Comparison of the Development and Impact of Public Service Advertising
in China and the UK
I. Abstract
This paper compares the development and impact of public service advertising (PSA) in the countries of China and the United Kingdom. Advertising is the product of commodity production and it has a long history. Advertising has progressed considerably and currently, there are four major advertising media are television, newspapers, radio and magazines. In recent years, advertising has become a significant component of business activity and people’s daily life with the rapid development of the commodity economy. Advertisements can be divided into three types: brand advertising, direct response advertising and public service advertising. Different advertising has different functions. A good advertisement is the role of education in human life. “Public service advertising, in its non-commercial guise, is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and motivating large audiences” (Wikipedia, 2014).
Public service advertising has a unique effect on the population. Its most important aspect is that it moves the population towards a common goal and in some cases, towards real action that yield significant results. Public service advertising is required for eliciting people to act in a way that is beneficial to them in the long run. Public service announcements must not be promoted to seek short-term support. While having short term action from the public service advertisement message is a desirable occurrence, its long-term effects are what is truly desired by the promoter of the public service advertisement. While thee public service advertisement may pull on the hurt instantly, it is the reaction coming from the brain and the action taken by the person that is more important. While that is the lofty objective of public service advertisement, the path of achieving so remains very arduous.
This paper examines the use of Public Service Advertisements in both China and the United Kingdom, two economically advanced countries that come from two different types of government and economic platforms. The study was conducted using secondary data acquired from public resources, publications, books and other materials. A complete listing of the scholarly work reviewed and collated for this project is attached herewith. The countries of China and the United Kingdom are selected for study because of the stark difference in their political and social structures. These differences were examined with respect to the development and use of each country’s public service advertisement approach.
The results of the research show that the countries utilize Public Service Advertisements effectively. Despite the motivation for the use of Public Service Advertisements, the effectiveness of Public Service Advertisements is related to how the population receives the message of the Public Service Advertisement.
However, there may be a need to develop or consider to measure the true impact of public service advertisements in China and in the United Kingdom. Clearly, this research has not determined such factors and their effects and is therefore a consideration for future study. The recommended approach is to create an empirical basis for determining the effects of public service advertisements in a quantitative manner. This would be the correct approach since there would be measurable statistical items that can be addressed and analyzed.
Table of Contents
I. Abstract 2
II. Introduction 5
III. Rationale 7
IV. Discussion Issues 8
V. Literature Review 9
VI. Methodology 12
VII. Findings and Conclusion 13
VIII. Reflection 17
Bibliography 18
II. Introduction
Public service advertising (PSA) is advertising that is crafted to disseminate information to the general public that is categorically to and for the best interest of the general public. Public service advertising can be a political perspective or theory based on prevalent or new philosophical thought. Public service advertising can offer a religious concept or it can provide humanitarian notions. In today’s society, Public Service Advertisements are often seen on television or heard on the radio. There are Public Service Advertisements placed on newspapers, magazines and even the internet. Public Service Advertisements can be found in economically advanced countries as well as in economically developing countries.
Public Service Advertisements are designed to raise awareness and move the public to action. They are normally directed towards health and conservation issues but in the recent years, Public Service Advertisements have become useful in conveying other concerns. Public Service Advertisements are used by government and non-government agencies. They are also used by institutions and private business organizations. A good example of a Public Service Advertisement that has become very effective is the use of advertisements to get recruits for the United States military.
While some Public Service Advertisements are non-descript and simplistic in their approach, there are some that utilize celebrities to get more attention from the masses. There are some Public Service Advertisements that utilize ordinary folks as well. All these strategies help send the message across and most work by celebrities is free of professional fees or other charges.
There are Public Service Advertisements that are jointly developed by the private and the public sectors. In these cases, the team ups, usually with non-government organizations and media companies create messages that are published for issues that encompass the public or the private entity’s concerns. In the United States, there are Public Service Advertisements that focus on sensitive issues such as rape, diseases, public safety and domestic violence.
