The Alliance delivers on its promise through a set of focused, core initiatives.
Content Development
- Partnerships
with content creators
We have evolved our successful Script Development Fund into a Content Development effort that seeks out family entertainment -- across all distribution platforms -- and financially supports its advancement through media allocations, either development or advertising dollars. In 2009, the Alliance and Humanitas Productions announced a joint Content Development Fund for television and digital projects that will be utilized to develop classic stories that uplift and entertain audiences, while inspiring and uniting humanity.
- Partnerships
with organizations supporting pro-family/social issues
We will partner with key pro family/cause-related organizations that address the issues that families care about most, bringing kids and parents together to talk about the issues that matter to them, and reaching the same audience members target when marketing their products and/or services
- Partnerships
with content providers
We are looking to partner with content developers on a wide variety of platforms (network and cable television, internet, mobile, gaming, etc.)
HUMANITAS and ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment Partner on Television and Digital Content Development Fund
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 9, 2009) - HUMANITAS President John Wells and Barbara Bacci Mirque, Executive Vice President of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA)'s Alliance for Family Entertainment, jointly announced a Content Development Fund (the fund) for television and digital projects. The announcement was made at the fifth annual ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment Symposium at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The fund will be utilized to develop classic stories that uplift and entertain audiences, while inspiring and uniting humanity.
"For
more than 30 years, HUMANITAS has honored thought-provoking stories,
stories which challenge us to think and grow as they explore the
complexity and mystery of the human condition. Now we will empower
writers to tell more of these kinds of stories," said HUMANITAS
President John Wells. "We are delighted to have the ANA Alliance as our
partner in this endeavor."
"We are excited to be working with HUMANITAS and the best storytellers in Hollywood," said ANA Executive Vice President Barbara Bacci Mirque. "It is important that our advertisers have quality content options in which to air their commercial messages."
"The content development fund is a natural extension of our successful script development program which played a role in bringing more than 20 family-friendly primetime shows to air," said Pat Gentile, chairman of the Alliance, and manager of national TV production, The Procter & Gamble Company. "We want to continue to bring consumers compelling stories. Working with HUMANITAS, we are confident that we will deliver on that mission."
Advertisers participating in the fund at the time of the announcement include Alliance members AT&T, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, FedEx Corporation, Nestlé USA, Pfizer Inc, State Farm Insurance, The Procter & Gamble Company, Unilever United States, Inc. and Walmart.
HUMANITAS Trustees who are involved in the venture include John Wells (ER), Bill Lawrence (Scrubs), Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Kirk Ellis (John Adams), Neal Baer (Law & Order), Marshall Herskovitz (thirtysomething), Winnie Holzman (Wicked), Ed Zwick (Glory), David Shore (House), Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King), John Sacret Young (The West Wing), Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) and WGA President Patric Verrone.
HUMANITAS Executive Director Cathleen Young said, "Like us, the ANA Alliance believes in the ability of HUMANITAS to change the world one story at a time. With this relationship we will launch our brand, one story at a time."
About the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment
The ANA represents over 400 companies and 9,000 brands. These companies collectively spend over $100 billion in advertising and marketing every year. The ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment, formerly known as the Family Friendly Programming Forum, recently changed its name and expanded its mission to reflect the programming and content environment of the evolving media industry. As part of the re-brand, the group broadened its successful Script Development program into a Content Development program, supporting and promoting the development of quality family content across multiple distribution platforms. The Alliance for Family Entertainment is a group of nearly 40 national advertisers, supported by the ANA, representing approximately 30% of all US television advertising dollars. Its mission is to find, nurture, develop and support high quality content the entire family can enjoy on multiple distribution platforms. Since its inception (as the Family Friendly Programming Forum) more than a decade ago, the group played a role in brining 20 family primetime programs to air, including The Gilmore Girls, Six Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter, Everybody Hates Chris and Friday Night Lights. In addition, the group has funded 53 college scholarships to ensure that students continue their commitment to develop quality family entertainment after finishing their college educations.
About HUMANITAS
The HUMANITAS Prize is an annual screenwriter's award founded in 1974 to encourage, stimulate and sustain the nation's screenwriters in their humanizing task, and to give them the recognition they deserve. The HUMANITAS Prize honors stories that affirm the dignity of the human person, probe the meaning of life, and enlighten the use of human freedom. The stories reveal common humanity, so that love may come to permeate the human family and help liberate, enrich and unify society. The HUMANITAS Prize is funded by an endowment established through the generosity of individuals, networks, studios and foundations. Since its inception, the HUMANITAS PRIZE has awarded over $2.8 million to more than 250 deserving writers.
Proprietary Research
- Research
We build a quantitative assessment of our efforts through annual unique, proprietary research showcasing the value of family friendly programming. The quantified and qualified data supports our initiatives and offers members current insight on the evolution of family entertainment content.
The Alliance recently completed its first proprietary research project, which proved the value and ROI associated with advertising in family content. For example, the effectiveness scores for each ad increased on average more than 30% between placement on a family oriented show vs. an adult oriented show. In other words, if a family oriented brand was viewed in an adult program, the advertising effectiveness decreased by 30% as compared to when it was in a family show. The research also showed that the average change in purchase intent when ads were viewed in appropriate content was +10.7 points, meaning that more than 10% of the audience changed their opinion about purchasing the brand based on the content in which they viewed the ad.
There is a shortage of family content available to marketers. ANA Alliance members tell us they cannot purchase enough family oriented target rating points to meet their media objectives. The Alliance will use the findings to encourage programmers and content producers to increase family oriented content across multiple distribution channels.
Events
- Symposium
Each year the Alliance hosts a Symposium that brings together marketers and leaders of the entertainment community, fostering in-depth discussions on the key issues facing families today. Our 2009 symposium program included a dialogue about the business efficacy and social responsibility that are the heart of the Alliance's mission. It also featured conversations and insight on multi-platform content development, and showcased new proprietary research. A link to a press release and select photos from the 2009 event follows: www.ana.net/afe/content/symposium