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Myths
and Frequently Asked Questions
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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: 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 campaigns we’ve distributed to stations(Click on
link below to see sample)
Broadcasters Cafe Newsletter - Using bold and creative packaging concepts to call attention to the PSA, including facts on the issue. The Client Corner section of our corporate website has many different samples of packaging collateral, pre-campaign alerts and follow-up materials. Go to: Client Corner.
- 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.
- Contacting the broadcast and cable networks to pitch your PSA to them.
- Sending letters of appreciation to media outlets that used your PSAs, presenting a plaque to station management, or perhaps sending handwritten notes to your contacts.
For other media we rarely do any type of promotion because the decision-making process is much more diffused, making productive follow-up contacts very difficult. Also, since TV contributes most of the campaign exposure - typically 85% - it is best to focus attention on that medium.
Q: Is telemarketing helpful in getting media outlets to use a PSA?
A: As noted above, telemarketing
to networks can be very productive and we do it with nearly every campaign we launch.
When it comes to local stations, however, we do not believe that calling stations from the
national level, 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 increasingly they use 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: 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, go to www.goodwillcommunications.com/CSP_CC_ChecklistsTemplates.aspx.
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, go to
www.goodwillcommunications.com/gc_support_client_corner-frameset.asp?page=gc_support_client_corner-outdoor.asp
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: Beyond the normal
metrics of advertising equivalency, Gross Impressions, etc., how else can PSA values help
a non-profit? A*: There is an important,
but widely unknown rule governing how "in-kind contributions"
are treated by non-profits, which includes PSA air time value. There is a rule issued by
the Financial Accounting Board in 1993 called Financial Accounting Standard number 116 (FAS 116),
titled "Accounting for Contributions Received and Contributions Made." This line item can be found
in the non-profits' 990 tax return. FAS 116 is a quick and easy way for non-profits to legitimately manipulate their financial results.
Those results, in turn, are open to the public and used by rating organizations such as GiveWell,
Charity Navigator, or the Better Business Bureau, to evaluate non-profits. In this era of complete
transparency, there are large and small donors who also look at this ratio to catch scams and identify
the most efficient organizations. This rule requires that non-profits recognize the value of all donated services on their financial
statements. The donation can be, for example, free rent in an office building, free legal services,
or free media advertising time/space. These donations must be added to cash and other donations in
arriving at revenues, to show the full amount of resources provided to the organization. Then, the
organization must show the amount of free services provided as an expense. The expenses might be
rent (for donated office space), legal expense (for donated legal services), or promotion expense
(for free media, like from a PSA). These expenses are then classified as either “cause/mission
related," or “overhead.” PSAs are generally classified as cause related expenses. Generally
speaking, a non-profit wants their books to reflect the maximum spent on mission related activities,
and wants to minimize the amount shown as overhead or administrative expenses. So where is the benefit for a non-profit? It comes in measuring the ratio of cause expenses
to total revenues. In the case of a PSA, the expense is cause related because it provides the
public with information about the cause and thus 100% of the PSA airtime generated, can be
treated as a cause related expense. If a non-profit wants to increase the percentage of total
revenue spent on cause related expenses - a key ratio by which non-profits are evaluated - adding
PSA values to cause related expenses really helps. But there is more. Because every dollar spent in PSA expenditures generates many more times
what is spent in ad equivalency, PSAs become a powerful tool to improve an organization’s
financial ratio. That is because ad equivalency has a multiplier-effect between the amount
spent to produce and distribute a PSA and ultimate values generated, with 25, 50 and even 75
to 1 multipliers being common. Most important of all, this is not an abuse of the accounting
rule, but a required application of the rule. *The technical
explanation was provided by a Certified Public Accountant with experience
in PSA valuations. 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 SpotTrac 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 Nielsen SpotTrac data.
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 “SpotTrac” monitoring service which tracks PSA usage
in all 212 U.S. TV markets. (See earlier question on how it works). 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.
Evaluation:
|
Q:
Are there other methods to tracking of radio PSAs other than just business
reply cards (BRCs)?
A: Yes there are new electronic tracking procedures being developed and
we have tested on of them called MediaGuide, which tracks PSA usage on
2,500 radio stations in major markets. It uses passive monitoring technology,
meaning that there is no code that has to be embedded on the creative
master such as the case with the Nielsen TV tracking system. The schematic
below shows how the technology works and our software is programmed to
avoid redundant reporting between this data and that received via BRCs.
Miscellaneous Questions
Q: If we get a for-profit sponsor to pay for a PSA campaign, will that in any way affect our PSAs from getting used and why would they underwrite a campaign unless they were to be mentioned in the PSA?
A: The answer to the first question is no, because the media wouldn't know if a for profit sponsor was involved, since they are not being mentioned in the PSA itself. As for the second question, there are various ways a sponsor could benefit from underwriting a campaign. First, the only restriction to their being mentioned in the PSAs are for broadast and cable media. There are no restrictions for print, outdoor point-of-purchase collateral, etc. So it may be worthwhile for the client to contribute or underwrite the campaign, knowing they will get mentioned in other media.
Secondly, different sponsors might underwrite a campaign for different reasons. For example, the company that produces the leading sleep aid donated funds to the National Sleep Foundation for a PSA campaign, knowing that if a person goes to see their doctor, their medication would most likely be presecribed, so that is the payback.
In another example, a leading financial brokerage company provided substantial financial support to a non-profit organization which encourages people about the need to save in its PSA messages. Why would they do this? They had more brick and mortar stores than any other brokerage for one reason, so they probably figured they would get their fair share of business. The other reason is they recognized their public service obligation, which is why most companies underwrite PSA campaigns.
In another example, an organization representing car manufacturers donated funds to a campaign encouraging safe driving because they were connected to the issue, and also their name could be used in airport dioramas not governed by restrictions that apply to broadcast TV.
Q: What are "ISCI codes" and how do I get one for my next TV PSA release?
A: The ISCI code system has been replaced by what is called Ad-ID, a Web-based system that generates a unique identifying code for each advertising asset, creating a capability to identify them across all media. Developed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) and the Association of National Advertisers, (ANA), Ad-ID upgrades the previous ISCI commercial coding system, "greatly improving workflow between agency, advertiser, distributor and medium." There is no cost for a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To download the appropriate forms, go to http://www.www.ad-id.org/501c .
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 Banner Report.
