Basic concepts of social marketing

1. Social Marketing
Fasten your seat belt. Eat
more fruit.
Pull over to talk on your
cell phone.
Don’t litter. Get a mammogram

2. Content of the Seminar
1. Introduction
2. What is social marketing?
3. Historical Background
4. Framework for social marketing
5. Uses in public Health
6. Merits and Demerits
7. Conclusion
8. References

3. Social change happens when
• We change internal
attitudes,
• external structures,
• and/or work to make
behavior unnecessary.
Example of highway traffic safety
• about seat belt use by
convincing people through
education and persuasion
• by using public policy to
mandate seat belt use
• Creating cars and highways
that are so safe you don’t
need to convince

4. People are more likely to adopt a new idea quickly
if it exhibits these characteristics:
• It has a relative advantage over what exists
• It’s compatible with social norms
• It’s not too complex
• It can be “tried out”
• You can see someone either doing or using it

5. What is Social Marketing?
One well-known definition of social marketing is
"the application of commercial marketing
technologies to the analysis, planning, execution,
and evaluation of programs designed to influence
voluntary behavior of target audiences in order to
improve their personal welfare and that of
society.”
It is a process for influencing humane behavior on
a large scale, using marketing principles for the
purpose of societal benefit rather than commercial
profit.

6. key points in this definition:
Social marketing
1.Uses commercial marketing strategies.
2.Involves influencing voluntary (not forced or
coerced) behavior change (not just increased
awareness or increased knowledge).
3.Promotes an end goal of improved personal
welfare and improved welfare of society.

7. • It covers a wide variety of disciplines including
health education, advertising, economics,
business management, scientific research,
systems analysis, community organization
psychology and epidemiology.
• Social marketing aims to persuade or motivate
people to adopt specific courses of action or
behavior which are generally accepted as
being beneficial.

8. Objective
• The objective of social marketing is to
promote public health, and its goal is
improved health for all. Its strategy is
therefore predominantly preventive. It could
even be seen to be in competition with
commercial health care marketing as it seeks
to reduce the market for curative services.

9. History
• Social marketing, especially as applied to
health, has had a fairly controversial history.
• The term "social marketing of health" was
fallen upon by accident during the 1960s as a
useful distinction from commercial marketing.
It received acclaim in July 1971 when the
Journal.of mpr oduced an issue on the topic
(Kotler, 1971).

10. Similarities to commercial marketing include:
• Customer-orientation is critical
• Audiences are segmented
• All 4Ps are considered
• Market research is key to success
• Results are measured for improvement
In commercial marketing, however:
• Financial versus societal gain is the goal
• Goods & services are sold versus behaviors
• Competitors are other similar organizations
•

12. Social marketing is NOT
• Just advertising or communication.
• A media campaign.( this is the most people think of
when they hear term marketing.)
• Not driven by Organizational expert’s agenda (it is a
balance between the expertise of professionals and
the experiential expertise of our audience(s).)
• Reaching everyone.
• A fast process.
• A theory.

13. When Should We Use Social Marketing?
1. when voluntary behavior change is our goal and
2. we desire an audience-focused program
3. Also, we must have the time and skills to adhere
to the process.
You would not use social marketing if you were
only trying to educate or raise awareness.
Although, if the hope is that education or
awareness will lead to behavior change, then
social marketing would be appropriate

15. Confusion
• Social marketing in public health should not
be confused with the marketing activity of
new commercial health care and hospital
corporations.
• The aim of the latter is to market health
products and services for the profit of
shareholders. The coincident benefits to
health are part of the business objective
and, it may be argued, need not always be
"beneficial" to health.

16. • Oh…More Confusion—What is Societal
Marketing Concept?
• The overall idea of societal marketing concept
is to have those who market to the public take
into consideration what is socially good for the
public.

17. APPLICATIONS
Most social marketing efforts are applied to:
• Improving public health (e.g. HIV/AIDS, tobacco
use, obesity, teen pregnancy, tuberculosis)
• Preventing injuries (e.g., traffic collisions,
domestic violence, senior falls, drowning)
• Protecting the environment (e.g., water quality,
air quality, water conservation, habitat
protection)
• Contributing to communities (e.g., voting,
spaying and neutering pets, volunteering, crime
prevention)

18. This shows you where social marketing fits in with other
interventions to support behavior change.

20. • “Because social marketing is based in a strong
strategic planning process, and because of its
insistence that you understand your audience, it
really can give you a 360 degree view of both
the causes of a problem and potential solutions.
Even if your organization cannot address all of
the causes, at least you can make an informed
decision on which solutions are within your
purview, and which will most „move the needle‟
on behavior change.”

