Partnering with community institutions to air promotional videos
Abstract
Public service announcements can help programs reach a large, diverse audience to recruit members and volunteers. However, getting local television and radio stations to air promotional materials can be an expensive and difficult task. An RSVP coordinator in Charlottesville, Virginia, partnered with a local bank to defray the costs of having a local television station air the promotional advertisement.Issue
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides promotional materials for national service programs to help with recruitment and publicity. However, customizing the promotional materials for a local region, and finding a media outlet to air them, can be an expensive undertaking.Action
An RSVP partnered with a community-minded local bank to have a new public service announcement (PSA) aired on a local TV station at no cost to the organization.
RSVP program coordinator Monica Gearhart made an appointment with the president of a local bank, Albermale First Bank. For the meeting, she took a copy of the Corporation's PSA and information about the local RSVP program. The bank agreed to pay for the PSA to run for a couple of months.
The RSVP program coordinator talked to the local TV station, which agreed to match the number of PSAs run by the bank at no cost.
When the PSA ran on the local TV station, a tagline identified the bank as the ad sponsor. The tagline also displayed the Jefferson Area RSVP's name and telephone number.
Context
The Jefferson Area RSVP program is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville is a university city with a very diverse and transient population. It is also a popular retirement community.Posted On
February 6, 2001For More Information