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February 2nd, 2012 | Elizabeth Ben-Ishai
Report: Cash-Strapped Schools Raise Only Minimal Revenues Through In-School Advertising
Faced with state funding cuts and shrinking budgets, many school districts across the country are seeking to raise funds by selling commercial advertising on school properties. Ads appear on school lockers, lunch trays, wall spaces, athletic facilities, websites, school buses and elsewhere. But the risks to children of commercializing schools far outweigh the miniscule revenues raised by these schemes, according to a report released today by Public Citizen.
In “School Commercialism: High Costs, Low Revenues,” Public Citizen found that school advertising programs are providing less than half of one percent of school revenues, and often far less. Public Citizen surveyed the nation’s 25 largest school districts; 10 reported that they maintained in-school advertising programs or were considering such programs. No program reported raising more than $250,000. No program reported raising more than .03 percent of the school system’s overall budget.
Continue Reading...February 8th, 2012 | Coalition for Healthcare Communication
House Health Subcommittee PDUFA V Hearing Yields Little Talk of Marketing – For Now
More than four hours of testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health — and members’ follow-up – nearly exhausted the issues related to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act V (PDUFA V) legislation yesterday, but just one question focused on drug marketing.
Continue Reading...February 8th, 2012 | AdWeek
Smell-Vertising Hits U.K. With Potato-Scented Bus Shelters
To promote its new product, Ready Baked Jackets, McCain Foods is tempting UK consumers with the wafting smell of “3-D baked potatoes” as they wait at city bus shelters in York, Manchester, London, Nottingham and Glasgow.
Continue Reading...February 7th, 2012 | Ed Silverman | Pharmalot
FDA: Replace Babies In Ads With More Risk Info
Fifteen years after the FDA greatly expanded direct-to-consumer advertising, the agency is proposing new rules that would require drugmakers to limit the happy-go-lucky images that - sometimes, incongruously - are used to promote meds for extremely serious and sobering illnesses. And, not surprisingly, the agency may revise current rules so side effect info is easier to digest.
February 7th, 2012 | Joseph Turow | The Atlantic
A Guide to the Digital Advertising Industry That's Watching Your Every Click By Joseph Turow
At the start of the 21st century, the advertising industry is guiding one of history’s most massive stealth efforts in social profiling.
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