The importance of Public Service Advertisement is such that there was a time when a broadcast license came with an assurance of a pre-determined number of Public Service Advertisements. This regulation had been eliminated but the importance and frequency of Public Service Advertisements have remained in today’s network culture (Wise Geek, 2014).
Public Service Advertisements are classified based on what aspect they wish to convey. Some Public Service Advertisements are directed towards public health and safety, some are for encouraging action towards a social issue or concern while some are designed to provide information for participation (i.e. the United States Marines). In many advanced economies, Public Service Advertisements are installed as part of broadcasting requirements. In these countries, Public Service Advertisements are carried out through various types of media.
Public Service Advertisements are necessary for ensuring the safety and well-being of the general public. The general theory for the acceptability of Public Service Advertisements is that they create enough information available for the general population to make the right decisions. Public Service Advertisements helps improve the participation of the community and create a sense of commonality.
To make Public Service Advertisements effective, the message has to be right. If the message is too broad or too specific, it may not create the right kind of emotion and therefore the wrong kind of reaction from people. The most important aspect therefore is to decide on the right type of message by refining the message to fit the public interest. The public takes an interest in goals, especially those that have long term effects. If this is the message that the Public Service Advertisement wants to convey then the Public Service Advertisement must be designed as such.
Public Service Advertisements must have a definite audience. This is one of the most important aspects of developing and utilizing Public Service Advertisements. Public Service Advertisements are defined so much that their target audience must be defined in the same manner. Definition of the audience involves developing a keen understanding of the demographics that the Public Service Advertisement is targeting. Demographics include age, gender, socio-economic status, region, educational attainment, and others. By targeting the audience to help tailor-fit the message, the promoter of the Public Service Advertisement can control the budget needed for developing the Public Service Advertisement.
Speaking of budgets, the developer of Public Service Advertisement must know the budget for the production and publishing of the Public Service Advertisement. Some Public Service Advertisements require massive budgets but often, the simplest messages are the most effective. Still it is important that the budgets for making and promoting a Public Service Advertisement are determined accurately.
Public Service Advertisements work in different times of medium. This is true because there are different users of popular media and the identification of the target audience will help determine which of the available forms of media the Public Service Advertisement promoter can utilize to reach the target audience of the Public Service Advertisement. For example, there is television, radio and print but there are also other forms of getting the message across like on-line resources and even avant-garde messaging approaches. All of these can be utilized depending on the refinement needs of the message, the identified target audience, and the budget for the Public Service Advertisement.
Of course it is important to determine the level of interest that the media has on the particular Public Service Advertisement to be promoted. Because of the scarcity of resources, not all Public Service Advertisements will be given the chance to be broadcasted. Therefore, the last and most critical step is ensuring that media supports the proposed Public Service Advertisement. No interest from media will mean that another way of getting the message across be found.
The simplicity of PSAs overshadows the amount of work needed in making them. Professional PSAs are normally developed by professional advertising agencies or firms. With the help of a professional advertising agency, a professional product will be developed. These agencies will develop not just the concept but also the script, filming, on-camera work, screening of actors/actresses, concept development, editing and even help in the distribution of the developed work.
There is also a need to consider how the media utilizes public service advertisements. Public service advertisements are used by media companies, both domestic and national and would already have a feel of what type of messages the audience listens to. Therefore a good Public service advertisement should be able fit into the categorical mold that media companies have already determined on what is “acceptable” by the public.
There is also some need for developing a technique for promoting public service advertisements. Some professionals practice the tying-up of public service advertisements to local news and special events. For example, it not uncommon for public service advertisements to be aired during large sports events. This is beneficial because the target audience is already captured thus making the broadcasting of the public service advertisement efficient. However utilizing this space for public service advertisements will be very expensive, since the space needed for the public service advertisement can be viewed as prime space for paid advertising. With media companies no longer obliged to set-aside time and resources for public service advertisement, using this approach is quite challenging.
