PSA’s The How, The Why, and The Because…

Definition of PSA Public Service Announcement A Free Commercial for a non-profit organization Voluntarily aired for radio, TV… and Public Access Channels

Other MEDIA… PRINT Digital Signs and Banners Texting Social Networking Sites Blogs Newsletters, Magazines, and Newspapers Fliers, Stickers

How to Start Choose Your Topic Consider Your Audience Grab Your Audience’s Attention Create A Script Story Board Your Script Film Your Footage and EDIT Find Your Audience and gage their reaction.

How Do I Start? What is your GOAL? To make someone to TAKE ACTION To MOTIVATE to ACT Drop off canned goods Make sure kids are buckled up Stop Smoking Avoid drug abuse

Ask Yourself.. Is it Important To Me? Is this message important enough to broadcast? What percentage of the audience will be affected? Is it relevant to a mass audience? How important is it to the target audience?

Examples… The Smallville Homeless Shelter is holding its annual food drive from Monday, Nov. 1 until Friday, Nov. 26. If you would like to participate, please bring your canned goods to one of several drop-off points which are located at…

Son Like Dad

Evaluate Whom is the PSA about? What is it about? Example: “A can of food probably doesn’t mean that much to you. You probably have a cupboard full of them. But just a few of those cans will keep a Smallville family from going hungry tonight…”

Use Real Language Everyday language is more effective. Big words don’t communicate to a broad audience.

Use Emotion EMOTIONALPeople act based on EMOTIONAL reasons Facts don’t “sell” (motivate a person to act) Emotions sell (tonight many of Smallville’s children will go hungry.

Make it Personally Relatable It’s a conversation with the audience Have you ever been hungry? You can help.

Identify The Organization Identify it within the PSA Make it clear to your audience.

Deliver exactly ONE MESSAGE The core message is the one thing you want the audience to hear, to understand, and to remember. Don’t have them donate food, money, and time in the same PSA.

Clarity Let the audience understand the message the First time it airs. It’s your job to communicate.

Music Should all PSA’s include music? NO. Use music only when it enhances the MESSAGE of the PSA.

Sound Effects They are fun, but Dangerous. They stimulate a picture in your audience’s mind. Don’t use them just because they are fun for you to use.

How long should it be? KISS – Keep It Short & Simple Determined by the broadcast station that might air it seconds. You need to make it fits their requirements.

A good PSA must… Attract the attention of your target audience. Speak to the audience in their own language. Relate to their lives. Deliver One Core Message with clarity. Motivate them to ACT.

Citation Kansas Association of Broadcasters

Son Like Dad Filthy Habit

Interactivity Create a 30 second PSA on Second hand smoke.