths and contribute significantly to higher dollar values, which is an important part of campaign evaluation. And perhaps most importantly, you can communicate a much more compelling message with longer length PSAs, particularly if you have to register an 800 phone number or website in the tag which can take ten seconds just by itself.
Every PSA producer should remember that you buy video tape in five-minute increments and it doesn't cost you anything extra to mail additional spots to stations as long as you stay under five minutes in total length, including bars, slates and tone. There's no extra postage, no extra charge for SIGMA tracking...dubbing costs are basically the same - yet you greatly increase your chance of getting something on the air. The graphs below show the importance of providing different spot lengths to stations and the impact of a longer length PSA.
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The article entitled: How You Can Use Evaluation Data to Fine-Tune Your PSA Program expands on TV PSA spot lengths usage.
Essentially the same rules that apply to other media apply to radio, i.e. offer spot length flexibility for best results. Also it is important to offer stations live announcer scripts, as well as recorded spots. Many radio stations in the larger markets will not use pre-recorded PSAs because they want to have their on-air personalities read public interest messages live. This approach helps build a stronger brand image of the station in today's highly competitive radio industry.
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In terms of print, smaller is better than larger PSAs, and you should offer a good mix of sizes in both horizontal and vertical formats. While you will undoubtedly get a few full page magazine and larger size newspaper PSA placements, they are rare. According to an analysis of 498 Peace Corps newspaper PSAs, the most frequently used sizes were 2 columns by 6 inch and 2 columns by 7 inch PSAs (68% of the total). A common mistake many producers make is to produce only or mostly larger ads which look great on the art director’s wall, but stand little chance of getting used.
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For newspapers,
popular PSA sizes using Standard Ad Unit sizes are: 1 column - 2 1/16 x 4"
2 column - 4 1/4 x 7" 2 column - 4 1/4 x 6" 3 column - 6 7/16 x 4"
and 4 column - 8 5/8 x 5"
Following
are minimal sizes for magazine PSAs: Full-page: 7x10" 1/3 page square:
4 3/4" x 4 3/4" 1/6 page: 2 1/16 x 5" half page: 7x4 7/8"
1/3 page vertical: 2 1/16"x 10" 2/3 page vertical: 4 3/4"x
10"
Q: How many different PSAs should we send to the media at the same time?
A: This question is related to the one above but approaches it from a different angle.
While it typically doesn't cost much more to send a large number
of PSAs in the same package, the real question is will the media use them?
Unquestionably, at some point, a large number of PSAs will compete against
themselves for valuable airtime so it is wise to have a well conceived plan
for distributing your messages. For TV, probably anything above six spots
even in different lengths on different topics is the maximum you can expect
to get used. For radio, it is more
complicated due to program formats and and the
amount of time stations have available. However, given all the PSAs
stations receive, they would rather have a good diversity of spot
topics from various non-profits than a bunch from a single source on essentially the
same issue. That being the case,
anything above eight would be considered excess
and ideally those eight spots should be in various lengths or in different
program formats, i.e. musical beds with C&W music, classical, Spanish,
urban, etc. The reason for the latter is that a station might use
something that has been produced to fit with its musical format,
whereas it would otherwise not use the extra spots. A very important thing
to consider is producing messages that permit
the stations to sell airtime around your message. For IRS, we produced
radio "donuts" that give stations the opportunity to sell airtime to
local sponsors. The chance that these types of messages will get
aired is much greater because they bring revenue into the station. If you already
have a large number of PSAs on hand, consider distributing
them in waves, rather than all at once and we believe you will be very
pleased with the results from that decision as compared to sending them
out all at once.
Q: What
topics do media gatekeepers find most helpful? A: Local
issues! Local issues! Local issues! Like politics, all PSAs should
have a local angle. Think about this question the way a local broadcaster
would. My interest as a TV public service director is to increase
my station's ratings because our advertising income depends on ratings.
So, my challenge is to do whatever I can to reach my local viewers.
