The Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA) is offering ComBase filler ads to its members.
The ads are designed to help readers distinguish market research surveys from telephone solicitations that ask for money. The ads are available as ComBase, the largest and most complex media study conducted in Canadian history, is set to begin in Alberta within two weeks.
An article in AWNAÔÇÖs Keeping-Up-To-Date said that some of the associationÔÇÖs members had indicated that in their markets it is very important to indicate to readers that there is a distinct difference between telemarketing phone calls and tele-research phone calls.
ComBase President Elena Dunn said it is extremely important when running the AWNA filler ads or ones like it that the newspaper is careful not to promote the ComBase study in any way.
ÔÇ£No extraordinary self-promotional activity should occur during the interviewing phase if it might affect the readership,ÔÇØ said Dunn. ÔÇ£That includes things such as sampling and in-paper ads telling readers to respond. There are two reasons for this: one; it is frowned upon by both the research and ad planning community and would jeopardize our credibility and two; it might backfire in that we donÔÇÖt know how potential readers might respond.
ÔÇ£For that reason, ComBase assisted AWNA create a series of generic ads that address the telemarketing problem publishers genuinely worry about, while differentiating it from a bona fide research call,ÔÇØ she said.