Some of the public service advertisements that do not see the light of day find their way to the public through alternative media. Alternative media is an easier venue for the placement of public service advertisements. Alternative media includes cable television, closed-circuit television such as those you may see in hospitals or airports, newsletters, and others. Alternative media does not have the broad appeal as traditional media and will be more effective if the public service advertisement is targeted for a very small and specific group only. For example, if the public service advertisement is for ensuring safety during travel then placing it in airport closed-circuit television would be efficient and effective in relaying the message to travelers. If the public service advertisement is about scholarly requirements then placing them in school publications would reach the intended audience in an easier manner compared to using the radio to broadcast the same message.
Another point to consider is the time of releasing the public service announcement. Public service advertisements will have an accurately determined release date and running date. In the case of television, public service advertisements must be placed at the specific time slot where the demographic audience being targeted by the public service advertisement is watching television. If it is possible to secure more slots, then it would be very good for the public service advertisement but if not, the exact placement of the public service advertisement will impact the affectivity of the message.
III. Rationale
Advertising is the product of commodity production and it has a long history, human ancestors started to use gestures (such as dance) sounds（such as selling）fire (such as war) to spread advertising (Meng, 1996). The four major advertising media are television, newspapers, radio and magazines. In recent years, advertising has become a significant component of business activity and people’s daily life with the rapid development of the commodity economy. TV
Advertisements can be divided into three types: brand advertising, direct response advertising and public service advertising. Different advertising has different functions. A good advertisement is the role of education in human life. “Public service advertising, in its non-commercial guise, is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and motivating large audiences” (Wikipedia, 2014). It has many advantages and a great influence on people’s life, such as moral knowledge, ethics and character. Public service advertising has been extremely useful in educating the public about problems of social significance and changing public beliefs, attitudes, and behavior (O’Keefe & Reid, 1990). And public service advertising often includes: only one earth we can live, take care of people with AIDS, no smoking in public， save water and protect animals, and so on. “Public service advertising is an important part of social marketing” (Andreasen, 1993). Most Public service advertising is often from not-for-profit or governmental organizations.
Although public service advertising, in its ancient form, is believed to have been in existence in china for thousands of years, professionally produced public service advertising did not occur until seven years after the revival of commercial advertising in the country in 1979 (Gao 1999, Zhang 2004 ). “Since China began a nationwide public service advertising campaign in 1996, newspapers, radio stations, television stations, magazines and other advertising media have released 70,000 Public Service Advertisements in four years” (Gao 1999, Zhang 2004). In China, public service advertising was started late, compared with other developed countries, Chinese public service advertising is still backward, and it also has obvious flaws.
IV. Discussion Issues
This project will be divided into three parts. The first and second parts are focus on theories of public service advertising. In the final part, I will focus on compare the difference between China and the UK of public service advertising.
Firstly, I will introduce what is public service advertising. What is development and history of public service advertising, what is the advantage and disadvantage of public service advertising to people’s life? Why has advertising become more and more popular? This can analyze the Public Service Advertisements more carefully.
Secondly, the paper will show the analysis of the impact of the public service advertising in modern life and society. I will focus on what are the benefits of public service advertising values to society. What is the importance to young people of public service advertising? I will use some examples to show the successful of public service advertising.
Last but not least, I am going to compare China with the UK‘s public service advertising. . What is different between China and the UK? Why it is different？What is future development of public service advertising in China? I will collect some academic data to discuss these questions.
The following investigative questions will be addressed by this research report:
1. What is the importance to young person of public service advertising?
2. What are the benefits of public service advertising values to society?
3. What is the difference of public service advertising between China and UK?
V. Literature Review
Public Service Advertising (Public Service Advertisement) is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as “any announcement for which no charge is made and which promotes programs, activities, or services of federal, state, or local governments (e.g., recruiting, sale of bonds, etc.) or the programs, activities or services of non-profit organizations (e.g., United Way, Red Cross blood donations, etc.) and other announcements regarded as serving community interests, excluding time signals, routine weather announcements and promotional announcements” (Goodwill, 2014). Simply put, Public Service Advertising is the dissemination of information that is for the public good by the media without the cost of advertising. Public Service Advertisements are designed for education rather than for marketing and/or sales (Suggett, 2014). The goal of a Public Service Advertisement is not for profit but for awareness raising or creation of public action. If and when a Public Service Advertisement solicits money, it is often not for profit but for supporting the public’s cause. Public Service Advertisements today have received exposure the same way traditional advertisements have. We can see Public Service Advertisements on the television and radio, online or sent to our doors using direct mail. Public Service Advertisements can be seen in popular daily newspapers and online publications.
