Page 58 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2011

58 | ISSUE 2 2011 | THE CHANNEL
THE CHANNEL | CSR
The Media Alliance is an Asia-based media and advertising industry initiative that
aims to raise awareness of social development issues through public service
advertising, entertainment and editorial coverage. Stakeholders include media
companies, advertising and PR agencies, international development and donor
organisations, and private sector companies. Former ABU Secretary-General
David Astley who joined the Media Alliance in 2010 as Executive Chairman reports
on what's been happening so far
lobally more than
US$500bn is spent
every year on
advertising
products and
services to
consumers and
businesses. The media industry
plays its part in delivering those
messages, with broadcasters having
a particularly influential role.
“The power of the media” and
“the power of advertising” are two
clichés that describe the influence
that these two industries have in
changing human behaviour and
attitudes. Whilst these terms are
usually used in the context of
persuading consumers to change
purchasing habits, advertising
campaigns are also capable of
effecting positive social change ‑
campaigns to prevent drink
driving, encourage the wearing of
safety belts, or to educate on
averting forest fires.
Over the past 70 years a New
York‑based non‑profit organisation
known as the Ad Council has become
the voice of social advocacy in the
US. The Ad Council is a close
alliance between the US media and
advertising industries, and strongly
supported by most of the big names
in US consumer goods manufacturing.
Whilst the advertising and
media industries provide labour,
time and space on a pro‑bono basis,
funding is required to cover
research, production and overhead
costs, and that’s where the private
sector comes in. Government
agencies often provide the seed
funding for a campaign, leaving
corporations to support ongoing
campaigns as part of their
corporate social responsibility
(CSR) initiatives.
COMBINEDPOWER
The Ad Council has overseen
hundreds of successful campaigns
for government agencies and non‑
profit organisations on preventative
health, education, children’s and
minority rights, recycling and
environmental preservation.
Such issues are relevant to
improving quality of life in
developed countries, but what if
the same model of combining the
power of the advertising and media
industries could be applied in
developing countries to raise
awareness of critical social issues
there? For example, to prevent
human trafficking and child labour,
to provide education about climate
change mitigation and adaptation,
to prevent the spread of malaria
and dengue fever, and to reduce
infant mortality caused by
diarrhoea and other easily
preventable illnesses.
Across the Asia‑Pacific region,
Africa and Latin America, there are
dozens of countries in desperate need
for such messaging. Many national
and local media organisations are
already producing campaigns on
topics relevant to their regions, but
a large proportion have had only
mixed results because they do not
have access to the creative talent
that makes a big advertising
campaign effective.
And rarely do they have access
to sufficient funding to carry out
pre‑ and post‑campaign research to
measure the extent to which
awareness levels have been raised
and whether changes in behaviour
have been accomplished as well.
PRO-SOCIALMESSAGING
In 2009, a group of prominent
advertising and media industry
executives based in Asia started
talking about establishing a non‑
profit organisation similar to the
Ad Council to produce campaigns
specifically targeted at countries in
the Asia‑Pacific region. They
believed that there was a need to
create an organisation that would
bring together the reach and influence
of all sectors of the media industry
– broadcast, print and online ‑ , the
creative talents and marketing
know‑how of the advertising and
related communications industries,
and the resources and expertise of
international development agencies
and foundations in multi‑sector
partnerships to deliver pro‑social
messaging through public service
advertising, entertainment and
editorial content. Recognising the
pressing need for such an initiative,
a decision was soon made to set up
a non‑profit company in Singapore.
The company was registered as
the Asia‑Pacific Media Alliance for
G
ALLIANCE
MEDI
What if the
same
model
could be
applied in
developing
countries?
“
”
THE