Top of the radio hit parade: Health PSAs

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Here we go with the top issues of the radio community service directors this week: the most mentioned and highest-ranking concerns from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico, hot off the charts of the National Media Survey of Radio Community Service Directors!

Getting right down to the nitty gritty on the hit parade, the numero-uno chart topper is the health of radio listeners.  This was the consensus of the 100+ radio community service directors surveyed across the United States.  Health came in as the most important specific issue for stations to support and the issue they most wanted our government to take on with public service advertising.

After mentioning diseases affecting their communities, radio media directors flipped their focus to human behaviors associated with health.  These ranged from a person acting on a prevention-related service (e.g., vaccinations) to modifying lifestyle choices (e.g., eating healthy).

The findings underscore the very consequential role that public service advertising plays with respect to health.  While human behavior is hard to change, it is possible, and public service campaigns are a proven means to that end.

But that’s not where the positive news end.  The hits just keep on coming!  Not only do radio media directors believe public service advertising is very or extremely useful, 12% project a rise in the time allotted for PSAs.  A further 82 out of 97 predict that PSA time will remain stable, even in these continued tough economic times.

So, in the immortal words of Casey Kasem, “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. And keep your radio tuned right where it is.”

Along with listening to America’s Top 40, we now have another reason to stay tuned:  Our radio stations are committed to solving the health and social issues affecting our lives and those we love.  That’s a “hit” that’s likely to be holding steady on our charts for quite some time to come.

Posted in Health, Health Marketing, Market Research, Marketing, PSAs, Research, Sectors, Social Marketing, Social Media, Surveys | 1 Comment »

SHOOT FOR THE GOLD STANDARD: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ADVERTISING

Friday, February 26th, 2010

This month Adweek-Harris Interactive released its results from a survey assessing U.S. adult perceptions on the trustworthiness of advertising.  The survey looked at advertising by five industry  sectors: auto, drink, food, financial services, and pharmaceutical.  Among these, drink advertising ranked as the most trusted; financial services, the least.

The implication is that if an industry’s ads are not viewed as trustworthy, an individual company’s advertising may be negatively impacted across the board.  They will have a tougher task developing an effective message, with the credibility of their communication tainted by consumer perception of the category overall.

We couldn’t agree more.  Credible advertising by companies and industries should,  unquestionably, serve as the standard.  Noral, however, would like to remind that the bar needs to be set even higher:  We need advertising that is socially responsible.

Last year Noral conducted the National Media Survey and looked at the question of social responsibility for the same advertising sectors as Adweek-Harris Interactive.  We, however,  had posed our questions to Television Media Directors, or those people who understand and assess the needs of community, for the sake of programming and PSA’s.  Who better to appreciate that advertising has a responsibility to be even more than just truthful and credible when it comes to their viewers?

Looking at the results, side-by-side, and bearing in mind the very different research approaches and time periods, the surveys are mutually reinforcing on a couple of points.   The food category performed strongly on trustworthiness and social responsibility in both surveys.  On the opposite side of the spectrum, the financial sector did poorly.

The many issues that the financial sector has had to assess this year suggests that the standards for their advertising should be added to the industry’s priority list.

And for all of us in the advertising industry, when we’re assessing our own advertising, let’s strive for the triumvirate: advertising that can be effective because it is also trustworthy and socially responsible.

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Posted in Finances, Food, Surveys | No Comments »

A Recipe for Good Fathering: One sword, a dose of love and plenty of time

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

That’s the key message in the recently named Best PSA, Swashbucklers, sponsored by The Church of Latter Day Saints.

Media directors from across the country cited this spot as their pick to represent best practices among the PSA campaigns they receive and support. So what makes it a standout?

In this movie trailer cum PSA, there is certainly enough drama and production quality to satisfy even Stephen Spielberg. As a father and son battle the 16th-century lords and protect the princess, we feel our adrenalin surge. The production standards and storyline are enough to make it a smash hit generally, let alone among media directors.

Production quality aside, media directors say the most appealing factor driving their likes/dislikes is the relevance of the issue. In picking Swashbucklers and “fathering,” media directors are tightly aligned with the new administration, which has made a point of highlighting “good parenting” and “parenting skills” as important issues for our country. As one media director put it, “Good people begin with good parents.”

The message is a welcome relief from PSAs that err on the side of fear tactics, are far too sobering to consider enjoyable in any sense, and sometimes even border on the unsuitable for family viewing. This PSA instructs through positive role modeling. There is no heavy voiceover delivering a finger-wagging strategy statement to lectured viewers. The single voiceover sentence simply invites viewers to “Imagine what a little time will do for your family.” And imagining is what this fantastic fantasy spot is all about.

Because while the spot is a metaphor for imagining what good parenting is and is not, it is imagining what fun parenting can be. It is a reminder that good parenting is not just about setting restrictions, saying no and enforcing behaviors. It is about laying a foundation of caring, trust and laughter that will help develop the parent-child bond. That’s a bond that parents can hope to rely on when the topics for discussion get a whole lot tougher than saving the princess.

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A Bright Spot in the Advertising Arena

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
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The recession has created a world of worry for advertising.
U.S. and worldwide ad spending has been dragged down
and the prospects remain discouraging at best.

But not all the news is doom and gloom. As demand for paid-advertising has declined, it appears the number of timeslots for public service advertising (PSAs) is on the rise.

According to the National Media Survey of Television Community Service Directors released this week by Noral Group International, Inc, media directors see a bright spot for PSAs at their stations.

Noral interviewed 130 television community service directors across the U.S.  Twenty-five percent project a rise in the time allotted for PSAs, and a further 6 out of 10 said that PSA time will hold stable even while other advertising declines. Those who are favorably disposed to PSAs generally are also those most likely to find the opportunity for increased exposure for them in these times. So the two-thirds of media directors who say PSAs are extremely or very useful are two times more likely to forecast an expansion in PSA time rather than a reduction. So if you release PSAs, your media director “friends” from previous campaigns are likely to be even more accommodating in
the coming months.

The optimistic forecast for public service advertising comes at a time when PSAs are needed more than ever. With the economy so sluggish, major issues such as education, the environment, good parenting and family needs in the wake of financial stress weigh on the minds of so many. PSAs that provide information and solutions can help people feel more optimistic, engaged and in
control again.

Those who principally develop PSAs, non-profits and federal agencies, should renew their efforts and be heartened. There is a “silver lining” in the recession for PSA messages.

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