Public Service Advertisements are is not equivalent in meaning to the term “Public Relations”. Public Service Advertisements are useful in spreading information about non-profits whereas PR spreads information about commercial for-profit ideas or information (Federal Communications Commission, 2014).
Public Service Advertisements were made popular by the United States government. During the Civil War, the US government sold bonds using newspaper advertisements to solicit money for funding the war. These advertisements were placed in newspapers without any cost to the US government. The success of Public Service Advertisements highlighted what “advertising could do” which paved the way for the first commercial advertising industry. During this period, baking powder, soap, railroad travel and other products became highly advertised. By the early 1900s, advertisements against child labor appeared in newspapers. These advertisements became the first non-governmental Public Service Advertisements. Felix Adler, the Chairman of the National Child Labor Committee utilized newspaper publishers that were supportive of his cause thus giving birth to media co-branding.
During the First World War, the United States Government created the first agency that would elicit support for the war which was called the Federal Committee of Public Information (Goodwill, 2014). The products of this agency are the memorable illustrations such as “Uncle Sam Needs You” by James Montgomery Flag. There were hundreds of other illustrations that were created by this group, which produced the designs and were placed on newspapers free of charge. This was complemented by the establishment of the Committee on Public Information which was actively seeking support for the war, by creating a propaganda movement called the “propaganda of faith” (O’Barr, n.d.). There were other Public Service Advertisement drives during this period and these included the War Saving Stamps drive which sent the message of saving thoughtless wasted dollar through self-indulgence and in turn provide these savings to the soldiers that were sent to war. There was also the Red Cross campaign that looked for support for its medical missions. There was also a draft registration campaign called the Selective Service campaign.
One of the greatest contributions of the initial effort of creating Public Service Advertisements is the creation of “public relations agents”, a new class of professionals that were tasked at creating or influencing public opinion for the purpose of promoting civic causes. These professionals were responsible for making “nationalism” the religion of America during the war. These professionals were also responsible for the development and use of symbols that helped influence public opinion using graphical representations of ideal political thought. The most famous of these is the “Herald/Angel”, the female form with wings and blowing a trumpet, which was a popular tool for achieving public support. Until this day, these symbols have been used for forming public opinion. The current campaigns against cancer, AIDS and other domestic issues have been successful thanks to the use of symbolisms.
During the Second World War, Public Service Advertisements became more formalized. Public Service Advertisements moved from print to radio, as the new medium for information dissemination. Radio broadcasters were utilized for propaganda movement by the War Advertising Council. These professions were instrumental for conveying messages that advertised the sale of War Bonds (O’Barr, n.d.). During this time, Rosie the Riveter was created. Rosie is the icon for American women that were joining the workforce, to replace the millions of men that were being sent to war.
After the war, the use of Public Service Advertisements continued. Public concerns were expressed using free media during the Great Depression. These were campaigns driven by the Work Progress Administration, the National Recovery Act and the Civil Conservation Corps (Goodwill, 2014). After the war, the War Advertising Council was renamed to the Advertising Council.
By the 1950s, television was becoming popular and the Advertising Council moved from print and radio to television for public service message broadcasting. The public message “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” is one of the most popular campaigns which was successful in raising funds for the United Negro College Fund.
Of all the good Public Service Advertisements have done, there are criticisms on the actual motivation behind its use. One of the most controversial campaigns is the Keep America Beautiful Inc. (KAB) campaign on pollution. In 1971, the KAB, partnering with the Ad Council released a campaign that highlighted how people start pollution and how people can end it. While this campaign earned a lot of support and praise, it also earned a lot of criticisms. For one, critics called out the campaign as solely putting the responsibility of pollution control on individual and not on groups and other organizations that cause it. According to critics, the Ad Council’s advisory panel included members from polluters such as chemical companies, steel companies and other industrial business organizations. The controversy on the real message of the campaign was brought about by suspicions on the real motivation of the advertisement, that being industrial polluters diverting public opinion on the cause and solutions for pollution management. In this regard, Public Service Advertisements were tainted to be vehicles for molding public opinion based on vested interests of business organizations.