21. PRINCIPLES & TECHNIQUES OF SOCIAL MARKETTING

22. Components of Social Marketing
Social Marketing Consists of ?
• Audience orientation.
• Audience segmentation.
• Influencing behavior.
• Competition.
• Exchange.
• Marketing mix

23. Components of Social Marketing
Influencing
behavior.
Competition. Exchange. Marketing mix
Audience
orientation.
Audience
segmentation.

24. Components of Social Marketing
• Addressing these elements collectively is what
makes social marketing different from other
public health planning approaches.

25. 1. Audience Orientation
Social marketing planners take time to learn
 What the target audience currently knows,
believes, and does.
 All decisions are made with the audience's
perspective in mind.
 The program is designed to fulfill the audience's needs
and wants.
• Target Audience
• The group that your social marketing program seeks to
reach and influence. This group is a
• selected portion (or segment) of a larger population that is
directly affected by the health problem.

26. 2. Audience Segmentation
The process of dividing a broad target audience into
more homogeneous subgroups, called audience
segments.
We segment our audience because
a) different factors in people’s lives can contribute to the
same problem.
b) Different life circumstances can require different
interventions. A one-size solution does not fit all.
c) And also the purpose of dividing up an audience into
segments is to make our program more effective and to use
our resources wisely

27. For example: completely different programs would
be designed for these two segments:
1.Overweight adults who do not enjoy physical activity and
are not motivated to participate in it. (The program for
this segment would need to address the target audience's
motivation before behavior change can be expected.)
2.Overweight adults who like physical activity and are
motivated to do it, but can't find the time during the day
to participate in it. (The program for this segment would
need to address the target audience's perception of the
barrier of lack of time.)

28. 3. Influencing Behavior
Influencing behavior (not just awareness or
knowledge) is the bottom line of any social
marketing program.
We may want our target audience
a) to adopt a new behavior,
b) stop a current behavior,
c) or refrain from starting a new behavior.

29. To do this, need to understand
• Current behaviors of
audience.
• Ideal behaviors.
• Reasonable steps to move
the audience from the
current behavior towards
the ideal behavior.
• What determines their
behavior.
• The initial behavior change
you ask for may not be to
adopt the ideal behavior.
The audience may need to
start with smaller changes
that move them towards the
ideal behavior.
Example
• Current behavior: Watches
app. 5 hrs of TV per day
• Recommended behavior:
Watching 2 or fewer hrs of TV
per day
• Possible behavior change:
Reduce TV viewing by one
hour-long TV show per day
(an intermediate behavior
change that will move the
audience towards the ideal
behavior).
3. Influencing Behavior

30. 4. Competition
• Social marketing, like commercial marketing, takes place
in a competitive environment.
• Competition is defined as the "behaviors and
related benefits that the target audience is
accustomed to—or may prefer—to the behavior
the program is promoting.
• In social marketing programs, competition should be
acknowledged, explored, and addressed by the
strategies of the program.

31. 5. Exchange
• For every choice we make, there is an exchange that
occurs: we give one thing up in return for something else.
• In the commercial marketing world, this exchange can be
tangible (pay an extra quarter and get more fries), or it
can be intangible (buy a brand-name pair of shoes and get
the image that goes with the brand).
• While the exchange can be tangible in social marketing
(paying a higher price for a healthier vending machine
option),
• The exchange is often intangible, such as giving up a TV
show to go for a walk to improve one's health.

32. 5. Exchange
• The exchange should increase the perceived
benefits of the target behavior and minimize its
costs.
• Or it could increase the perceived costs of the
competing behaviors and minimize their benefits.
• “We can use the concept of exchange several
ways in marketing...”

34. Here is a public health example.
The perceived benefits of the behavior must outweigh the
perceived costs in order for them to try it.

35. Here is another public health example.
It is important for us to understand what our audience sees as the
costs and benefits of the behaviors or services

36. What is the cost of Behavior
• Notice that the “costs”
associated with the behavior
we are asking people to do
are not always monetary.
• People go through a
“cost/benefit” analysis at
some level when they decide
to act.
• The perceived benefits of the
behavior must outweigh the
perceived costs in order for
them to try it.
Understanding Cost and Benefit
of Audience
• It is important for us to
understand what our audience
sees as the costs and benefits
of the behaviors or services we
are promoting!
• Notice that the benefits
important to them are not
always health benefits.
• In social marketing, we strive
to frame our services or
behaviors in terms of benefits
that are important to our
audience.

