Brown vs Brown

Running Head: ADS, PSAS, PROMOS - STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS "ON THE AIR" AND "ONLINE" 1

ADS, PSAS, PROMOS - STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS "ON THE AIR" AND "ONLINE" 2

Reply with 450 word to:

Brock Moreau 

DB 3

COLLAPSE

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I believe that there are several significant differences between commercials, PSAs, and promos that are released on the air compared to online. As was covered in our text, commercials are designed to sell a product or service for a profit-making advertiser, a promo is used to promote the station itself (i.e., an upcoming program or series, a station personality, a contest for listeners, etc.), and a PSA is similar to the commercial except that it does not sell a product or service for money, but is made on behalf of a non-profit organization and can include advancing an idea or policy (Hilliard, 2014, p. 84). With that info in mind, we can explore the differences between each.

Commercials, although changing in form, type, length, and technique, nevertheless have been for many decades the staple of commercial broadcasting (Hilliard, 2014, p. 83). One of the primary differences I see between a commercial released on the air compared to online is the ability to have someone enter into the sales cycle immediately. On the air, whether it be radio or television, the commercial needs to be either compelling enough for people to take action and go to the internet on their phone or computer, or memorable enough for the listener or viewer to remember the brand and the specific product that was being offered. That is a huge task for the commercial, especially considering a few other factors that are not in favor of a commercial being released on the air, which is demographics and intent. Sure stations have a general gauge of the demographic makeup of their viewership, but it pales in comparison to when using the power of the internet to deliver a message to a highly specific audience. In addition to a commercial that is released on the air being delivered to many people that may not be in the desired audience, when people are watching television or listening to the radio they are in a more passive state and not typically watching or listening with the primary reason being that they are hoping to hear or see a commercial for something they are wanting. The same can be said of commercials that are released online via social platforms. People that are scrolling through social media, or watching videos on YouTube have little to no intent of purchasing whatever the commercial presented is trying to sell. Once a consumer actively begins searching for something that can fulfill a need, that is when they have more intent to purchase, and is when a properly placed commercial can have the greatest impact. 

Unlike commercials that are attempting to sell a product or service for money, PSAs are usually trying to sell an idea or action. As was covered above, I believe that PSAs experience some of the same hurdles that commercials do when released online or on the air. Especially when attempting to convince an audience to adopt a mindset or take action over the air, the PSA must be compelling enough to cause someone to engage. The same can also be said about a PSA that is released online, considering that a passive audience is not active in the process of exploring new ideas to adopt or actions to perform. 

In my mind, promos are different because, when used, the organization behind the promotional piece is attempting to accomplish something different than when using a commercial. As we saw in our text, profit-oriented promos are typically used to try and establish goodwill attitudes toward the company, and non-profit organization promos are those that are seen on public broadcasting stations when they are promoting the station itself and their programs (Hilliard, 2014, p. 129). Compared to commercials, which are advertising to a diverse audience and hoping that a portion of them fit the persona of their target market, a promo is being delivered to a warm audience because they are already tuned in to the station of their choice and are more receptive to things happening regarding that particular station. 

Regardless of whether we are writing copy for a commercial, a PSA, or a promo, and regardless of it being released online or over the air, we must remember that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day (Simpson, 2017). That is a lot of noise that we as writers need to cut through.

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REPLY with 450 words to:

Emma Nelson 

Commercials, PSAs, Promos

COLLAPSE

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In our modern times, attention is being shifted from the television to the internet. On the internet, commercial efforts are much more complex. In years past, companies could invest their greatest talents and financial strength to just three or four campaigns a year. These campaigns would run fairly similarly for commercials, PSAs, and promos. However, on the internet there seem to be other challenges.

Promos are interesting because they honestly seem less necessary on the web to me. Our book defines the promo as a spot that promotes the station itself. It sometimes promotes a different series on the TV station or an upcoming event. My first thought is that a promo online would possibly be overkill. I am not sure that I have ever seen one. When you are on a webpage, the webpage is normally visually branded. The logo is at the top of the web-page and the layout is meticulously designed by a web team. If there is something that the website wants the viewer to know, it is normally visible. I am not sure that a promo video would be advantageous. The only example that I can think of is Netflix. Netflix has begun creating its own content. As soon as you log on to the site, the viewer is usually first met with a Netflix movie or series advertised. However, I look forward to reading other discussion boards to see if anyone has a more clear example.

PSAs were introduced to the Internet as banner ads in the 1990s. Since then, advertising for non-profits has grown into various sectors of the Internet. They can be a video before another video. However, the internet has made it possible for non-profits to craft their own narrative. Social media makes it possible for non-profits to grow outside of the general PSA (“Internet PSAs,” 2020). Their Instagram stories can capture the real-life behavior of the non-profit. Twitter lets them immediately disseminate new information that a promo never could. Facebook allows for the non-profit to make their own videos and photos to communicate instead of relying on costly PSAs.

Commercials seem to remain fairly similar on TV and on the Internet. Oftentimes companies will run their TV commercials before videos online. These short videos, known as bumpers, run on Youtube by the price-per-thousand. Likewise, banner ads and sidebar ads are often a still-shot out of a commercial. However, advertisers have realized that their audience hates ads. Therefore, many are seeking out new solutions to this dilemma. Advertisers underestimated how much noise their advertising creates. People feel bombarded as they see the same commercials incessantly on TV and the web. Some advertisers are seeking more interactive methods. They are grappling with the viewing patterns of younger web users (Has, 2019). In the days of television, only a few channels received the majority of views. Now, websites and apps are vast. It is impossible to place commercials on all of them. This is why targeting is even more crucial in the Internet era. Targeting allows companies to direct their product by location (country, state, city), demographics (age, gender, parental status, household income, etc.), or even interests. If someone has visited your website or a similar one, then they will be considered a part of your interest group. Furthermore, when people are able to place their preferences or personal details into a website or account, then the advertisements become even more directed. These factors are important because the enable the best return on investment. It allows for the company’s pre-roll ads to be well directed. This is an up-side to online advertising (Chi, 2020). In the days of TV advertising, the ads could not be directed at the appropriate people. The same ads went to every household.

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