Your PSA is Not Publicity

When I talk to non-profit organizations about publicity, the response is often, “Well we have a PSA”. A PSA is a Public Service Announcement and it is not equivalent to publicity. Publicity is part of an overall marketing or public awareness campaign. But all parts are not equal.

 

PSAs are like advertising, but they are distributed to media outlets to be broadcast or printed free. The degree of exposure they get depends on the media outlets, your geographic region and your cause. However, it is a fairly common practice to slot them in spots where the advertising space or time could not be sold. They become a “filler”. Often, this means they don’t get good time slots on television or good placement in publications.

 

On the other hand, some PSA campaigns are very successful. But, even the most successful are not equivalent to publicity. The key difference is the same as the difference between advertising and publicity. Whether you pay for the space or time, or get it for free, it is still an advertisement.

 

Objectivity is the big difference between advertising and publicity. Advertising is YOUR message. The message in an article or a television feature is created by a third party, from his or her viewpoint. Therefore, it is more believable to consumers. What do you believe more when you read a magazine — the articles or the advertisements? A good piece of journalism is balanced, meaning it shows at least two viewpoints on the issue. An advertisement shows only that of the organization that created it.

 

Publicity can also be as cost-effective or more so. While the time or space in which your PSA appears is donated, PSAs can be expensive to make. Graphic artists and video producers are not cheap. Training your staff and volunteers to work with the media is a one-time cost. However, it can create an on-going stream of new and varied publicity.

 

PSAs can be a very useful tool. But they do not replace publicity.

Utilizing the Media for Awareness or Education?

Representatives of non-profit organizations often talk about wanting media coverage because it will “increase public awareness” of their cause. This is true, but often I ask them the question, “Is it awareness or education you really need?”. I have had this discussion with several health organizations and it is a good question to ask yourself. 

Sometimes the answer is both. Often, the real answer is specifically one or the other.

For example, if you take a social cause like dangerous driving, it is important to increase public awareness of the problem. This can be acheived by having good, accurate statistics that demonstrate the death, injury and property damage that results. However, at the same time good media coverage of the problem can provide education about what can be done to reduce it.

With health conditions, it depends on how well-known or little-known the condition is. It also depends on how long a media relations campaign has been active and how successful it has been. If you surveyed media audiences, you would find few people who are not “aware” of commonly-known health conditions. The role the media plays for these causes is one of public education. Getting the word out about new treatments and technologies, recognizing the symptoms, and the aspects that are not commonly understood should be your goal.

Some health conditions are not well-known, although they may be common. They are another example of the need to raise awareness and educate at the same time, through the use of good media stories.

Before you set your media goals, ask yourself which you need most — awareness or education.

The Business of Non-Profits

The words “business” and “non-profit” in the same sentence sounds contradictory. People sometimes ask me “Why do you target non-profit organizations as clients? They have no money”. It’s a good point, but the answer is easy. Non-profit organizations have a long-term, on-going need for a media relations campaign. In the long term, such a campaign increases public awareness and donor confidence. Therefore, it more than pays for itself.

Commercial enterprises have few opportunities to benefit from publicity. Most would love to get a lot of it, but opportunities are limited because their message really belongs in advertising. Ocassionally one-off opportunities do strike for publicity about a product or a business. But an on-going campaign to generate publicity is inappropriate in most cases. The service they require is marketing, public relations or advertising.

Most non-profit organizations, however, have an unlimited supply of information that is of public interest. All it takes is someone with good journalism skills to turn that information into potential stories. Then it takes knowledge of how to get those stories to the right media outlets. An on-going media relations campaign indirectly increases the fund raising capabilities of the non-profit organization.

All Non-Profits Have Something in Common

I spent about 25 years dealing with sport organizations that govern Olympic teams before I had my first experience with a non-profit health organization. My dealings with sport organizations were primarily as a journalist, therefore, when I served as a volunteer and a board member for a non-profit health organization, I had a lot to learn about the structure and regulations of non-profits. However, what struck me throughout that experience was how much the two types of organizations have in common.

They all want more visibility. They all rely on a combination of staff and volunteers to reach their goals. Yet, they all often make the same mistakes in reaching out to the media to increase their visibility.

Non-profit organizations can probably benefit more from increased visibility than any other type of organization. If the organization represents a health condition or a social cause, more media coverage equates to public education, heightened awareness and, therefore, provides a public service. This type of public service is very much part of the mandate of such organizations. Media coverage is one of the cheapest ways to achieve it.

If the organization governs a sport, visibility creates more participants at the grass roots level and helps elite athletes and special events get the sources of funding they need.

In either case, visibility for the organization and it’s members equate to greater funding over the long term and aid in fulfilling the organization’s mandate. If every member of the staff and volunteers have a better understanding of how the media works, the organization will be more successful.

Media Relations Tips for Non-Profit Organizations

This section of JH Media Tips contains tips that are customized for non-profit organizations. These organizations may be health charities; charities for a social cause; or organizations representing an activity or profession. Good media relations for non-profit organizations can raise public awareness, increase public education, and enhance fund-raising opportunities.

All of the media relations tips on the main page of JH Media Tips apply to these groups too, as well as any group or organization, interested in better media relations.