I.
Influencing the Media - Advertisers are the pressure point
A. Individual
Complaints
1. media assume each letter represents many
others
2. send
complaints to anchor or producer with copy to the head of the media outlet
3. Try for op-ed
and letters to editor
4. Note
"Viewers for Quality TV" success (TV Guide helps to)
5. Also, try
self regulation groups (BBB, NAB, etc.)
B. Boycotts (esp.
advertisers)
1. threats alone
sometimes work, esp. on non-critical issues to the advertiser and seamy stuff.
2. It's hard to
target syndicated shows advertisers - who are they.
C. Legal action
1. license challenges
2. FTC
3. libel suits
D. Regulation -- Use
government!
1.FTC
a. unfair competition
b. deceptive
practices
c .false advertising
(1) cease and desist
orders
(2) corrective ads
required
2. FDA -
packaging and advertising of food and drugs
3. Better Business
Bureau - National Ad Division (NARB) --
does the evidence support the ad claim?
Board decides.
4. NAB - code
and limits on "decency of products" e.g., no condoms.on TV
5. Network standards
E. Typical Limits on
advertisers
1. FTC prohibits
material misrepresentation AND omission of key facts
2. the product
must look and act like the real thing (including size, color, distorting camera
angles, etc.
3. product
performance must be like the actual product (must note time lapses)
4. must use
comparable products in comparisons
5. most puffery
is acceptable ("best tasting") but most refer to real characteristics
and is not suceptible to empirical testing.
fantasy and personal opinion are OK.
F. Audiences
create limits by attitudes toward children's advertising and Taboos.
G. Constructing a
strategy to influence media
1. Isolate message to key issue + support
2. Define
intended audience - focus only on essential people
3. Determine/plan
the newsworthiness of the message and select appropriate format, piggy-back on
other issues, timing
4. Become aware
of constraints - who wants it buried and what will they do - who will help?
5. Select
channels - news, ads, media events, segmentation
6. Adapt your
message to the channel
last
updated 3/2/2001