The Ad Council is launching its new digital platform for
delivery of public service announcements on Monday, providing one-stop
shopping for spots across a range of media.
The new PSA Central
site will help the council more effectively deliver content for its 50
national campaigns representing a billion and a half dollars in donated time
and space, the council says.
"I think the ease of operation will be great," said
Council president Peggy Conlon. "So many of our media partners are looking
for PSAs for multiple platforms, including Web, digital and mobile
inventory."
Currently, the council's PSAs are delivered via a blend of
physical and online delivery, she said, with some 25% of TV stations having
chosen online only. She said she was looking to drive that number higher.
Conlon said all her partners have to do is "create a
profile and when they come back they will be served up the content for the
multiple platforms they support. This is a one-stop shopping and a robust,
leading edge technology. I think this will drive the adoption of digital-only
delivery. "
The site will allow users to search by media type, file
format, issue, target audience and more. IT also includes a "cart" feature -- think
Amazon -- for ordering PSAs that will remember user profiles. In fact, the
platform is from Amazon Cloud Services and Akamai Content Delivery.
The Council provided attendees at the National Association
of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas a chance to demo the site. It has also
produced a video to walk them through the process.
"The search function is incredible," said Karen Koch, promotion
manager, KRIV/KTXH Houston and an avowed fan of the new site. "It lets me
fine-tune the parameters so I can find exactly what I need as quickly as
possible," she said. "Everything about their new website is designed with the
end user in mind."
The Ad Council services more than 33,000 media
outlets nationwide. Its campaigns have included the iconic "A Mind Is a
Terrible Thing to Waste," "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" and World War
II's "Loose Lips Sink Ships."
