With stories buzzing around the net today ranging from MySpace's music endeavors to the rumored release of a new iPhone, this story will probably not receive a lot of ink. The Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia's campus newspaper reports that a Virginia court has ruled in favor of allowing alcohol advertisements in their paper as well as in Virginia Tech's campus newspaper, The Collegiate Times. Citing the first amendment suppression, the Virginia chapter of the ACLU stepped up to represent the school's papers. Can you imagine the letters and calls school officials will receive today from parents and organizations like MADD? Honestly though, I'm not sure this will turn into anything substantial for the papers. Yes, it's true that most college kids read their campus newspaper, more than 80% of them according to our latest data. However, beer and alcohol companies are constantly under heavy scrutiny and pressure as it relates to their media buys. I don't think it is feasible that just because all of the sudden two campus papers in Virginia accept alcohol ads, the brands will come running with 52 week plans. If anything, it might be a good community and social responsibility push for a brand leader like A&B's Budweiser to come in with creative that talks about responsibility exclusively, but the notion that they'd run a pure branding campaign instead is not realistic, they'd be killed in the mainstream media.
I publish two college targeted newspapers, we have had beer ads for a while.
Posted by: Publisher | April 08, 2008 at 01:08 PM