The More You Know

Brandweek, July 10, 2000 by Gina Czark

Who says Jennifer Aniston's silky locks or Tom Cruise's flashy grin are powerful enough to get public service announcements on the air? Not the station execs surveyed in the 2000 Annual Survey of Public Affairs Directors, conducted by West Glen Communications, New York.

While paying athletes and actors seven digits or more to shill for a soft drink is considered a shrewd investment, only a few of those whose job it is to weed through PSAs and deign which will air said celebrity spokespeople sway their vote. Instead an overwhelming majority--76% of TV respondents and 85% of radio directors--said the relevance of the message to their station's audience is the most vital criteria for deciding which PSAs will air.

How to not get your PSA played, according to the public affairs directors: send dated materials too late (cited by 16% of TV execs and 25% of radio execs), hound stations with follow-up calls (18%/20%) and send the wrong TV tape format (39%).