What Can TV Ads Do That Speeches And News Stories Can’t Do?

Here’s an excellent insight on the power of TV advertising by Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In this 2008 interview with Bill Moyers, now in the Moyers archive, Jamieson discusses the ways the 2008 presidential candidates, particularly Obama, used advertising (TV, texting, etc.) to influence voters. Jamieson provides valuable insights on media selection that college marketers should keep in mind as they reach out to prospective students.

BILL MOYERS: What can ads do that speeches and debates and news stories can’t do?

KATHLEEN HALL JAMIESON: Because advertising lets you speak in someone else’s voice, and speak with visuals and with audio materials and with music, ads are able to attach emotion to a story that tells voters who you are without making it look as if you’re self-aggrandizing.

BILL MOYERS: A biography?

KATHLEEN HALL JAMIESON: A biography. And back to the earliest days of politics, biographies– literally, print biographies were written and distributed to tell people who the candidate is who is contesting for the presidency. The biographical ad is a staple in political campaigns. And it’s important for a number of reasons.

Read or watch the interview here.