Social Marketing Social Marketing is the use of commercial marketing techniques to help a target population acquire a beneficial health behavior. Becoming more popular in governmental and not-for-profit sector. Used in: Family planning Recruiting blood donors Smoking prevention in adolescents

History First started in India in the 1960s to promote family planning. In U.S. sociologist G.D. Wiebe, in 1950s first suggested that marketing might be applied to things such as "selling brotherhood" and other social applications. Was incorporated into the work of Philip Kotler in the late 1960s. In the 70s and 80s main type of social marketing was marketing of contraceptives.

History Major advancements were made in the late 80s and 1990s. 1989 first social marketing textbook published by Kotler and Roberto. In 1999, the Social Marketing Institute was founded in Washington, DC

Social v. Commercial   Primary difference between social marketing and commercial marketing is their objectives. Social marketing – to benefit the target audience and change behaviors that have social implications.

Commercial vs. Social Commercial Social Purpose Expectations Making Profits Making behavior change for social cause Expectations Modest Demanding; complete eradication of the problem Distasteful Behaviors Usually caters to what the public likes Often addresses what people don’t want to change Benefits Clear in profits Often invisible

Commercial vs. Social Commercial Social Self-rewards Budgets Funding Usually external Usually internal or self-rewards (weight loss) Budgets Generous Limited Funding Usually private Usually government or not-for-profit foundations

Exchange Theory Transfer or transaction of something valuable between two individuals or groups Must be voluntary Benefits must outweigh the costs

Social Marketing Wheel

Planning and Strategy Development Formative Research Analysis Audience Segmentation Strategy Development

Developing & Pretesting Concepts, Messages & Materials Identifying appropriate channels Developing effective messages Developing creative strategy Pretest Acceptable Attractive Appropriate

Implementing the Program

Assessing Effectiveness & Making Refinements

Social Marketing Wheel

Product Behavior or offering that is intended for the target audience to adopt.

Types of products Physical Product Ex: Condoms A service Ex: Mammography A practice Ex: Eating 5 fruits or veggies a day An intangable idea Ex: Environmental protection

Price Tangible and intangible things that the target audience has to give up in order to adopt the new idea (product). Intangible= Time, effort, giving up an old way Tangible= Money

Place Where the target audience will perform the behavior. Example: Promote physical activity= TV, newspaper, internet, email, doctors office (The product should be made available at that particular place.)

Promotion Mechanism by which one gets the message across to the target audience. Ex: advertisements, contests, press events for policy change.

Constructs Publics Partnerships Policy Purse strings

Constructs Continued Publics: refers to both primary and secondary audiences involved in the program. Primary audiences is the target audience to whom the behavior change is targeted. Secondary audiences are policy makers that influence any decision and need to be involved.

Constructs Continued Partnerships: refers to collaborating with multiple individuals or organizations who work on the same issue. Policy: refers to creating the environmental supports needed to sustain the behavior change.

Constructs Continued Purse strings: refers to the amount of $$$ available for the campaign.

Food!!! Alcohol Use/Abuse Meeting Information About the Use and Effects of Tonight 7 p.m. Union Building Free Food!!!

If You Feed Them Will They Come? Aim of the study: To increase students’ interest in attending an alcohol program focused on reaching students who drink heavily. Major issue: How to reach students who drink heavily and increase the likelihood that they will attend and benefit from programs regarding alcohol use.

Social Marketing In Practice Constructs used Price – Pizza and Soda Place – Residence Halls Promotion – How program was advertised Product – Program Offered The Study: Promoted two message types, a basic informational and altruistic (concern for others) message. Offered different kinds of incentives Pizza and Soda Mocktails No Food

The Results Pizza and Soda resulted in the most reported interest for those receiving an altruistic message as compared with an informational message. Mocktails; message did not affect interest level. 41.9% indicated the food offered in the advertisement impacted their interest in attending.

Strengths Extensive research Pretesting Integrating “marketing mix”

Weaknesses Focuses on specific groups; leaves out those that may also need services. Requires a lot of time for research and pretesting. Doesn’t involve the community during planning stages. Not effective for long term behavior change. Depends too much on commercial marketing theories rather than forming its own theoretical reasoning.

Summary Social Marketing focuses on selling ideas. Five Steps: Planning Message and Material Development Pretesting Implementation Evaluation

Summary First Four “P’s” – Known as Marketing Mix Product (behavior) Price (costs and barriers) Place Promotion

Summary Last Four “P’s” Publics Partnership Policy Purse Strings