To do that, I've got to interpret what local issues matter to my viewers
and then use PSAs and other programming to serve these interests. Far
too many producers miss this point, and focus upon great creative and
national or international messages that don't serve the gatekeeper's local
interest. That's why they call them gatekeepers....you need to know what
they want...how they think...what their boss wants them to do... in order
to design campaigns with impact and relevance. There are
many articles on the Broadcasters Cafe section of our site that
speak to this issue, including one entitled Public Service Promotion:
More Than Just Another PSA, written by the former president of the
National Broadcast Association for Community Affairs. The article provides
excellent background on the subject from the station's perspective. Categorically,
health, safety, education, crime prevention, the environment...all the
obvious categories that affect the largest number of people are the issues
broadcasters air most frequently. If your issue doesn't fit one of these
categories, think about a different spin, or position your issue differently
to make it more acceptable and topical. For example, if you develop programs
for overseas development, try to focus on the domestic and local benefits
in your campaign, which we recommended to the Peace Corps and it made
a significant difference in impact. And, if there is any way to portray
and depict children in your TV PSA, take that route. Due to the Children's
Television Act, stations are clamoring for good children's programming
because the FCC requires stations to air a certain number of hours of
positive children’s programming. Q: What is the capacity
of a CD - how much content can we include for radio and print PSA releases? A: Generally, you can get 74 minutes of
audio onto a CD which provides 650 megs of capacity but that could change depending on the file format
you use (see discussion below). In terms of print files, simply calculate the size of each file,
multiply by the number of files and keep the total number under 650 megabytes.
If you have a lot of material which must get packaged on a single disk,
An alternative is to use a DVD which provides 4.9 gigabytes of data, or
over 5 times as much capacity, but it will double the cost of the disk
portion of the package. For radio use, total capacity depends upon the type of file you send, i.e.
.wav versus .mp3. With .wav format, you can get more program material on the disk, but there are
user issues (see topic below).Thus you are better off using the .mp3 format, even if that means putting
less program material on the CD because you will increase the chances it will get used. Q: What is the best file format
for sending PSAs to radio stations?
Q: First, how long are most PSA's?
A: From sixty seconds (:60) being the longest to fifteen (:15) being the shortest. While there is also a ten second length, you can not get enough information in that length to be effective.
Q: Do radio stations usually require money from non-profits?
A: The majority of radio stations use PSAs, especially if they are well written, promote an important issue or cause and are properly crafted. While all radio stations want to sell as much airtime as possible, most of them recognize their responsible programming commitments and set aside a certain segment of their airtime for PSAs. It may be that they will find a sponsor for your particular message which permits them to bring revenue into the station and promote an important cause at the same time.
Q: Do radio stations usually require money from non-profits?
A: The majority of radio stations use PSAs, especially if they are well written, promote an important issue or cause and are properly crafted. While all radio stations want to sell as much airtime as possible, most of them recognize their responsible programming commitments and set aside a certain segment of their airtime for PSAs. It may be that they will find a sponsor for your particular message which permits them to bring revenue into the station and promote an important cause at the same time.
Q: When sending PSAs to stations, will email be ok?
A: Yes, but here are some things to remember when writing the PSAs themselves that will make it easier for stations to use your messages. First, put each of them on separate sheets of paper, typing them in capital letters and double spacing them. That way your scripts can be handed to on-air staff for live reads and by double spacing them the annoucer can make notes on the scripts. The most important thing is to time them using a stop watch or the second hand on your watch to get them as close to perfect timing as possible. If they are not long enough or too long, most likely they will just be discarded.
Q: What do I say to the person who I contact about airing our PSA.
A: First, the person you will speak to could differ, depending upon the size of the station....it could be the public service director, program director, community affairs director, public affairs director or perhaps even a DJ that handles PSAs for the station. To determine who makes that decision, call the station and inquire and then make a list of each of the folks you will be talking to. There are a number of directories that can also help you such as Bacon's, Gebbie's or the M Street Radio Directory and a Google search on "Radio Directories" will provide information on each of them. In your "pitch call" to the right person, tell them who you are and why the PSA is important to the community, recognizing you have about one minute to communicate your key message. They will provide you with guidance on how to prepare your PSA for their particular station. The article on our PSA Research Center, at http://www.psaresearch.com/ssareports/articles/psaprimer.html "How to Place PSAs in Your Community" should also be very helpful.
Q: Do I ask him/her who will read it and how often? Do I have any say over that, or do I just send it in to my contact at the station and hope they find it relevant?
A: No, if they feel it is important enough to make it on the air, it will be used and they will not be able to tell you in advance for certain if it will be used since PSAs are a function of unsold air time and no one knows if or how much unsold inventory exists at any given time. What you should do is send a follow-up message to the person you spoke to in about a week, noting your conversation, attaching another copy of your live-read script and sending a form that will capture usage information. In your note, ask the station if they could send you what is called an "affidavit of usage" or any other feedback to indicate if your PSAs were used and how many times.
Q: How close before my event is considered standard for sending in a PSA?
A: You should send your PSAs to the station at least ten days before the event. And remember, if the station does use your PSAs, send them a note thanking them for their support and you will find them more even more receptive to your request the next time around.
Q: What are the trends, new ideas for getting your message out, facts on marketing to public service directors, and what are the factors that gatekeepers look for when determining whether or not a PSA makes their cut?