37. While behavioral change is the first–and ultimate–
goal, it is most likely to be achieved step-by-step
through smaller, incremental goals.
But
A readily achieved result will give the audience
positive reinforcement and put the programmer in
a position to make more changes that will
eventually lead to the ultimate health goal

38. 4 P’s
Marketing
Mix
Product
Price Place
Promotion

39. 6. Marketing Mix
• The marketing mix, also known as the "4 P's," is made up of
four parts that, together, create the exchange offered to the
target audience
• Product: What the audience gets or what you offer; can be
tangible items, intangible benefits, or the behavior itself.
• Price: What the audience gives up to get a tangible product;
also the costs or barriers to making the desired behavior
change.
• Place: Where the audience is located or gathers, performs
the desired behavior, accesses. products/services, or is
thinking or hearing about the health issue.
• Promotion: Messages, materials, channels (path used to
reach the target audience), and activities to promote
behavior change and describe the product, price, and place
features of the program.

40. We Discussed
Audience orientation.
Audience segmentation.
Behavior change.
Competition.
Exchange & Marketing Mix

41. We’ve discussed the following elements
• Audience orientation.
• Audience segmentation.
• Behavior change.
• Competition.
• Exchange.
• Marketing mix.
• There are the pieces of social marketing that,
when integrated, form a social marketing
program. Again, it's the collective use of these
elements that make a social marketing program

42. Social Marketing Planning Process
• The social marketing planning process is a
structured approach to developing and
implementing a program or intervention for
voluntary behavior change. The planning process
used in this training consists of six phases.
• Six Phases
1. Problem description.
2. Formative research.
3. Strategy development.
4. Intervention design.
5. Evaluation.
6. Implementation.

43. Social Marketing Planning Process
Problem
description.
Formative
research.
Strategy
development.
Intervention
design.
Evaluation.
Implementation.
Six Phases

44. The first plan component is the problem or
health issue. In the problem description
phase, complete the following activities to
identify the problem and learn more about it
• Define the problem or health issue.
• Find existing information about the problem.
• Identify contributing factors

45. Plan Components for the Problem Description

46. • In the problem description phase, complete
the following activities to identify the target
audience and learn more about them:
• Determine the criteria for selection.
• Identify potential broad target audiences (who
should change behavior).
• Identify potential secondary audiences (those
who influence the primary target audience).

47. • Example
• Some examples of broad target audiences
• Mothers with young children.
• • Somewhat active adults.
• • Employees of daycare centers.
• • Health care providers.
• • Adults living in a particular neighborhood.
• • Women who want to lose weight
• Identify Audience Influencers As you review the literature and talk to
subject matter experts about the health problem, also consider potential
secondary audiences, or influencers. These audiences are the people
who can support or hinder behavior change in your target audience.
Once you identify and refine your target audience, you can begin
exploring the secondary audiences in more detail.

48. • Gather information to help decide which behavior to
promote.
• • Identify which potential behaviors are appropriate to
address for each broad audience.
• • Identify potential benefits and barriers that the audience
faces for changing their behavior. Benefits and Barriers As
you continue to look at existing behaviors that can be
changed (or new behaviors that can be adopted), consider
the potential benefits the audience may receive and what
barriers they may face. Be sure to consider the audience's
perspective. What benefits and barriers do they perceive?
Which benefits and barriers are most important to them?

49. • An intervention strategy explains how and why you
expect behavior change to happen. During the problem
description phase, you will study theories, behavioral
models, and existing programs to identify potential
intervention strategies. Complete the following
activities to learn more about strategies for change
• Identify factors or concepts from behavioral theories
and models that may help explain behavior change in
your audience.
• Identify information about other programs, both
successful and unsuccessful.

