The Newspaper Works: Public Agenda

Public Agenda advertising is designed to raise the profile of a brand, issue or cause or to leverage a topic that's already being publicly debated.

Public Agenda advertising can be anything from brand ethics and corporate strategy to environmental and charity causes. Or as a means of having your say on a topic you either want to put on the agenda, or one you wish to say something about.

Public Agenda advertising sparks readers' feelings, provokes reactions and thoughts, as well as stimulates debate.

For example, in Role Map below, the NSW Government's Water for Life campaign (as per the blue keyline), performs incredibly strongly in the strategic role of Public Agenda, highlighting the positive steps taken by the government to adapt to and combat climate change and population growth. The ad also performs signficantly better than the norm for all ads tested (grey footprint).

Newspapers set the agenda for the day. As content creators, newspapers can often make the news as well as break the news. Therefore the unique side-by-side quality of editorial and advertising provides fertile ground for advertising messages to stick with readers, in a context that's most meaningful to them.

Download the Powerpoint presentation below on the strategic role of Public Agenda, including Role Map measures for the newspaper ads referenced in this article.

Like to know how other advertisers have applied this strategic role to newspaper advertising? View the case studies below.

Haagen-Dazs (US): See how this ice cream maker used a Public Agenda campaign to not only save the honey bees, but their brand as well.

The Climate Institute (AU): Public Agenda newspaper ads helped make climate change a key election issue amongst voters in the 2007 Federal Election.

Download: Six Strategic Roles - Public Agenda Role (3m, PowerPoint (.ppt) format)

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Strategic Role # 1