We shy away from ads that focus solely on "branding" our institution — rather, we use advertising to further policy and health issues.

The Foundation uses advertising as part of strategic communications through two methods: we buy advertising directly from the media, and we collaborate with select grantees that place advertisements as part of the funding they receive for public education campaigns that include our name. While the communications department is involved in both efforts, this edition of Reflections will focus on the first method. (More information on our advertising funded through public education campaigns can be found in “Reflections on Public Policy Grantmaking” available on our website.)

Advertisements placed in print or broadcast media directly by the Foundation are legally owned by the Foundation, and as such, we follow procedures to ensure the content is accurate and appropriately consistent with our Foundation’s mission. We use advertisements to announce Foundation awards, such as the California Peace Prize, or other efforts that highlight the work of grantees, such as our partnership with the Los Angeles Times Festival of Health.

We shy away from “branding” ads that focus solely on positioning our institution or an issue strictly for informational purposes. Our ads are part of an overall strategy that highlights grantees with the intent of drawing more public attention to their work on the issues or policies they are advancing to create change. As is the case with media relations and our website, some ads are prepared in Spanish or other languages and placed in media that reach a target audience that will be interested in the ad’s message and its call to action. In most cases, such advertisements are part of a comprehensive effort that includes media relations, Internet communications and direct mail to policymakers, thereby strengthening the messages that communicate the work of our grantees.