A: Since the demise of NBACA - National Broadcast Association for Community Affairs, it is very difficult to make any generalized observations about what PSDs look for when deciding what PSAs to use, but we will give you a few tips based on our many years of attending NBACA and talking to station staff:
- First the airtime has to be available, as that rules all PSA placement, and that differs by market and station
- Second, the organization's spot length has to match the PSA availability, thus our recommendation to create as many different spot lengths as you can, so you increase your chance of getting airtime
- Third is the campaign relevant in terms of local impact? This is one of the most important determinants of getting airtime as all local broadcaster interests and concerns are local, not national, unless it is a network.
- Fourth, is the PSA well produced, with production values that match other programming on the station?
- Fifth is the PSA in the correct video tape format that the station can use?
- Is the PSA attractively packaged so it captures the attention of the broadcaster? Does it provide some brief facts on the nature of the organization, its mission and how the station's viewers and listeners will benefit from the message?
- Is the campaign or PSA something that has universal interest to the
station's viewers or listeners? Is it controversial, i.e. something that
would perhaps make the station provide equal time to the opposing viewpoint
or is it so controversial
that it might alienate the audience? (the last thing on earth the station wants to do). - Finally, is the client buying airtime which could possibly poison the well against PSAs, even though this is becoming less of a problem than it once was. Generally many stations still believe that if funds are available to buy airtime then you should not be asking for it for free.
As for creative ways of getting your message out, the ideas are boundless if there is an ample promotional budget. Some clients stage press conferences, others send out pre-campaign mailers, some stage local events to which the media are invited, some try to have local community partners call stations and still others use non-PSA techniques such as Satellite Media Tours, VNRs and ANRs (Video and Audio News Releases) to reinforce their PSA message. Also see the section below which provides more ideas on how to promote your campaign.
Q: In our PSA copy, how aggressive can we be in terms of fund raising...can we use words such as "We need your help..." in our PSAs and still qualify for PSA airtime?
A: Here is what CBS Network says about fund raising appeals and this is fairly typical of the clearance procedures for all broadcast networks and their affiliates: "CBS accepts public service announcements which make tasteful general appeals for financial support. A direct appeal for funds such as 'send your check to...' 'send your contributions to....' 'please make a donation...' may not be acceptable. Statements such as 'please help to support...' are acceptable."
To take this discussion a step further, if you really want to get a ruling direct from the source, contact any of the clearance directors at the "big four" TV networks. They are paid to insure that the PSAs submitted to them conform to certain standards and language. If you want a list of network clearance directors, refer to the article titled: Network Clearance - A Producer's Checklist.
Promotion
Q: What do you do to “pitch” or promote PSAs?
A: The promotional techniques to be used will differ by media type. For example, When working with media editorial departments to place stories, video news releases, etc., it is customary to place phone calls to media representatives to "pitch" or sell the story or video material. However, with PSAs it is a little different, especially for TV. Most broadcasters indicate that phone calls to encourage usage are a nuisance unless they are handled properly and provide something of inherent value to the station. (See the question below dealing with Telemarketing)
There are a variety of other things we do to promote a client’s PSA including:
- Sending pre-campaign alerts to stations
- Sending
a special newsletter we produce called Broadcasters Café to stations,
which features new campaigns we’ve recently released (Click on
hotlink below to see sample)
Broadcasters Cafe Newsletter - Using bold and creative packaging concepts to call attention to the PSA to include facts on the issue or campaign we are promoting
- Breaking distribution lists down by local offices (chapters, affiliates, etc.) with information on which stations have used the client’s PSAs previously to help with local follow-up contacts
- Sending press releases to trade magazines covering the broadcasting, mass communications, advertising and print media
- Engaging the media in some creative way such as encouraging them to run editorials supporting your issue, arranging for a remote broadcast at a special event, or promoting your special event on air.
- Sending letters of appreciation to media outlets that used your PSAs, presenting a certificate of appreciation or plaque to station management or perhaps handwritten notes to your contacts. The Client Corner section of our corporate website has many different samples of packaging collateral, pre-campaign alerts and follow-up materials. For a password to the site, send an email to: bill@goodwillcommunications.com.
For other media – radio and print – we rarely ever do any type of promotion simply because the competition to get PSAs on TV is most intense and that’s where the lion’s share of exposure will occur. Also, the decision-making process at other media is much more diffused and we may or may not know exactly who the decision-maker is, making follow-up contacts much more difficult.
Q: Is telemarketing helpful in getting media outlets to use a PSA?
