After spending astronomical sums to promote health guidelines, the Legault government considerably reduced its advertising budgets during the fall. Enough to hurt the traditional media, which are suffering from the fifth wave, but not to the point of going up to the barricades to implore Quebec to reinvest in advertising. News groups know all too well that depending on government revenues, as at the height of the pandemic, is not sustainable.
“We are very grateful for the efforts that the government made during the pandemic by buying advertising in our pages: without that, several newspapers would have closed. But you must not get addicted to this drug. We knew that it would not be eternal and we expected a detox ”, summarizes Benoit Chartier, president of the board of directors of the association Hebdos Quebec.
However, the “detox” started this fall comes at a very bad time. With restaurants and theaters closed, the media these days are deprived of a significant portion of their advertising revenue. At Hebdos Québec, which represents 76 newspapers across Quebec, we are talking about a loss of 15 to 20%. Despite the strength of the fifth wave, Quebec is still staying the course in its desire to gradually reduce its advertising budgets for COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the fall, the government has spent $ 6 million per month on advertising space promoting health instructions and vaccination, which remains considerable. However, nothing to do with the 12 to 16 million that were spent monthly for this purpose between April 2020 and last September, according to data shared by the secretariat of the Treasury Board.
A campaign of unprecedented scale, it goes without saying, especially as 98% of this envelope was allocated to advertising in traditional media rather than on social networks. “We went from three pages of COVID advertising to one page per newspaper. Maybe, for the fifth wave, it would help us if the government bought at least two pages. There are still a lot of messages to pass, on the curfew or on vaccination, ”says Benoit Chartier, Hebdos Quebec.
A precious help
To the National Independent Information Cooperative, of which The sun from Quebec, we refuse to go that far, even if we admit suffering from the government’s financial disengagement. “We cannot ask the government to come to the aid of everyone. Especially since print media like ours already benefit from tax credits. We are aware that government advertising on COVID-19 cannot be a full-time crutch. But for the very short period of January and February when it may still be difficult, we want a volume of government advertising to remain. making it possible to make up for the decrease in ads purchased by businesses due to the 5th wave. », Indicates Stéphane Lavallée, general manager of the press group.
The Cooperative’s six regional dailies were in a precarious situation before the pandemic. Like most media, they are in much better financial health today than they were two years ago, in part thanks to the money injected into advertising by the government, but only in part, affirms Mr. Lavallée.
“The big changes that we have made within our organizations have also helped us to get through, for example the abandonment of paper editions during the week and our digital shift which has accelerated. So I couldn’t say that it was government advertising that saved us, but it is true that it was a valuable counterweight to the advertising losses suffered in local markets, ”he continues.
The Legault government has never hidden that it was seeking to help the Quebec media to get their heads above water, at least during the health crisis, by leading a much more ambitious advertising offensive than that which was deployed in the other provinces. This is what has led some to question the neutrality of journalists during the pandemic. How to challenge health measures while depending on financial support from the government?
“It is an opinion which is for the moment rather limited to the conspiratorial circles. But this idea could become much more widespread if the media came out to denounce the government’s gradual disengagement. It would be counterproductive. Support for the media must remain, but we must find a way that is less direct, ”analyzes Patrick Howe, public relations consultant.
The latter believes that it was time for the government to start slowing down the pace in promoting health guidelines. Anyway, what’s the point of stretching the sauce? asks Patrick Howe.
“After two years, Quebecers know them, the health measures, the curfew, the vaccination … They do not need to be hammered as in March 2020,” says this communications expert.
Never seen
Patrick Howe does not know if it was worth the investment so much to get the message across. It does not fail to stress, however, that this vast campaign has still not been able to reach a part of the population which remains unvaccinated. The opportunity to reflect on the limits of persuasion work and on ways to reach the most isolated people in our society, according to him.
However, enormous means have been put in place to achieve this. Between March 2020 and November 2021, Quebec will have invested a total of $ 228.2 million for advertising investments, indicates the Treasury Board. To this is added a maximum envelope of 15 million per year for the design of advertisements: a contract honored by the Cossette agency.
All these figures bear no relation to what is normally spent on other prevention campaigns. At the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, for example, year after year, we have an advertising budget of 5 million for everything related to prevention, from speeding to drinking and driving, going through the distractions.