Government advertising: an easy cost to cut or an investment in a better future?

From guiding public health efforts to improving government efficiency, the power of government campaigns as a potent use of taxpayers’ money is often undervalued. But, in August, the role of public sector advertising was thrust under the spotlight after the Scottish government’s announcement that they were to suspend all “non-essential” advertising.

The announcement posed serious questions. Firstly, which campaigns are “essential” and which are not? The question is a hard one to answer, not because there are so few essential government campaigns, but precisely the opposite: there are so few which could be deemed non-essential. Government advertising campaigns are rarely, if ever, superfluous projects or wasted spending.

More importantly, though, the announcement should remind us of the importance of proper, effective governmental communications. They are essential to the running of a country; key to supporting the health of its citizens, the efficiency of its economy and the running of government services.

Government advertising saves lives

The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant effect on how society perceived government advertising. It was used around the world as a lifeline to mobilise the public around key messages. In Scotland, government advertising spend increased by 264% between 2018 and 2020 [1] as ministers aimed first to slow the spread through isolation and then through vaccine uptake.

Though covid sharpened our appreciation of government advertising’s vital public health role, it has always been key to delivering public health campaigns. UK government advertising campaigns, for example, have increased the percentage of women going for cervical cancer screenings [2]. A Scottish campaign helped 467 domestic abuse victims remove themselves from harm [3]. And UK organ donation rates have increased significantly, in part due to brilliant campaigns [4] spreading awareness.

In 2021, Scotland’s domestic abuse campaign cost under £55,000 [5]. The cost per potential victim helped is astoundingly low. Campaigns to encourage early cancer diagnoses are, at the very least, similarly cost-effective and can lead to cost savings by cutting treatment costs [6].

Unlike covid, these are all ongoing issues that require constant attention. Every year, there are more people who develop cancer, more victims of domestic abuse, more people in need of organ and tissue donations. Regular and consistent messaging is the most effective approach, as evidenced by the UK government’s hugely successful cervical cancer screening campaign – while screening samples increased significantly during and immediately after the initial campaign, levels dropped back down to pre-campaign levels after a couple of months [7].

Government advertising helps society work more efficiently

Though public sector advertising is primarily a social tool, it can have economic and structural benefits as well, as in a public sector recruitment drive. Post-covid, for example, when nearly half (47%) of Scottish social service organisations were operating with staff shortages, an advertising campaign helped to register 1,798 new workers in just two months [8].

Advertising has also been shown to increase awareness of government grants and subsidies. A Scottish campaign to alleviate child poverty generated over 44,000 applications for parental payments within its first three months [9]. If governments are serious about such support for those in need, advertising is a crucial part of boosting awareness amongst those who are eligible.

Advertising’s role in supporting tourism and boosting the use of public transport, meanwhile, is also evident. One particularly successful Scottish Rail campaign, for example, increased the number of Scots using the train at least monthly from 43% to 55% [10].

As the stewards of their economies, governments must make difficult calls on where money can be spent. Advertising, too often seen as discretionary spend, is an easy target for so-called savings. But it is a powerful lever to pull in directing public spend and engagement to the places that need it most [11].

With kickstarting growth high on the UK’s agenda, advertising and promoting areas of high growth could be invaluable for government.

Government advertising can help in the climate transition

It is no secret that many countries are falling behind their stated climate targets [12]. Government advertising campaigns can effect consumer behaviour change at scale.

The Scottish government, for example, have used advertising effectively to promote awareness of the energy-saving benefits of heat pumps, as well as their potential cost savings, while directing people to available grants and funding help [13].

Conclusion

The campaigns in this article are just a handful of examples of the benefits that government advertising brings. When budgets are being tightened and hard decisions must be made, government advertising must not be seen as an expendable luxury. As an employee at a Scottish media owner put it to us, “advertising is not a cost, but an investment in our shared future”.

George Grant, Credos Editor

References

[1] https://www.gov.scot/collections/marketing-spend/

[2] https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2021/09/28/cervical-screening-saves-lives/

[3] https://marketingsociety-star.awardsplatform.com/gallery/RKqqmpYn/rBaoqRPz?search=0bdeada2ead957fb-

[4] https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/news/new-uk-strategy-sets-out-ambition-to-be-world-leaders-in-organ-donation-and-transplantation/

[5] https://www.gov.scot/publications/marketing-spend-2021-to-2022/

[6] https://www.who.int/news/item/03-02-2017-early-cancer-diagnosis-saves-lives-cuts-treatment-costs

[7] https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2021/09/28/cervical-screening-saves-lives/

[8] https://marketingsociety-star.awardsplatform.com/gallery/WLDxxodP/JyVBAbmo?search=1295cdf9fa45adf2-6

[9] https://marketingsociety-star.awardsplatform.com/gallery/RKqqmpYn/WOMRwpBv?search=0bdeada2ead957fb-4

[10] https://d2bp8hrk7i2swc.cloudfront.net/files/S/h/4/N/y/X/tdTdIfvyOE/file.pdf?Expires=1724841300&Signature=yLWIBjxOkzstP3Md73tfKlC4ZVE6vqycd5ROTNCfBrBkBjOe6w5nxw-BxVl4ABHLFGPtzGxowg~sWoftXhXbkibZMQeuuTkjU5j2YfZ0tpSC6nb4zekTBTNa41HljccwUhRNxWaMYn1RliAk39Oami7XPpVoQFDdt5xdFLw2e5NpkrM3zna0eLRcozyB0ENgeyy5Lh2G1Nj~6YffQLbdr9cAAOpCxAUvAn-Ve0AL4I~1N8C8MvTtj2LOVWDLrg-Tz8FJ9VF1QIGxws8iBWyFvgvogOi1dytPCqlsP89C6YFvNT2YZc3zjOfy~XFb-mel3N8fYg3FWUQyj2wO4x~Sdw__&Key-Pair-Id=K3S6X2V00DGR8C

[11] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284451/OFT1113.pdf

[12] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/eu-warns-countries-are-off-track-2030-climate-goal-2023-12-18/

[13] https://energy-efficient-home.campaign.gov.uk/