Cash-crunched schools looking at advertisement to bring in money

By Neil Nisperos and Canan Tasci

Staff Writers

In a time when schools are getting less money from the state to fund education, districts are desperate to find alternative sources of revenue.

Product marketers are also finding it increasingly harder to reach audiences as technologies that challenge the power of traditional media like the Internet and TiVo have created smaller audiences.

The new fragile market conditions and a reduction in the state education budget may now translate into what could be a "win-win" partnership between school districts and marketers, said Angela Turner, the owner of Launch Lady, LLC.

The Chino Hills-based marketing consulting company hopes to contract with Chino Valley Unified School District in order for companies to advertise their products at district school sites.

Though she could not discuss specifically which companies she currently had deals with, citing contractual obligations, Turner, who is working with other school districts in the region, mentioned at a recent school board meeting, as an example, the potential to market a new Disney animated feature called "The Princess and the Frog."

Turner clarified there are no deals with the Chino Valley Unified.

She described the potential for studios to film television and movies at the school sites and market their products.

"My feeling is that there are probably more dark days ahead economically for school districts, so it is incumbent on us to look for other streams of revenue," interim Superintendent Wayne Joseph said.

"This proposal has to do not only with one movie, but it also has to do with shooting other movies, maybe at school sites as well as trying to get advertising and big sponsors, particularly at some of our stadiums."

Among the places product advertising could be found at the schools are lunch-tray liners, floormats, educational materials, assembly programs, and stadium banners, school officials said.

"It's an innovative time for all of us to look at responsible and creative ways to do business at the school level and for marketers, it's a creative and innovative time for helping generate some much needed revenue," Turner said.

Turner said she believed the plan is not only about the effectiveness of advertising at school sites, but also the "intrinsic 'pay it forward' factor for advertisers is an important element too."

She said marketing at schools would be done responsibly with advertising envisioned to be integrated into various educational programs, such as healthy eating campaigns, lessons on safe driving and financial responsibility.

However, Charles Kerchner, a professor of education at Claremont Graduate University, said commercializing schools with signage and advertising cheapens the education process.

"The question in my mind is whether there is threshold in sense and sensibility. It is a little different when you sell an advertisement to a local merchant in the back of a yearbook then when you're pushing the latest Hollywood teen-oriented, kid-orientated marketing though placards on lunch trays on banners," Kerchner said.

"That is different, and seems to me, it's inherently loaded in controversy in a district that already has controversy."

David Tennies, district parent and member of the district's Budget Advisory Committee, said he was also interested in Turner's plan to generate more revenue for the cash-strapped district.

"I think the concept is a tremendous opportunity for this district to generate additional revenue without impacting the quality of education," Tennies said.

"My comment to critics is we need to be realistic. School districts have been utilizing advertising as a revenue generator for 30 to 40 years. It's just been handled at the individual school level and not at the district level. The only difference is the district would be running this to benefit all of the schools instead of just some of the schools that are more motivated."

But Tammy Lohoff, teacher Howard Cattle Elementary School in Chino, said while she sympathizes with the cash-strapped district, she worries about the conflict between education and entertainment.

"My concern is once we get it into the school that someone is not going to agree with it and there is a problem - I just hope the district really looks over this option carefully and cover themselves so they're not venerable any litigation," she said.

"We already have to get approval to show a G-rated movie or President Barack Obama speaking. I think bringing advertising that could be controversial ... that could be more costly in the long run."