In the beginning phases of producing a PSA (public service announcement), many nonprofits wonder whether is it worth it or not to try to make the messages more localized.  While many stations do appreciate PSAs being local, and some will actually only air PSAs that are local, there are some important things to consider:

• When localizing your message, know why you are doing so, and let stations know.
  • If you are making your message specific to local areas, is it because your message applies more to specific areas?  i.e. if your message is about preserving forests, you’d target areas near forests, and be sure to let stations know that there are forests near their area.  If your message is about a specific type of illness that is more prevalent in certain areas, let station directors know that this is a major problem in their area.
  • If your nonprofit has local offices in certain areas, be sure let stations as well as the audiences know that there are offices in the area.
  • If your nonprofit is holding events in the areas targeted, be sure to let the stations as well as the audiences know that is the case and where they can find information about the events.
  • If a local celebrity or local government official is in the creative, be sure to clarify in the PSA where the spokesperson is from.  Although you may think so, not every station and audience member will know who the spokesperson is, and a clear audio/visual tag will help make sure the localized aspect of the spot is recognized.

While many nonprofits consider localizing their PSAs because they believe it will get more airplay, it’s important to remember that the appropriate measures need to be taken to inform stations and audiences why and how the spots were created for local audiences.  Something else important to note is that if you do ever plan on distributing the spot nationally, it would be practical to create a nationalized version of the spot as well, even if you don’t plan on distributing it nationally at first.  Often times spots do so well locally that nonprofits later choose to distribute the spots and spread awareness of their messages nationwide.

This week we celebrate Veterans Day, a time of remembrance and tributes for the countless men and women who have valiantly served our country.  While Veterans Day often focuses on past war heroes, in recent times, this holiday has become even more meaningful as we have witnessed the courage and sacrifice of those who have represented our nation overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

At WestGlen, the cause of helping our veterans remains important well past Veterans Day.  For over a decade, we have had the opportunity to disseminate public service campaigns that help veterans and their families, particularly those suffering from spinal cord injury and disease.  One of our key public service partnerships is with the national nonprofit Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans), an organization dedicated to empowering our heroic veterans – and all people with disabilities – by providing tools to help them maximize the quality of their lives. 

With the unemployment rate among veterans with severe disabilities at 85%, Paralyzed Veterans recently embarked on a special initiative called Mission: ABLE aimed at helping our veterans get job training and career opportunities, as well as gain access to military benefits and quality health care. 

To help spread the word about this important program, WestGlen teamed up with Paralyzed Veterans to distribute a Mission: ABLE public service campaign to TV, radio and Internet outlets across the country.  One of the PSAs featured the story of Army Sergeant Chris Sullivan who was shot and paralyzed in Iraq, and has worked with Paralyzed Veterans to rebuild his life and pursue new career opportunities.  The second PSA features the popular rock band O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) discussing the importance of offering care, assistance and support for our wounded heroes.

It’s always gratifying to see PSAs come to life through our distributions, but this campaign has been especially impactful.  Media outlets across the country have shown tremendous support through their use of the PSAs, and many stations have also reached out to WestGlen and Paralyzed Veterans to offer their thanks for helping our veterans, particularly during these tough economic times. 

In years past, I used to think of Veterans Day as a historic holiday and as another day off from work or school.  Now, it is an important reminder of the work that Paralyzed Veterans of America and other nonprofits do to help our heroes every day of the year.

Pitching your PSA and following up with media outlets is extremely important because it’s the clearest way to get the best feedback from your PSA. Besides pitching and following up with appropriate and/or established media contacts, timing is everything when pitching. Many stations prefer that you wait a few weeks after you have sent the PSA so they have had a chance to review it (especially if they have to send it to their corporate center for approval if they are an affiliate station.)  Because PSAs are used in unpaid space, and that space is often scarce, many stations also tend to add and change PSAs on a quarterly basis. It is always great to send PSAs right before the beginning of a new quarter, and to also follow up shortly after the start of a new quarter. The PSAs are fresh in the radio or TV stations mind and have a better chance of being recognized.

Your pitch to stations can also be more effective if you can find a hook to encourage them to use the PSA. For instance, during national or local awareness weeks or months, stations are more likely to be interested in publicizing a relevant cause, such as Breast Cancer in October or Veteran type PSAs in November. Always be prepared to be able to discuss the PSA and the organization in detail if a station asks questions.

It is important to keep in mind that while there are many national or local awareness weeks and months for many causes and organizations, there are also events that sometimes take superiority over those. For example, the need for more local and national political spots are increasing due to November Elections approaching.

Choosing which media platform to distribute your PSA (public service announcement) might feel a bit overwhelming, but as mass technologies become more broadened, the selection grows bigger and bigger and so does the success rate of your campaign.

A traditional PSA distribution (TV/radio) allows you to reach large audiences and garner significant donated media values.  TV delivers much larger numbers because stations need to fill unsold advertising space and also try to build a good will rapport with their viewers by airing PSAs. Radio provides an opportunity to hone in on your audience by targeting select radio formats. This tactic allows you to target a specific audience based on the format they listen to most. Radio stations also have the choice of using a Live Read Script which allows the DJ to mention the cause if the station does not air prerecorded spots.  

While TV and radio have a strong track record for successful PSA campaigns, Social Media campaigns have significantly been changing the PSA landscape and can greatly enhance a traditional PSA distribution. Social media promotions include press releases, targeted video content and the creation of customized social network campaign pages i.e. Facebook/Twitter. Bloggers, internet forums and online communities are also an excellent way to get your message to your target audience nationally, regionally or locally.

If done in conjunction with an existing TV or radio campaign, internet users can be pointed back to the video or audio message for viewing online. A social media campaign brings viewers closest to the call to action, as they are just a click away from learning more about the cause or how to become involved.

While building your campaign, remember to keep in mind that you are trying to convey a message that truly serves the public and reaching a significant number of people is the ultimate goal. Have confidence in the media platforms available to you and recognize that these tactics will work together to multiply your campaign’s success.