Procter & Gamble Good, Toyota Bad According to Parents Television Council

Earlier this week, the Parents Television Council released their annual list of the best and worst companies in terms of responsible television advertising.  The Parents Television Council creates its ratings based on how frequenty advertisers sponsor family-oriented television programs vs. shows that contain material they deem inappropriate for children such as profanity, violence or sexually-explicit content. 

Here are the Parent Television Council’s top 10 and bottom 10:Best Advertisers

1. Procter & Gamble
2. Walt Disney Co.
3. Ford
4. Unilever
5. Viacom
6. McDonald’s
7. Johnson & Johnson
8. Schering-Plough
9. Coca-Cola
10. General Mills

Worst Advertisers

1. Toyota
2. General Motors
3. Limited Brands
4. Payless Source
5. Vonage
6. Volkswagen
7. Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants (Dunkin Donuts)
8. Reckitt Benckiser (Clearasil and other packaged goods products)
9. GEICO
10. Bayer Corp.

Tim Winter, Parents Television Council President, stated that the best advertisers consistently sponsor appropriate shows and content with their advertising dollars while the worst advertisers have sponsored, “some of the most heinous content on broadcast television, including shows that depict sadistic torture and drug use, discuss themes of bestiality, oral sex, and other sexually graphic dialogue, describe horrific crimes against children, and use foul language.”  That’s a list of content I wouldn’t want my brand associated with. 

It’s important to realize that the ratings are based on advertisers’ broadcast network primetime ad buys, so one would have to expect the content in programming during prime-time is more explicit than what might be shown during the day.  However, the questionable content was on broadcast television, which is highly available to children, so the Parents Television Council does have a valid argument to back up their findings. 

While I do agree with the Parents Television Council that brands need to consider how the content of the shows they sponsor with their advertising investments affect their brand image, I also think that companies need to place ads to attract the varied target markets who would be interested in their brand and products.  For example, I’m sure a popular television show like CSI probably includes content inappropriate for children.  Does that mean Toyota should not place ads during one of the most popular television shows, which probably draws a large number of potential Toyota buyers? 

Bottomline, it’s important to research television advertising placement, but it’s also important to reach your diverse target markets with your advertising investments.  Therefore, you need to work to strike a balance between attracting customers and maintaining your brand image.

What do you think about the best and worst advertisers list from the Parents Television Council?  Would it affect your advertising strategy?