Hitting the Airwaves: Persuading Media to Play KnowHow2GO PSAs

In coordination with the Ad Council, KnowHow2GO has created PSAs for television, radio, billboards, bus shelters and schools. The PSAs are designed to inspire students and their influencers to take action, with the primary goal of driving traffic to the KnowHow2GO.org Web site for more information on the steps necessary to go to college.

The PSAs are available for viewing in the PSAs & Campaign Materials section:

Spanish Language Versions: The TV and Pep Rally radio spots are available in Spanish. Please check the PSAs & Campaign Materials section for more information on Spanish language materials.

PSA Customization: KnowHow2GO gives you the option to localize TV and radio PSAs. Localizing the PSA allows you to add your organization's name and logo to the “tag” of the PSA. The tag is the identification at the end of the PSA that states who is responsible for the creation of the PSA. Currently, the TV advertisement includes logos for the major sponsoring groups, and the radio PSA tags say, “Brought to you by the Ad Council, the American Council on Education and Lumina Foundation for Education.” By localizing the PSAs, you are providing viewers/listeners with a local point of contact to learn more about KnowHow2GO. There are specific rules for localizing the PSA. If you are interested in learning how to localize the PSAs, please contact the campaign support line at 1-888-716-6382.

Special Note: All PSA placements must be donated to the KnowHow2GO campaign. It is NOT acceptable to pay a local TV station, radio station or print media outlet to run the PSAs in your community – even at a discounted, non-profit advertising rate. If you have any questions about the donated-only PSA policy, please call the campaign support line at 1-888-716-6382.

Promoting the TV and Radio PSAs in Your Market

TV and radio stations are frequently asked to donate air time for PSAs. While the Ad Council will disseminate the PSAs to community relations directors at more than 1,800 stations across the country, community leaders like you can play an instrumental role in ensuring the PSAs get the airtime they deserve. TV and radio stations will be more likely to run the KnowHow2GO PSAs if they see there is strong local support behind the campaign. The following steps outline how you can help make sure the KnowHow2GO PSAs are seen and heard in your community.

1. Identify local television and radio stations that reach your key audiences. Consider which stations appeal both to students and their influencers to target your outreach efforts.

2. Locate contact information for the community relations directors at each station. Community relations directors make decisions about which PSAs to use. Visit each media outlet's Web site to identify the community relations director and contact information. If the information is not listed on the Web site, call the station to ask for the name of the proper contact.

3. Assign outreach responsibilities. Ask supporters and allies to reach out to TV and radio stations where they may already have personal contacts. If you or a colleague has a contact with a particular reporter at the station, let the reporter know you are requesting that their station run the PSA. They may be able to work with the community relations director to find air time for the PSA.

4. Draft and send a tailored pitch letter to each station. A template letter is included below. If you are working with multiple partners at the local level, consider having several partner organizations jointly sign and send the letter to the stations to show that the campaign has wide local support.

5. Follow up with community relations directors by phone. Explain the importance of the campaign to your local community and request that they run the PSAs. See the fact sheet in the Gaining “Official” Support section for simple facts about the campaign.

6. Ensure stations have a copy of the PSA. All the stations in your area should have received a PSA kit directly from the Ad Council. If the station you are working with doesn't have a copy, you should call the campaign support line at 1-888-716-6382 and we will get one sent to you for delivery to the station.

Requesting Billboard and Bus Shelter PSA Donation

Billboards and bus shelters are excellent locations for spreading the KnowHow2GO message, as teens and their influencers are likely to see KnowHow2GO information on their way to school and work.

To secure donated space to run the print PSAs, contact each of the organizations responsible for this type of advertising – local outdoor advertising agencies, transportation authorities and businesses with appropriate space. The key contact at each organization may be different. Do not hesitate to call to locate the appropriate contact with whom to discuss donation of space for PSAs.

Once you locate the right person, follow the same steps as those for reaching out to TV and radio stations. Billboard and bus shelter posters are available by calling the Ad Council at 1-800-933-PSAS(7727). The Ad Council will ship the billboard or transportation shelter posters directly to the company.

Utilizing Posters for Schools and Partners

The PSAs & Campaign Materials section includes the posters designed for schools and partners. The Ad Council will deliver posters directly to schools in your area. The partner poster – which includes blank space at the bottom for local customization – is available free of charge by contacting the Ad Council fulfillment Center at 1-800-933-PSAS (7727) or at psacentral.adcouncil.org.

The partner poster can be displayed in youth and community centers, religious organizations, local businesses, government offices and other high-traffic areas. You may use the blank space at the bottom to write in information about your own local events or activities. You are encouraged to distribute these posters throughout your network.

Print Advertisements

Print advertisements are available in several sizes in the PSAs & Campaign Materials section. These can be run in donated space in local publications, including organizational newsletters, bulletins of religious organizations, community newspapers and other outlets. Follow the same steps as those for radio and television distribution to help get these important advertisements placed.

Be Creative with PSA Distribution

In addition to traditional media outlets, consider other ways to get the PSAs aired or posted. These outlets may include:

• School-based television and radio stations. Many schools now host their own radio and TV stations – don't miss an opportunity to tap directly into the target audience.

• Scoreboards at high school and middle school sporting events. Scoreboards at school sporting events are increasingly high-tech. If a school in your area has the capability to run a TV ad, ask!

• TV and radio stations run by local and county level government. Governments often run their own TV and radio stations that play both on local cable and within government offices throughout the day. Ask about getting a PSA into the rotation.

• TV monitors at grocery store registers and gas station pumps. Many businesses are now running ads and entertainment for patrons waiting in line. If this is popular in your local community, ask the store manager how to include PSAs in their line up.  

Template PSA Pitch Letter

Dear:

Statistics show that America's young people are committed to pursuing a post-secondary education, regardless of their income level. In 2002, 80 percent of students reported that they planned to earn a bachelor's degree or higher after high school. However, many of these students do not know the basic steps necessary to go to college. The American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council, launched the KnowHow2GO campaign in January 2007 to educate students – primarily low-income and those who are the first in their families to pursue higher education – on the steps they need to take to prepare for college.

The KnowHow2GO campaign targets students in grades 8 through 10, providing important information on preparing for college. The campaign is a grassroots initiative that consists of a network of national, local and state partners. These partners include educational organizations and institutions, youth-serving organizations, local schools, elected officials, places of worship and the business community. In (name of state), partners such as (name partners) are working with the campaign.

KnowHow2GO seeks to reach young people in their own language and through trusted mediums. In addition to an interactive, student-focused Web site, KnowHow2GO.org, and print materials available in both English and Spanish, the campaign has created a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) for TV, radio and outdoor use. To support the important message of this campaign, we are seeking donated media space for these PSAs.

(Station or business name) has a history of supporting initiatives that benefit young people and the larger community. In this spirit, we would like for you to include our PSA in your rotation. We will be in touch shortly to discuss the campaign in more detail. In the meantime, you can view the PSAs at KnowHow2GO.org. If you have additional questions about KnowHow2GO, please contact (name of contact) at (phone) or (email).

Sincerely,