Kids bonus ads to cost $5m-plus

THE Gillard government will spend more than $5 million this financial year on paid advertising for the Schoolkids Bonus scheme.

THE Gillard government will spend more than $5 million this financial year on paid advertising for the Schoolkids Bonus scheme, according to new figures provided to the Senate.

According to the breakdown of the advertising buy booked by Universal McCann, most of the money is going to digital advertising, with TV the second-biggest spend item. Answers to the Senate also reveal the Schoolkids Bonus campaign creative concepts were tested on 36 focus groups.

The Schoolkids Bonus is worth $820 a year for a high school student and $410 for a primary schooler, paid in two instalments. At the end of March, 1.238 million families had received the first payment at a cost of $609 million.

Answers to Senate estimates also show that research was done by Taylor Nelson Sofres Australia in August last year to inform on the development of the Schoolkids Bonus campaign at a cost of $300,000.

And as of January 31, $57,486 had been spent on the production of 20,000 family kits; and $23,860 had been spent on information materials for the Schoolkids Bonus campaign, including brochures, fact sheets, posters, and in-store information materials.

In the Senate answers, the government said the research done for theSchoolkids Bonus showed many parents were still confused about the types of family assistance available, and they wanted clear information.

There was confusion over the Family Tax Benefit, Schoolkids Bonus, Household Assistance Package, Paid Parental Leave, and Dad and Partner Pay.

"There is a substantial body of research and numerous examples of organisations effectively reaching and influencing parents by raising awareness among their children, particularly in relation to the environment, health and household spending," the answer said. "Family kits were developed as an activity to improve awareness of the assistance being delivered to families in 2012-13."

The cost breakdown comes after The Australian revealed Canberra was launching a taxpayer-funded ad blitz promoting its signature policies on school-funding reforms, DisabilityCare, Medicare and childcare assistance, and having budgeted for a $25m campaign this year to tout the National Broadband Network.

Opposition spokesman on families, housing and human services Kevin Andrews said: "The Coalition warned Labor would waste taxpayer dollars promoting the Schoolkids Bonus and they've done just that. Before their election, they said they wouldn't engage in profligate advertising, but they did the opposite. It's just another broken promise."

Julia Gillard has rejected the charge that the government's campaigns were asking taxpayers to pick up a shortfall in Labor's own fundraising.