How to Get WIC Videos Played as PSAs

October 8, 2014

Guest Blog by Tracy Erickson, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator, Texas Dept of State Health Services & Dandi Wright from Sherry Matthews Advocacy Marketing

At Texas WIC, we integrated the WIC 40th Anniversary spots into our 2014 Breastmilk: Every Ounce Counts campaign by playing the NWA spots in select movie theatres.

Operational adjustment funding was used to purchase eight weeks of 30-second and 60-second spots on 595 screens 47 theatres. An advertising agency was used to place the ads.

The agency has offered the following tips for success for other states interested in using the ads on TV.

TV PSA Strategy—How to Get Started 

To maximize awareness for WIC and the WIC 40th Anniversary spots, we recommend distributing the TV spots as Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to your statewide/local/regional stations.

Some recommended steps:

• Most important is to first develop an accurate and comprehensive database of media outlets and their personnel, with a focus on their Public Service Director and/or marketing Director if it is a small market.
• Next step is to craft compelling pitch emails—that succinctly communicate the mission of WIC—combined with follow-up calls to key station groups/directors to encourage donation of airtime and online streaming. It's important to include online streaming in your ask—as many stations—may not be willing to give you spot airtime, but may be willing to stream your videos online. 
• For television, we recommend having the spots encoded and distribute them via satellite along with traffic instructions and end dates. Stations are now most used to receiving everything by satellite, rather than an appeal by mail. For a small fee, you can hire satellite vendor who can provides web access to reports that show which stations have pulled the spots to put into rotation, and the service shows near real-time results of donated airtime.
• Follow-up with each station, and offer additional assets such as web banner images for station websites who have shown a direct interest in the cause. 

WIC Anniversary Videos

The National WIC Association produced 5 short animated videos to highlight WIC services and celebrate WIC’s 40th Anniversary. WIC agencies across the country have been using the videos in for local TV ads and in movie theaters! Learn how to order the videos on the order form.

Watch the 1 minute videos.
Watch the 30 second videos.

Contact Samantha at slee@nwica.org with questions.