The city of Baltimore is exploring the idea of the city selling advertising space on city fire trucks. Cities and states across the country are looking to advertising as a new revenue strategy for raising much-needed funds.
What is wrong with selling the advertising? I’m not against it. However, many are. In the New York Times, Elizabeth Ben-Ishai, the campaign coordinator for the Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert Project, which is designed to curb the spread of commercialization, said, “We are bombarded by ads everywhere we go, and these are public spaces meant to be reflective of the values of our society, not co-opted by the private sector.”
From an advertising standpoint, to me, it’s just one more way that needs careful evaluation before you invest marketing funds. Just because it is available, doesn’t mean you should place your company or organization name on a garbage or fire truck.
But if it does make sense, what a great way to advertise and help a city keep essential services running efficiently and effectively. What I really wonder is how the Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert project markets itself or gets the word out. I’ve never heard of them, maybe they need to advertise.
