Posted by Zach Hochstadt on December 12th, 2011
Posted in Blog, Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Web, Social Media, Storytelling, Videos Tags: ad placement, appeal, campaign, development, fundraising, Hulu, nonprofit, PSA, PSA on Hulu, public service advertising, television, tv, Videos, YouTube
If you’re like us, you’re watching more and more television programming on the Internet via sites like Hulu, rather than traditional networks. And you’ve probably noticed that many of the advertisements — particularly for older programs — are from nonprofit organizations.
Being the savvy nonprofit marketer you are, you’ve probably asked yourself, “How do I get my Public Service Advertisement (PSA) up there?”
Well, we asked ourselves the same thing. The answers haven’t been easy to find.
Until now.
Here it is, your complete guide to getting your free PSA posted on Hulu.
Step 1: Choose the Right Ad
Keep it Light
Hulu is providing entertainment. If you want your ad to be chosen, it can’t be overly depressing.
Hulu’s Brooke Citron says, “Our users come to Hulu to be entertained, and comedy is our biggest draw. Knowing that our users get upset when they see a very depressing PSA while watching shows such as Modern Family makes it all the less likely for us to traffic in heavier PSA. Understandably, if it is a weighty subject matter, please send us the “lightest” version that you have for your best chance of approval.”
Make it Evergreen
To run on Hulu, an ad must be appropriate to run the entire year. If you’re advertising a time-limited campaign or year-end appeal; your ad won’t run. Leave the push for upcoming events to other formats.
Keep it Family-Friendly
Hulu does not monitor, target or track PSAs the way it might for another type of advertiser. Make sure your content can run across the entire site on all channels, including kids/family programming. That means you need to leave out the controversial or shocking images.
Check the Controversy at the Door
“We do not support the efforts of gun organizations, religion, or political organizations,” says Citron. “Hulu cannot appear to take favor of any one controversial organization; we must remain neutral and non-partisan.” So if you want your ad to run, it can’t be controversial.
Make it Work for a Broad Audience
Hulu reaches a national and even global audience, so make sure your PSA is as meaningful to someone in Billings, Montana as it is to someone in your home town.
Quality Matters
The higher the production quality, the better chance your PSA has of making it through their process. So if your intern just created a slide show, save it for a smaller venue. The message you’re sending to the world needs to be crafted by professionals.
Step 2: Save it in the Right Format
Hulu Standard Definition Mezzanine File Format
Hulu High Definition Mezzanine File Format
Other Assets
Hulu asks that you provide:
Step 3: Contact Hulu
Brooke Citron and Lauren Kohli oversee PSA placement for Hulu. Brooke should be contacted directly via email (advertisers (at) hulu.com) if you have a PSA you want to place.
Remember:
Good Luck!
As far as we know, this is the only resource explaining how Hulu’s PSA program works. Please share your experiences here, and let us know if there’s anything else you’ve learned that can make this process even easier!
Related Post: The YouTube Nonprofit Program
Zach Hochstadt is a Mission Minded Founding Partner and runs Mission Minded’s Denver office, leading the company’s creative teams in the areas of message development, writing, graphic design, and web design and development.
See all posts by Zach Hochstadt
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