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as paid advertising. Bringing a quality PSA to the public need not consume your yearly media budget. Just make sure your production basicsquality visuals for TV clear audio for TV and radio proper resolution for the webare all in place. 4Missions are local and that works to your advantage in the PSA world. Be confident in your role as a representative of a local organiza- tion. These days PSAs for local charities receive favored status over national and international organizations that lack local tie-ins. 5For broadcast PSAs dont be afraid to generate a 60-second spot. This is especially true if you want people to respond via a phone number or a website address shown at the end of the PSA. Theyll need adequate time to copy down the contact information. Public service announcements still generate mostly positive response from the public who also perceive them as being reliable sources of information. Handled strategically PSAs can be a cost- effective tactic in your over- all commu- nications plan. WWW.AGRM.ORGMARCHAPRIL 2016 59 W hen I first began working in broadcast media we were required to run public service announcements PSAs so radio and television stations could prove that they were operating in the public interest. For better or worse this requirement is long gone. But PSAs can still be a valuable part of your 21st-century media mix if you remember these guidelines 1Without exception PSAs must have a mes- sage that is truly a public service. Your goal is to offer a message about a service that will help your community not so much to promote the mission itself. For example if your mission has a free clinic hosts an emergency shelter offers GED classes or provides meals to those in needand most missions do at least one of thosea message that makes one of those services and its hours of operation known is just right for a PSA. 2Because there is no guarantee when or how often it will air plan to give your PSA a longer useful shelf life. PSAs might no longer be as viable for bringing attention to events as do paid or sponsored promotion. However keep in mind that community calendars still work well for event promotion. If you can think in terms of having the same PSA run for say a year to let the public know about one of your missions services it should serve your communication purposes well. 3Because PSAs are most often broadcast or published in unsold advertising space they need to follow the same production guidelines PR TOOLKIT Steve Wamberg Good Ol PSAs Tips for creating quality public service announcements Steve helps missions and other nonprofits more effectively communicate with the public. He can be reached at steve wambergyahoo.com.