One of the more controversial organizations is Greenpeace, which uses Public Service Advertisements that produce an appeal for the visual and hip audience. They also openly promote aggressive and hostile actions in their goal of saving the environment.
To manage the effectiveness and validity of Public Service Advertisements, the FCC issued the use of the Fairness Doctrine. With this doctrine, one Public Service Advertisement was published for a certain number of advertisements of a particularly “harmful” product. The most popular Fairness Doctrine example is the release of one Public Service Advertisement for every three tobacco commercials (Goodwill, 2014). With this strategy, smoking rates declined thus saving millions of lives. This movement helped raise awareness especially for teens by exposing the strategies that tobacco companies used to invite the young to try out smoking. This strategy helped these young people by ensuring that they understand the harmful effects of cigarette use, such as lung cancer and other diseases.
Other policy changes had been instituted that affected Public Service Advertisements. Television networks released their own Public Service Advertisements based on what message they wished to convey. Because of pressure to become profitable, airtime for Public Service Advertisements became limited. However, there were issues that demanded public attention that would need to be broadcasted through television. The rising costs for television networks and the need for public information was so contrasting that real pressure was experienced by both the networks and the agencies. Still the most memorable Public Service Advertisements were created during this tumulus period.
The campaign “Frying Eggs” was the most memorable and featured a whole egg being smashed to demonstrate how the brain is affected by drugs. The visually powerful Public Service Advertisement demonstrated the power of the simple message, which was the ideal way of delivering Public Service Advertisements to the masses. With a powerful message, people will be affected through a change in attitude. A change in attitude will result in a change in behavior.
Public Service Advertisements are not exclusive to the United States. There are similar approaches and stark differences for Public Service Advertisement use in other countries. The most important difference though is the degree by which the government supports Public Service Advertisement use. In the United States, Public Service Advertisements are supported by private institutions but in other countries, government support is very common (O’Barr, 2012). It was also found out that the advertising techniques that were used in these countries are similar to the advertising techniques used in the United States.
A good example of the difference between Public Service Advertisement use between countries is shown in the advertisement that the Chinese government uses as propaganda material that was released during the formative years of the People’s Republic of China (O’Barr, 2012). The Chinese government released a campaign that encouraged physical hygiene. This was a propaganda that hoped to influence the Chinese population for the Chine government to govern them properly in turn. According to Sun Yat-sen, this philosophy meant translated to government competence through body competence (O’Barr, 2012). The United States government created a similar Public Service Advertisement during the Second World War, which encouraged soldiers to observe personal hygiene. The objective of the Public Service Advertisement is clear; it wants soldiers to remain healthy and fit. Both Public Service Advertisements are examples of government propaganda.
The United Kingdom uses Public Service Advertisements too. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service uses Public Service Advertisements for its anti-smoking campaign. The UK has very stringent restrictions on tobacco marketing and advertising and the UK insists on a lot of anti-smoking warning on covers or packaging of cigarettes. The UK encourages private sectors to put out their own Public Service Advertisements against smoking to add to the government’s already intensive effort (National Health Service, 2014).
VI. Methodology
I am going to find out the secondary date on the reliable website and find some academic book in the library. Then, develop the theory and collect data to promote my views which contribute to further analysis and correlation .It is necessary to discuss the methodology and research methods used in some articles and various academic journals based on the public service advertising
Hanneman, McEwen and Coyne argued content analyses of televised public service advertising during the 1970s indicated that nearly half of them dealt with health or personal safety topics, including alcohol and drug abuse, preventive health care traffic safety, nutrition, and the like. Public service advertising also educates consumers about public policy or social issues. That is the reason why public service is important for our life.