A: In some cases, telemarketing can be helpful. However, we do not believe that simply calling stations and asking them ‘did you get our PSA and are you going to use it’ will be productive. First, there is the issue of cost. Our experience shows you must make a minimum of three calls to get one successful connection with the appropriate individual at the station. Secondly, stations are being bombarded with these type of calls that many regard as a nuisance and are increasingly using voice mail to screen calls. If it is the same old survey, asking the same tired old questions, they simply won’t respond. When and if you get through, here are some predictable responses, based on many attempts we’ve made to contact stations over the years:
- We did not get the tape at all; send another one.
- We don't remember getting the tape; send another one.
- The person you sent it to is no longer with the station and we have no way of determining receipt. If you want us to consider your PSA, send another one.
What everyone soliciting earned media time needs to know is that:
- Many stations do not have a good log system to tell them if they received a particular PSA or not.
- Many stations won't take the time to look through their stack of PSAs because they are understaffed and overworked.
- Many stations will say anything to get the caller off the phone because they receive so many calls asking the same questions that he quickest way to terminate the conversation is to ask the caller to ‘send another tape’ which is very costly to the PSA producer.
If you must do telemarketing, find a way to engage the public service director in some meaningful way. One way to do it, is to have someone from the local community make the calls because it will mean a lot more than calls placed from a national telemarketing firm or from national staff. Secondly, try to emphasize the importance of the problem or solution being offered by your PSA in local terms. Cite local statistics and how the station can help solve the problem locally. If your PSA promotes literature or a website, send samples to the public service director so she can see what will be sent to her viewers.
There is one medium where our clients have successfully employed telemarketing and that is with magazines. The decision-making process is more diffused with magazines and it is difficult to tell exactly who the appropriate person is to get PSAs. Accordingly, follow-up calls to magazines - particularly those with the largest circulations - can pay dividends, and replacement packages are comparatively inexpensive to send if that is required.
Distribution
Q: Why should we retain the services of an external distributor; wouldn't it be much cheaper to buy media lists and distribute the PSAs ourselves?
A: As with many things in life, you get what you pay for. In a few cases of which we are aware such as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, PSAs can be distributed successfully using internal resources, but they have spent years developing local coalitions which help them get PSAs to stations.
There are a variety of things to consider in PSA distribution above and beyond just having a media list. For example, TV stations now prefer getting PSAs in a variety of different dub formats (we distribute PSAs in six different tape formats) and if you don't send stations what they want, your chances of getting airtime are slim. In a universe of at least 40,000 mass media outlets, you also must know which media outlets do and do not use PSAs to maximize your resources. Finally, there are complex evaluation procedures that require sophisticated reporting software to provide meaningful results.
A professional distribution service offers these services and can handle all the other details associated with getting a campaign out to the right person at the right time and in the right format saving valuable internal resources. If you were to factor all your costs – including staff time - to do the job internally and weigh that against what you get in media exposure, professionally distributed campaigns are probably a better value. Finally, a good distributor will help guide you through the entire process of PSA campaign development from positioning to placement and that should be a valuable consideration.
Q: We have a PSA that has been distributed previously, but is still very relevant. Is it possible to “recycle” it to save production costs and will it get used?
A: Sending PSAs to stations a second time - if properly executed - can actually generate more exposure the second time around. Some of our military clients have re-distributed TV PSAs two and even three times (see article by clicking on the link below.) Keep in mind that there is a tremendous turnover in community affairs personnel at most broadcast stations and they often don’t have a good logging system to tell them what has been aired previously.
If you decide to re-distribute your PSA, there are two things you should consider:
- you need to insure that your talent and music payments will cover the re-release
- you should change the external packaging to give it a fresh look, at least changing the colors of the packaging collateral
For more information, including a graph showing results of campaigns that have been re-released, click on: Recycling TV PSAs - How to Stretch Scarce Production Budgets.
Q: Are more stations moving to digital tape formats instead of analog?
A: You have raised a very good question, but a difficult one, because no one knows when the shift to digital among TV stations is going to be complete and when each station will have new equipment.
We track the preferred video tape format for every station in the U.S. and currently there is no evidence from our data to suggest that most stations want digital tape. What we are seeing is a gradual shift away from the lesser quality formats such as 1 inch and 3/4 inch to BETA SP, which we believe will become the standard in the near future. Over a longer term, there will unquestionably be more demand for digital tape as stations shift to completely digital progamming. Presently there are four digital formats - Digi Beta, DVCam, DVC Pro and Mini DV. Typically we request our clients to have their agencies or production houses provide a Digi Beta master because it provides much greater quality than analog formats and thus any tapes replicated from the higher quality master have improved quality as well. While all digital formats provide significantly greater quality, they are significantly more expensive than analog formats and thus we need to strike a balance between what the stations want and our distribution budget. Hopefully as dub houses install more digital replication equipment, and their volume increases, prices of digital tapes will be less expensive. The graph below shows the current dub format break down for all broadcast and cable TV stations in our master database.
