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What is “Social Marketing”?

A number of definitions of the social marketing construct have been offered (Lefebvre & Flora, 1988).Kotler (1975), for instance, defines social marketing as “the design, implementation, and control of programmesseeking to increase the acceptability of a social idea or practice in a target group(s). It utilisesconcepts of market segmentation, consumer research, idea configuration, communication, facilitation,incentives, and exchange theory to maximise target group response.” Andreasen (1995) defines socialmarketing as “the application of commercial marketing technologies to the analysis, planning, execution,and evaluation of programmes designed to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences in order toimprove their personal welfare and that of their society.”

These and other definitions share more commonalities than distinctions. First, the “social marketing” labelis typically applied to causes judged by persons in positions of power and authority to be beneficial to bothindividuals and society. Second, unlike commercial marketing, the agent of change does not profit financiallyfrom a campaign's success. Third, the ultimate goal is to change behaviors believed to place theindividual at risk, not simply increase awareness or alter attitudes. Fourth, the optimal social marketingcampaign is tailored to the unique perspective, needs, and experiences of the target audience, hopefullywith input from representative members of this group. Fifth, social marketing strives to create conditions inthe social structure that facilitate the behavioral changes promoted. Sixth and most fundamentally, however,is reliance upon commercial marketing concepts. It is often said that there is poetic justice in using thevery marketing concepts employed by such “disease peddlers” as the tobacco and fast food industries tocombat their negative influences.

Social Marketing Vs. Product Marketing

The selling of healthier behaviors and the selling of products have much in common. Even so, neitherhealth nor brotherhood can be sold like soap. Practitioners remind us that there are significantdifferences between social and product marketing. These differences include the following:

Promoted Change: Health campaigns typically seek to change behaviors. Product marketingcan strive for behavioral change, but is just as likely to attempt to activate a favorabledisposition. In addition, social marketing can also seek environmental and systems change,something that product marketing rarely attempts to accomplish.

Expectations: Social marketers strive to change the unhealthy behaviors of a largepercentage of the target audience. Product marketers are usually delighted with smallincreases in market share.

Salience: The attitudes and behaviors targeted by social marketers are often fundamental tothe people targeted; product marketing more often than not targets less involving behaviors.As such, social marketers must often overcome attitudes and values that are central to theperson's identity. Product marketers typically deal with self-constructs that are moreperipheral to the person's identity.

Certainty of Gratification: Social marketers promise only an increased probability thatbenefits (e.g., a lower risk of cancer) will come to the person who adopts recommendedchanges. It cannot be proven with certainty that the behavior change advocated willproduce a particular health outcome. In contrast, product marketers usually offerunequivocal gratifications, and may even provide a guarantee that benefits promised willresult. The causal link between the purchase and these satisfactions is seldom in doubt.

Timing of Gratification: It may take months or years for the health benefits offered in socialmarketing campaigns to result. Indeed, many of the benefits sold are preventive in nature,resulting in the absence of an event (e.g., the non-development of cardiovascular disease).Product marketers offer benefits that are realised soon or immediately after purchase of theproduct.

Presentation: Social marketers must strive for an “informational tone” and avoid oversellingthe benefits of recommended changes. With product marketing, overselling, and even somedeception, may be accepted by consumers.

Trust: Greater trustworthiness is typically attributed to the sponsors of a social marketingcampaign than to the sponsors of product marketers. This trust advantage may be due to thebelief that social marketers have no vested interest or other hidden motive, other than thedesire to do good. Thus, in social marketing, “purchase” of the product benefits primarily theconsumer; in product marketing, the sponsor is the chief beneficiary of the consumer'sdecision to make a purchase.

Budgetary Constraints: Social marketers must usually attempt to achieve their goals withsmall budgets. In-kind services, volunteerism, and donations of other resources may add tothe available resources, but the social marketer can seldom match the resources available toproduct marketers. As a corollary, product marketing campaigns tend to be supported bymore extensive formative and summative research and more professional and extensivecommunications with the consumer.

The Five P's

The marketing concepts employed in information campaigns based upon the social marketing approachare numerous. The “5Ps” are perhaps the best known among these. The purpose of the 5Ps is to developa message strategy that offers consumers the optimal “marketing mix” of product, price, place,promotion, and positioning. When applied to social marketing, these concepts can be conceived of asfollows:

Product: the behavior or health idea that the campaign planners would like the targeted individuals(a.k.a., “consumers”) to adopt. The product can be an action (e.g., performing breast self-examinationsregularly) or material item (e.g., fat-free dairy products).

Price: the costs associated with “buying” the product. Costs can involve sacrifices related to psychologicalwell being (e.g., increased anxiety), sociality (e.g., possibility of ostracism), economics (e.g.,financial sacrifice), or time (e.g., inconvenience).

Place: the distribution channels used to make the product available to target audiences. When theproduct is a physical item, it must be easily obtainable by consumers. When it is an idea, it must be“socially available” – supported within the consumer's social sphere. The target audience must beinformed of where, when, and how it can obtain the social marketing product(s). An importantplacement issue is the competition for finite space in the marketplace for food products, healthy andotherwise.

Promotion: the efforts taken to ensure that the target audience is aware of the campaign. Thesepublicity efforts should be designed to cultivate positive attitudes and intentions regarding the productthat pave the way for behavior change.

Positioning: the product must be positioned in such a way as to maximise benefits and minimisecosts. “Positioning” is a psychological construct that involves the location of the product relative toother products and activities with which it competes. For instance, physical activity could be repositionedas a form of relaxation, not exercise. Serving low-fat meals to one's family could be positionedas an act of love.

Marketing Concepts

The 5 Ps only begin to touch upon the marketing concepts employed by the social marketer. The followingconcepts also deserve mention:

Consumer Orientation: The social marketing programme is founded upon the reality (beliefs, attitudes,values, practices, etc.) of the target audience. The consumer's involvement with the productis a primary facet of his or her orientation.

Audience Segmentation: The target population is segmented into homogeneous groups that areuniquely targeted with messages tailored to their shared qualities. The social marketing productmay also be modified for different target audiences. At minimum, the product will probablyrequire a different positioning for varying groups.

Channel Analysis: An effort is made to identify through research the communication channelsmost likely to reach each segment and the times when these individuals will be most receptive tothe message.

Strategy: The strategic concepts that offer the highest probability of achieving established goalsare employed throughout the planning, design, and implementation of the campaign.

Process Tracking: Research and other mechanisms are used to ensure that the programme is implementedas planned and to provide feedback about programme revisions that may be required.

It is instructive to consider what social marketing is not. Social marketing is not a theory. It does not tell ushow to change a person's behavior. Rather, it is an approach to thinking about and structuring a socialchange programme – one that is consumer-driven. Within this framework a number of social and behavioraltheories can be drawn upon to develop a strategic course of action.

Excerpted from Alcalay, R. and Bell, RA. Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity through Social Marketing: CurrentPractices and Recommendations. Center for Advanced Studies in Nutrition and Social Marketing, University of California,Davis, CA, 2000.

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