According to Lang and Goodwill (n.d.) indicates that good public service advertising are ones that are empathetic, meaning they build trust with their audience or a sense of caring about the problem. He goes on to say that good public service advertising is one that creates a mental picture of the subject with sound effects and a strong, credible spokesperson. And a good Public service Advertising had obviously struck a chord with his audience. Public Service Advertisement is one of the roles in education of the human subconscious.
Dejong and Atkin (1995), having reviewed 137 alcohol-impaired driving public service advertising, of which 66.4% featured a celebrity, concluded that knowing the target audience for a given campaign is critical for its success. The main purpose of public service ads is to influence people’s behavior, Celebrity endorsements are a great way to make people understand and accept advertising within a shortest time. Celebrity effect in Public Service Advertisement is easy to affect people’s tendency and mentality in doing things. It has a great influence on youths’ study and growth.
In China, Gao and Zhang defined that in 1986, a Public Service Advertisement spot was run by Guiyang Television Station in southwest China, advocating water conservation during a drinking water shortage season. And in 1996, CCTV donated an equivalent of 36 million Yuan to the 60 second public service advertising spot on the daily primetime. And Zhang also argued that Public awareness of the program was strong, the program’s rating was the third highest among all CCTV programs. Public service ads in China had a difficult beginning. This is the reason why Chinese public service advertising is still backward,
VII. Findings and Conclusion
The first conclusion can be drawn from answering the first research question. The first research question is what the importance of Public Service Advertising is to young persons. It is unthinkable for this question to not be answered with a resounding “yes! Public Service Advertisements are important to young people.” However, before such an answer could be made, the importance of Public Service Advertising must be addressed first. According to the Advertisement Council’s research on the effectiveness of Youth Public Service Advertising, the answer is that Public Service Advertisements are very important to the youth (Ad Council, 2010). The Ad Council’s research was based on survey objectives that were used to identify which of the segments of the target audience for Public Service Advertisements would be affected by the Public Service Advertisement messages. The result indicated that the youth are affected but that there are other social factors that influence the effectiveness of Public Service Advertisements, these being lifestyle and behavior trends.
Television viewership varied but the youth aged 24 and up years watched more television on a weekly basis compared to other segments of the target audience for Public Service Advertisements. The segment aged 18 to 23 years watched television at about 30 minutes or more but those of 24 years watched television from 6 to 10 hours every week. These findings indicate that to target this segment of the youth, the programming must be specific and simple. The Public Service Advertisements must be injected in sports and reality/drama television because this is the most viewed type of television shows by this segment of the youth that is most receptive to Public Service Advertisement messages.
In terms of internet usage, the reception is reversed. The Ad Council study found out that as the segment of the youth market gets older; the more time they spend on the internet. The usage data shows that the older segment of the youth population spends 11 to 25 hours per week. However, the effectiveness of the internet and radio were found to be least effect in terms of Public Service Advertisements despite the popularity of social media and networking sites.
Newspaper and radio is infrequently used by the youth and is also ineffective for capturing the interest of target audiences. Despite the importance of Public Service Advertisements to the youth, the Ad Council research indicated that Public Service Advertisements are not well received and are not effective at initiating behavioral change. The report further states that there is some indifference in terms of receiving Public Service Advertisements as a whole and that the social issues that they have received are addressed more effectively if received on an individual basis rather than when received from these popular forms of media.
The Ad Council provides guidance on how to use Public Service Advertisements more effectively in creating awareness. Public Service Advertisements by nature must generate interest in critical issues thus they must be crafted to be efficient in transmitting information to the target audience. Transmitting the message to the youth becomes especially challenging since the youth has so many distractions. Reaching the youth through popular media, as shown in the Ad Council study, does not yield results as much as the results garnered from Public Service Advertisements advertised to older segments of the population.
The failure of Public Service Advertisements to interest the youth is due to the fact that advertising to the youth is harder because of the competition for their attention. Thus Public Service Advertisements for the youth must be focused and committed, with the view of deeply setting the message to illicit attitude change. This could be done through frequent advertisements that become part of the youth’s culture. According to the Ad Council report, an instantaneous response from the youth to Public Service Advertisements simply is not possible. This is supported by Goodwill’s findings and guidance statements for effective Public Service Advertisements (Lang & Goodwill). Public Service Advertisements must contain information that the youth will find intrinsically useful (Atkin, 2001).