Q: How do you build a distribution list?
A: There are several factors we consider when building a distribution list and this generally applies to all media. First, you should know the previous usage practices of the media outlets in your distribution plan. The highest priority are those that have used a particular client’s PSAs previously, then we look at something called the Previous Usage Index (PUI) for the media outlet – the number of times they have used all our clients’ PSAs.
For radio, we look at the PUI as well as the program format for the station and attempt to match the station’s radio program format with the client’s primary audience. Also, with radio there many stations which simulcast programming – broadcasting the same basis programs on their AM and FM stations. To avoid duplication and save money, we send PSAs to only the FM station because it typically has a stronger signal.
For print media, we build custom magazine mailing lists with publications that reach the client’s target audience and for newspapers, we use the PUI, the type of newspaper - dailies vs weeklies - and circulation size to build our distribution lists.
Q: Is it better to distribute more than one PSA on the same tape?
A: It depends upon what you are trying to accomplish and your budget. If the choice is between sending two different PSAs in the same length, versus sending the same PSA in different lengths, we would usually recommend the latter. Giving stations as much flexibility as possible on spot lengths is critical to getting your message on the air because of the random nature of unsold air time. If you have the spot length that matches the “avail,” you stand a much greater chance of getting something aired. However, there are no absolutes in the PSA distribution business.
For example, if you have two spots - one with a mainstream message, and the other more controversial, you may want to include both in the same package to give stations options. Obviously it is better that you get something on the air than nothing. However, in many cases, by offering too many options, you will be competing against yourself.
We believe you would get a lot more mileage out of the PSAs by releasing them in two waves, versus distributing them all at the same time. There is only so much time available, and most public service directors are not going to use all the PSAs you send them just because they happen to be on the same tape. But here again, other circumstances need to be considered such as budget. If you can only afford to send out one campaign, and you have a number of different PSAs in your library that are current, you may want to send them to give stations flexibility in subject matter and spot length.
You do need to know, however, that putting more than five or six PSAs on a videotape will increase your cost without question because you must use a much longer video tape than normal (five minutes is the cost break). Also, it may cost more to track via A.C. Nielsen (ten is the maximum number of spots for the basic fee), and you may have to do a different type of storyboard than is typical to accommodate the different spots.
There is very little data to support the "more versus less" distribution strategy. For one client that distributed ten different PSAs in the same package (most were the same spot length) they generated no more exposure than a typical PSA package with only four spots in it (same spot, different lengths). Obviously other factors such as message content, production values, local impact, etc. have some bearing on the results, but generally less is more in this context IF you provide maximum flexibility on spot lengths and print ad sizes.
Q: With today's satellite technology, why shouldn't PSAs be distributed via satellite, rather than going to the expense and time to replicate and distribute PSAs via tape and CD?
A: Satellite distribution works very effectively with Video News Releases (VNRs), and ANRs (Audio News Releases), or anything directed to the news side of the broadcast station. However, PSAs are not directed to broadcast news departments; they are sent to public service or community affairs directors who are not used to getting PSAs via satellite. They presently get all the PSAs they could ever hope to use, dropped conveniently on their desk without worrying about satellite coordinates or interfacing with the news department. Accordingly, adding anything that requires work by the public service director is one more reason for them not to use your PSA.
In a test for the National Eye Institute, a PSA was distributed via both hard copy and satellite, and then tracked separately by SIGMA. Feedback on satellite usage included a half dozen stations, all of them in smaller markets, versus usage on 91 stations which aired the hard copy version 2,606 times including many large market stations. This test indicated hard copies were used on significantly more stations, than usage generated by satellite transmission.
For radio, some of the same principals that apply to TV are true, but due to the large number of radio stations, many stations can not be reached by satellite techniques and tracking is either non-existent or prohibitively expensive. Increasingly, PSA producers and distributors are employing a “pull” strategy, meaning they post radio and print PSAs on their website and then notify the media to download them. For TV, file size and quality preclude using websites to deliver PSAs via this method at this time.
Q: What's the relationship between the networks and their affiliates - if we get the networks to use our PSAs, does it mean they will run nationally?
A: While you should attempt to get the "big five" (Warner Brothers and United Paramount Networks don't use PSAs at this time) to accept your PSAs, it doesn't mean they are going to air them on national television. The networks feed PSAs to their affiliates in what is called an “uncovered position,” meaning they can be pre-empted by local affiliates in favor of a locally paid spot, a locally-produced PSA, or even one that is distributed to them by a national distributor. In these situations, they have no obligation to use PSAs fed to them by their parent network. For this reason, it is very important that you also distribute a hard copy videotape with your PSA to the network affiliates which greatly increases your chance of getting something on the air. For more information about this subject, see the article entitled: Network Clearance - A Producer's Checklist.
