The 5 Ps of TV PSAs

by Bill Goodwill

Editor’s note: This article appeared in the “Communicators Guide for Federal, State, Regional and Local Communicators” published by the Federal Communicators Network. It was
updated in July 2019.

When strategically planned and executed, Public Service Advertising campaigns can broaden the reach of your mass communications program, create greater credibility for your organization, and strengthen your brand image. They have also been used to: recruit volunteers into the Armed Forces or Peace Corps; encourage people to write for specific information on an issue; participate in a special event; or just visit a website to get additional information. In a longer term context, they have helped to reduce the incidence of drunk driving by half, when combined with stronger enforcement.

To make it easier to remember the key points for a well orchestrated effort, this article describes the Five P’s of PSAs: Planning, Promotion, Placement, Performance and Professional Competence.