This generalizes what Public Service Advertisements are not. To be effective, it is not just a simple matter of broadcasting Public Service Advertisements. Public service announcements should never be considered as free advertising. Public Service Advertisements contain a public message that is useful to the target audience. It is not a way of promoting any organization.
Because of the very scarce exposure time and moneys involved in creating and broadcasting Public Service Advertisements, the use of it is always very expensive. This is especially true for television. Even if the promoter of the Public Service Advertisement secures free air time, the production of the Public Service Advertisement is expensive and will require the promoter to be very careful and thoughtful in producing the message that the promoter wants to deliver.
As shown in the study conducted by the Ad Council, the use of public service advertisements to relay a message with the objective of influencing people to change their behavior about a particular issue is never guaranteed to produce results. Since there are no guarantees for any of the broadcasting companies to provide air time for Public Service Advertisements and because of the very tough competition that these broadcasters and other types of media face during the global economic recession, it is important that the use of Public Service Advertisements is intelligent and focused. Doing so will only result in less impact, as seen in the Ad Council study mentioned above.
The same issues on the level of effectiveness of Public Service Advertisements are found in other countries. China has undergone a reform era which was designed to modernize the way of life of the entire country. The results of this are impressive. China opened its doors to economic reform starting in 1979 (Ke, 2004). One of the first steps that China’s government took was the utilization of present-day corporate management principles to “liberate” and manage China’s numerous state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Prior to 1979, China’s government kept a very tight control over all activities related to SOEs, including allocation of financial resources, the purchase and use of raw materials, the selection of personnel, the allocation of produced goods and services, among others. The government controls these activities but pursues them not because of any profit motivation but as an execution of the overall plans designed by the central government. By the 1980s, China has started working on its management reforms which started with the use of production contract responsibility systems (Ke, 2004). Also, China instituted the use of self-supporting accounting systems which was an adoption of prevailing accounting practices used by private entities outside China. There was no reform on ownership of the SOEs and the Chinese central government kept a tight grip over other SOE activities. By the 1990s, China recognized that continuing to own the SOEs was the largest hurdle for any reform initiative to be successful. China’s central government also concluded that the continued ownership of these SOEs contributed to the decline of the governance system of the country. China thus began the privatization of the SOEs. The process of privatization began with the adoption of corporate law policies, to establish the ownership and management of SOEs as that which is based on profit maximization rather than political directives. China also began instituting laws that would allow for regulated employment terms for managers and employees of these privatized SOEs. China also understood the need for the involvement of the general public in the ownership of SOEs and moved to a secondary reform, that which will transform these SOEs into “public” corporations. The privatization of SOEs contributed to China’s economic development.
It is during this economic reform era that Chinese authorities used heavy Public Service Advertisements to shape the attitude and behavior of the Chinese population (Stockmann, Esarey, & Zhang, 2010). Because of its economic success, the Chinese government focuses its Public Service Advertisements on broad issues such as environment, legal and health reform. Public Service Advertisements also are targeted towards efforts to keep the growing diversity in the Chinese population manageable. Public Service Advertisements also are directed towards ensuring that the population becomes less fragmented, as the economy grows. According to a study conducted by Stockmann et.al, on the effectiveness of public service advertising in the Chinese media, the Chinese government has been able to adapt and remake the forces that created the nationalism and integrative powers of the Mao era through Public Service Advertisements. In fact, the study showed that the Chinese population remained supportive of the Chinese government’s policies and actions primarily because of the effectiveness of propaganda material disseminated by the Chinese government using popular media.
According to a research conducted by Esarey et.al China has instituted a normalized state of “propaganda”. This word is not perceived negatively by Chinese nationals. Instead, the study showed that the Chinese population supports Public Service Advertisements that dealt with important socio-economic issues such as water conservation, among others. The study also showed that while the Chinese population does not contradict the Chinese government, there is a growing understanding of the relationship between the Chinese government and the issues that are prevalent in the Chinese society and that these issues must be addressed by the government and by the citizens. Thus, there is an empirical support for Public Service Advertisements to the point where the Chinese population cedes power to the Chinese government. The study also concludes that the Chinese population distrusts market forces and continues to thrust the centralized type of economic platform despite the economic success China has earned through its privatization efforts (Esarey, Stockmann, & Jie, 2006).