Q: What is the best way to package PSAs to maximize usage?
A: Depending upon your budget, you can spend more than $10 each for just the TV package in which your PSAs are sent to stations, but we do not believe overly elaborate packages increase usage, and in fact, can actually have a negative impact on how they are viewed by gatekeepers. Keep in mind, by definition, you must work for a non-profit or governmental agency to qualify for PSA airtime and space. If you produce very expensive packages, the media may wonder if you are using your organization’s resources judiciously.
For our clients, we use the very lowest cost, highest impact packages we can produce with the goal of using our distribution budget to target the maximum number of outlets. For samples of how we package client PSAs, send an email to bill@goodwillcommunications.com.
Q: What is the best way of packaging Spanish PSAs?
Where possible, you should include both English and Spanish PSAs all in the same video or audio package, even though they will be used by completely different types of stations. The same is true if you have a radio PSA aimed at discrete audiences such as college students, African-Americans, etc. There are some media outlets that will use both formats because they have both English and English speaking audiences. Most importantly, by ganging the PSAs together, it saves you a significant amount of money as compared to producing a completely separate package. Obviously if you are releasing the two different campaigns at different times this packaging procedure won't apply. However, for the most part ganging both English and Spanish together works well because you take advantage of the fact that your costs are covered via the English package and there is up to five minutes of video time and 80 minutes of capacity on a CD to work with. Also, keep in mind that only the creative message itself needs to be in Spanish as most people working in American media outlets are bi-lingual.
Q: To whom should I send my PSAs?
A: The key contact is different depending on the medium. For television, there may be several people who typically make the PSA decision, depending upon the size of the station and their community affairs policy. It is either the Public Service Director, the Director of Community Affairs, or the Program Director. At smaller stations the General Manager may be the contact person. The GM usually has a heavy influence on program policies, regardless of size. At radio stations the decision-making is more diffused, and again, it depends upon the size of the station. Larger stations will likely have a Public Service Director, but at smaller stations the Program Director, Station Manager, and perhaps even the Engineer or disk jockey could get involved in putting your PSAs on the air.
At print outlets, and this is very important, don't send PSAs to the editorial department. Remember, print media - like all others - is split into two camps... business and editorial. PSAs - are advertisements - even if they are being run pro-bono - and should be directed to the Advertising Director, Publisher or Production Director for both magazines and newspapers. Most importantly, to the extent possible, you should send PSAs to a specific person, rather than to a generic title. Being aware of all the little details can help you get your message on the air, or in print, and the personal touch can make the difference in getting your materials used or sent to the round file. And, speaking of the personal touch, don't forget to say thank you to those media outlets that use your PSAs. These dedicated professionals provide non-profits with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free time and space each year. Don't you think that deserves a simple thanks?
If you don't think so, read the article by clicking on this link: "Hard Being Good - Worthy Causes but Unworthy Ads".
Q: What are the best times to distribute a PSA?
A: While most any time of the year is appropriate given the long shelf life of a typical PSA campaign, there are some times that are better than others and it also differs by medium. For TV, there is generally more time available in the first half of the year in terms of unsold inventory, particularly the first quarter. However, that is also when more organizations distribute PSAs, so things could be a little tight until new releases are absorbed into the system. For radio, the summer time is when there are more people out of home and in their cars so that is a good time to distribute a campaign, particularly if you are trying to reach young people. For all media, the fourth quarter, particularly right after the Thanksgiving holiday is not the best time to distribute PSAs, due to the heavy paid schedules prior to Christmas. Perhaps the most optimum time is the week immediately after Christmas because it is a very slow sales period among the media and you can pre-empt other organizations that will be distributing their campaigns at the first of the year.
Also, it is a good idea to tie the release of your campaign in with other promotional activities and special community events such as the Race for the Cure, the MS Walkathon or Earth Day. The media often focuses editorial attention on these issues which can reinforce the impact of your PSAs.
Q: What is the best way to distribute outdoor PSAs?
Due to the high cost of producing outdoor billboard paper and other unique attributes, outdoor needs to be handled very differently than other kinds of media. Rather than spending a lot of money to produce sizes that may never be used, our approach is to solicit the media on the types of sizes and quantities they will use prior to producing the billboard paper and then fulfill based on our solicitation requests. We have completed this type of placement effort for a number of clients with considerable success. For additional information on how we distribute outdoor, send an email to Bill Goodwill at: bill@goodwillcommunications.com for a password.
Paid vs PSAs
Q: If we were to consider buying airtime in some markets and soliciting PSAs in others, is that a viable strategy?