50. Why is Formative Research Important?
• Formative research will enable you to
• Better understand your target audience and their needs
and wants.
• Get useful information from the right people.
• Make decisions with an audience-focused mindset.
• Refine your social marketing plan to ensure success of your
program. Formative Research Process
• The formative research process can be broken into seven
main steps: Step 1: Analyze Information Gaps Step 2: Write
Research Questions Step 3: Choose Data Collection Method
Step 4: Develop Instrument(s) Step 5: Recruit Participants
Step 6: Collect Data Step 7: Analyze and Report Findings

51. Step 3: Choose Data Collection Method
2: Write Research Questions
Step 1: Analyze Information Gaps Step
7: Analyze and Report Findings
6: Collect Data Step
Step 5: Recruit Participants Step
Step 4: Develop Instrument(s
The formative research process
I: Problem/Health Issue
II: Target Audience
III: Behavior
IV: Strategy for Change

52. • LIMITATIONS OF SOCIAL MARKETING
• Social marketing is not the only method of health education and
• promotion. It is only appropriate in certain circumstances and has
• limitations (Brieger and Ramakrishna 1987, Manoff 1985). These
• include:
• 1 . Smle of intervention: The majority of health education and
• promotion techniques are based on families, neighbourhoods,
• villages or institutions, whereas social marketing is aimed at
• individu& at the city, state, national and even international
• level.
• 2. Focus on isolated behaviour or products: Social marketing may
• lead people with limited resources to perceive a need to choose
• between the idea which is marketed and other health-promoting
• behaviour. Traditional health education favours a more
• integrated approach.
• 3. Major structural barriers: Social marketing is unsuitable where

53. • major structural barriers exist against change in individuals.
• These include poverty, lack of health facilities, political
• pressure, discrimination. Social marketing is also inappropriate
• where the effort and resources of the individual alone are
• inadequate to achieve the desired behaviour. These insuperable
• problems should be appreciated and careful examination should be
• made to determine whether or how far a social marketing programme
• would be appropriate.
• 4. Decision-making: There are ethical difficulties as to who should
• make the decisions or on what social behaviours should be
• promoted, To remain an educational tool rather than a coercive
• mechanism, social marketing must involve the consumer in
• decision-making.
• 5. Funding: Obtaining sufficient funding is always difficult.
• Social marketing is often labour- and time-intensive. A cost.
• effective strategy must be drawn up for each case.
• Lack of support for social marketing programmes: Actual social
• marketing programmes are sparse due to lack of information,
• demands on personnel and financial stringencies. Trained social
• marketers are rare and since the financial rewards are less,
• commercial marketers are unlikely to be attracted to the area.
• Social marketing's target population is outside the cash
• environment and is therefore culturally, socially and
• psychologically different from profitmaking efforts. Progress is
• also slow and results more difficult to achieve. Marketed health
• programmes are frequently of very low priority within official
• channels and they therefore lack resources and opportunities.
• Lack of opportunity for educational use of the mass media:
• Transmission licences often only have a vague reference to public
• interest, which is often unenforced. Educational programmes may
• be treated the same as commercial ventures rather than be allowed
• free-time allocation. Alternatively, the channel or times given
• for transmission may be poor in quality or ineffective due to
• inappropriate timing. In addition, the mass media are aimed at
• those with economic means and are less feasible in developing
• countries due to financial difficulties.
• "Getting the product r i g h t" i n the Kenya Ministry of Health
• Education Department
• 8. Poor management and implementation of a social marketing effort:
• Some of the problems that can be encountered by social marketers
• in decision-making areas are outlined by Bloom and Novelli
• (1981).The implementation of social marketing creates greater
• problems than those experienced in the commercial sphere. These
• include the following:

54. Benefits
• Social marketing emphasizes advance testing of all
concepts, messages and materials to obtain feedback.
• Social marketing provides the health educator with a
unique opportunity to bridge the communication gaps
between the audience and the authorities; between
educational assumption and popular perception;
educational content and marketplace reality; between
dissonant messages from other responsible agencies:
the health care system and those who are unmotivated
to use the system; and it tackles the competition
between curative services and prevention.

55. • GUIDING THEORIES
• Stages of Change Model describes six stages that people go through in the
behavior change process.
• Social Norms Theory is based on the central concept that much of
people’s behavior is influenced by their perceptions of what is “normal”
or “typical.”
• Health Belief Model emphasizes target audiences are influenced by
perceived personal susceptibility and seriousness of the health issue, and
benefits, barriers and cues to action for the desired behavior.
• Theory of Reasoned Action /Theory of Planned Behavior suggests the best
predictor of behavior is intention to act and this intention is influenced by
perceived benefits, costs and social norms.
• Social Cognitive Theory states that likelihood of adopting the behavior is
determined by perceptions that benefits outweigh the costs and belief in
self-efficacy (ability to perform the behavior).
• Exchange Theory postulates that in order for an exchange to take place,
target markets must perceive benefits equal to or greater than perceived
costs.