In the United Kingdom, a recent publication by Judie Lannon, who was the former planning director for JWT Europe, stated how Public Service Advertisements and marketing campaigns in the UK have been so effective in the last 25 years. According to this compilation, there is no single public service methodology in the United Kingdom. There have been models that spanned the issues that are social and political in nature and the approaches for garnering support have been wide and encompassing. The public sector advertisement is shown to be a valuable form of investment, because of the number of lives saved and the amount of currency that was utilized instead for other meaningful social causes (Central Office of Information, 2008).
This is no big surprise since the United Kingdom has established public relations as early as 1938. In 1938, British actor Richard Massingham established an agency for producing films that are educational and targeted for the general public. Using himself as the main actor and acting as a less-intelligent person, Massingham was able to demonstrate clear messages that helped the general public identify and understand simple rules and regulations (i.e. how to cross the roads) or public safety concerns (i.e. washing the hands to prevent spread of diseases), among others.
Many of the UKs public service advertisements are directed towards children and are aired during holidays, weekends and other days when children are available for television viewing. The UK public service advertisements looked into a lot of topics which ranged from rules and regulations, to safety and even to measures for what to do in case of nuclear attack.
The UK is also infamous for a darker side of imagery when using public service advertisements, as evidenced by their recent advertisements on drunk driving, texting while driving and sexually transmitted diseases.
The main difference between the United Kingdom and the Chinese in terms of their use of public service advertisements is the way the messages are received by the general public. If in the United Kingdom Public Service Advertisements serve as an information system for guiding people on general issues, in China Public Service Advertisements are used as a way of fortifying the population’s belief on the issues and policies utilized by the Chine government. Whether or not China has achieved economic success seems to have no factor in the utilization of Public Service Advertisements in the country. The Chinese people see Public Service Advertisements as a way of affirming its solidarity with the state, in a post-Maoist era.
VIII. Reflection
This research has opened my eyes to the value of Public Service Advertisements. I often just see Public Service Advertisements as part of the television show or as a filler for radio programs. However, I now understand that public service advertising (Public Service Advertisement) is advertising that is crafted to disseminate information to the general public that is categorically to and for the best interest of the general public. Public service advertising explain political perspective, philosophical theories, religions concepts and even humanitarian causes. I also know now that Public Service Advertisements are designed to raise awareness and move the public to action. They are normally directed towards health and conservation issues but in the recent years, Public Service Advertisements have become useful in conveying other concerns by government and non-government agencies. They are also used by institutions and private business organizations. Understanding these things will forever remind me of the value of information and how carefully crafted messages can elicit the emotion and the actions needed for a country to be strong.
This is applicable to the two countries that are being examined, the Republic of China and the United Kingdom. Both countries are economically strong and politically stable and the use of public service advertisements to manage the population is quite different in approach and definition by both countries. In China, public service advertisements create a mood of affirmation from the Chinese people. Whenever they see public service advertisements, they know that the Chinese government is making state policies known. The Chinese population react by understanding the message and by doing what the message requires them to do. While this may be undemocratic, it is one of the reasons why China has emerged as a global super power.
In the United Kingdom, the use of public service advertisements is less of a propaganda material. The United Kingdom uses public service advertisements simply as a messaging system to the public. Unlike in the United States where the cost of creating, publishing or promoting a public service advertisement is high and thus becomes a high-profile activity, the United Kingdom treats its public service advertisements with simplicity.
After doing my research on this topic I realized that there are more factors to consider to measure the true impact of public service advertisements in China and in the United Kingdom. Clearly, this research has not determined such factors and their effects and is therefore a consideration for future study. The recommended approach is to create an empirical basis for determining the effects of public service advertisements in a quantitative manner. This would be the correct approach since there would be measurable statistical items that can be addressed and analyzed.
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