A: It can be if it is handled properly and with great care. There was a time when trying to purchase paid airtime/space and run a PSA campaign at the same time in any medium and for any length of time would have been the kiss of death for the PSA component. However, that is no longer the case. Today, there is perhaps no such thing as "pure" PSAs. The ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) purchases paid ads and asks the media to give matching PSA placements for each paid ad. There is something called the Non-Commercial Sustaining Agreement, which involves airing what are essentially “PSA’s,” but money is paid to the state broadcast association. The advantage to this arrangement is better placement than what one would get via conventional PSAs. And there are arrangements such as corporate sponsorships which can blur the line on paid-vs-PSAs as well. Many of the military services - in fact most of them now days - employ both paid and PSAs apparently at no detriment to either technique.
Some media outlets which don't want to jeopardize their chances at getting income have been willing to overlook this apparent conflict. Other media - including the networks - believe if you have money to buy the time, you should not be trying to get it for free. The real conflict comes when you have money for a limited time, or for limited markets. Later, you most likely will experience problems when you solicit PSAs in those markets among stations which did not participate in the paid media effort, but had given you PSA support previously.
Paying for a very limited time, or on a selected basis, is preferable to a very aggressive, in your face campaign. For example, one of our clients buys time in the Washington, DC market, but is distributing the same spots as PSAs in all other markets. To avoid conflict between the two, we block out Washington, DC from our PSA distribution plan.
As a general rule, buying media time in one medium, will not affect PSA support in another medium. Unless the paid spots or print ads are clearly labeled as such, it is difficult for anyone to determine whether they are paid or PSAs. On the other hand, local media sales representative have a history of sharing information on who is spending money in their market, so it may be difficult to keep your paid placements a secret. For further background on the subject, refer to the following articles: Tough Competition for Free TV and Paid vs Donated PSAs.
Q: Aren't
most PSAs broadcast in "junk time" from midnight to 6 AM when
no one is watching TV or listening to radio? A: Various
studies, particularly data from the Nielsen SIGMA system show that in
one campaign after another, the majority (from 50-65%) of all PSAs air
in the more desirable dayparts - from 7 AM to 11:30 PM. A benchmark composite
showing usage from seven different PSA campaigns showed that on average,
56% of all PSAs aired in these dayparts. You may say that with so many
working women today, PSAs that air during the day don't reach enough people.
But if that is true, Proctor and Gamble should fire their advertising
agency because they sure buy a lot of paid spots during this time. Also,
if young people are your primary target, they like to stay up late and
watch music videos, movies and other programs that are broadcast in the
late evening. So again, late night is not necessarily bad time. The graphs
below show usage by daypart for two typical campaigns using SIGMA data.
Evaluation:
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If you think all PSAs are used when no one is listening or watching, take some time to browse the articles under PSA Bibliography - Campaign Effectiveness; it may change your thinking.
Q: I've never seen our PSAs...do they really work and how do we know?
A: The scholarly literature on the subject is somewhat limited, but there certainly is empirical evidence that PSAs are a cost-effective way to reach the public about important issues and causes. Notice we didn't say anything about changing behavior or attitudes which is a complicated undertaking and a long-term objective. However, if delivering impressions to an audience, getting people to phone, visit a website, or getting volunteers are your goals, there is ample evidence that PSAs can meet these objectives. For example, a campaign we launched for the USDA generated over 31,000 requests for a packet on soil conservation. Over a seven year period our Peace Corps PSA work generated 782,000 leads, resulting in 58,558 applications, 21,456 invitations to join, and 18,028 actual Volunteers. Another campaign we launched for the National Institute on Aging generated over 40,000 requests for their exercise brochure uniquely promoted in their TV PSAs.
The research data on PSA effectiveness includes two studies posted to our Research Center. One compares the effectiveness of paid advertising vs PSAs, and the other was conducted by the Advertising Research Foundation. For more details, click on this link Campaign Effectiveness.
For broadcast TV, which will generate the majority of PSA exposure, we use the A.C. Nielsen’s “SIGMA” monitoring service which tracks PSA usage in all 212 U.S. TV markets. Each month a report is generated to show in exact second detail when and where exposure has been generated. For more detail see question below on SIGMA tracking.
Q: How much dollar value can we expect to generate from our PSA campaign?
Obviously there are many different factors that affect how much usage any given PSA campaign will receive, including the relevancy of the issue, time of year it is released, media awareness of your issue, how the PSA was distributed, promotional activity, creative quality and which media you use just to name a few. Assuming a multi-media approach and professional distribution, the following benchmark data is taken from dozens of campaigns we have distributed.
On average a broadcast TV PSA itself will generate exposure in 166 markets on 213 stations and 13,000 airplays for six months. If our cable distribution service is included in the distribution plan, cable usage will add 11,000 more airplays on average to the total.
