I was reading articles on Time.com again, and I came upon this article. It talks about how schools in the states are lacking the financial support that the school boards have looked into other facets for help. In particular, the private sector. In order to support school programs and activities, schools are now allowing companies to have their advertisements posted all around the school. These advertisements can be found on lockers, hallways, the cafeteria, and even permission slips sent home.
I find this hard to believe. While I understand that schools are having a tough time finding the necessary support at a time like this, but why are companies so willing to uptake this opportunity to use such a communication channel? For myself, if I were to see an advertisement at school or on a permission slip, I would simply disregard it, even if it had the slightest relevance to me. Advertisements are a way to create awareness of the brand, not I strongly believe that the school is not the place to spread this awareness. There are a lot of other more constructive ways that a company can help schools out. Sponsorships of community events, supporting extra-curricular activities such as team sports or certain clubs, to name a few. I think this way is a much more effective way for a company to strengthen its brand image in the public’s eyes. Being a supporter of education, of outdoor events, of children’s growth development is a much better image than being a hard-sell or profit-seeking company.
Just a few of my thoughts. Reading this article really got me excited for when we’ll be going over marketing ethics and responsibility. I think I will really enjoy that section of the course.