For radio, you can expect to have your PSAs used more than 50,000 times on nearly 600 stations, generating $732,000 in value (a reminder postcard will generate about 10 percent additional value). Print PSAs will be used on average by 1,299 publications (986 weeklies, 288 dailies and 25 magazines) generating an average value of $325,000.
Also, the length of time you monitor your campaign can have a significant impact on values. The number of broadcast TV airplays on average increases to 22,000 if you extend monitoring of your campaign for twelve months. The following graph shows the results of tracking at different periods.
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Miscellaneous Questions
Q: Does the federal public interest standard still remain? (i.e. Are all TV stations required to air messages that benefit the public interest?). Is this standard an official FCC regulation that all stations must adhere to, regardless of what state or municipality they are located in? And, are there specific ways in which these requirements are measured?
A:This topic is somewhat difficult to answer definitively because each station interprets and fulfills the 'public interest' requirement in a different way. However, there are some things that are common to all broadcast stations, but we must be careful of the nuances of the requirements because with the exception of children's programming, stations are not required to air messages in the public interest (assuming by this you mean PSAs).They are required to broadcast in the public interest, which is a much broader context. But, when it comes to airing children's programs, according to the Children's Television Act, the FCC does mandate that stations air a certain number of hours of positive children’s programming each month. The FCC will actually fine them if they do not meet that standard and complete reports on how much time is being devoted to children's issues. So, in that specific context, it is technically correct to say the FCC requires stations to air a prescribed number of PSAs. Also, remember cable TV is not regulated by the FCC so their obligations to the public interest are very different and they are much more flexibile in the types of programming they use. As far as the type of programming stations air to meet FCC requirements, community calendars, editorials of interest to their viewing/listening audience, longer specials and perhaps even participating in community events would all fulfill that requirement, along with PSAs.
Q:What are "ISCI codes" and how do I get one for my next TV PSA release?"
A: When submitting
TV PSAs to the "big four" broadcast networks in New York, they may require
that you add an ISCI Code to your PSA which stands for "International Standard
Commercial Identification," a code assigned to each commercial (and some
PSAs) for identification purposes. ISCI's 4.4-billion codes are issued by
the American Association of Advertising Agencies. To get an ISCI code assigned
to your next project, contact: Louise O'Gara, Manager, ISCI Phone: 212-682-2500
or email: louise@aaaa.org.
Q: Where
does my organization get help ... how can we get started in developing
a campaign? A: See the
list of organizations that can possibly help you by clicking on Getting Help. Many local
- and in some cases - national, highly respected advertising agencies
will produce your PSAs pro-bono, although you will still most likely have
to defray production costs and direct expenses. Another technique is to
contact a good broadcast or print journalism school and involve them in
your effort. Some schools of mass communications are very sophisticated,
and with assistance from faculty, can produce some very creative messages.
Or, perhaps
your area has an advertising club that will take on your campaign as a
community service project. Finally, don't overlook possible funding sources
from corporations, foundations, or associations with a vested interest
in your subject. Increasingly many companies know that getting involved
with social issues makes good marketing sense. For more
information on how corporations are tying in with non-profits to sponsor
cause marketing programs, click on Cause
Marketing. Q:
Print PSAs seem to be the “weak sister” of our campaign.
What can we do to get more print PSAs published, particularly magazines?
From a distribution
perspective, print in some ways is the most challenging medium to get
PSAs placed because of the diffused decision-making at newspapers and
magazines. Unlike broadcast media, where there is usually one or
two people who make the decision about PSA usage, it could be a variety
of different decision-makers at print, ranging from the Ad Director to
the Production Department. Our clients who have been most successful
with magazine placements had their staff make follow-up phone calls to
magazines to insure that the appropriate person got the PSAs and if not,
new packages were sent. Also, you can ask your distributor to sort
their mailing list by circulation size or by type of publication so you
zero in on those that are most important to your issue. Some of the
blame could be due to weak creative. For a treatise on this subject,
review the article, Why
Bad Things Happen to Good Causes or perhaps more importantly,
make sure your creative team or ad agency reads this important document.
For additional information, read: The
Case for Print PSAs.
Q: What are the standard banner ad sizes?
A: According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), which is the leading online global advertising industry trade association, the following sizes are standards in the industry:
Standard Banners: (sizes in pixels)
Banners
& Buttons
728 x 090
468 x 060
120 x 240
234 x 060
125 x 125
120 x 090
120 x 060
088 x 031
Rectangles
180 x 150
240 x 400
250 x 250
300 x 250
336 x 280
Skyscrapers
160 x 600
120 x 600
For additional information on banner ads, go to click on Banner Specifications.
