Social Marketing

Social marketing principles and techniques

are most often used to improve public
health, prevent injuries, protect the
environment, and increase involvement in
the community.

 Those engaged in social marketing

activities include professionals in public

sector agencies, nonprofit orgnizations,
foundations, corporate marketing,
community relations, advertising, public
relations, and market research.

 Social marketing is the use of marketing

principles and techniques to influence a

target audiences to voluntarily accept,
reject, modify, or abandon a behaviour for
the benefit of individuals, groups, or
society as whole.

 Other approaches to changing behaviour

and having an impact on social issues
include technological innovations,
economic pressures, laws and education

Steps in the Social Marketing

Planning Process

Analyze the Social Marketing Environment

Select Target Audiences
Set Objectives and Goals
Understanding the Target Audiences and the
Competition
Determining Strategies- The 4ps
Develop Evaluation and Marketing Strategy
Establish Budgets and Find Funding Sources
Complete an Implementation Plan

Steps of Marketing Plan fit into

these broader strategic planning
phase:
Where are we?
Where do we want to go?
How will we get there?
How will we keep on track?

A Systematic Process
A systematic planning process is
recommended; we must resist the
temptation to develop strategies and
tactics prior to doing our homework.

At the same time, a spiral process is

acknowledged, allowing for adjustments to
the draft plan when investigations in
subsequent steps reveal reasons to alter a
prior step.

Finally, a strong case can be made for the

use of marketing research throughout this
planning process: analyzing the
environment. Selecting target markets,
establishing goals and objectives,
understanding audience perspective,
developing winning strategies, and
measuring results.

WHAT IS SOCIAL MATKETING?

Social marketing is the use of marketing

principles & techniques to influence a target

audiences to voluntary accept, reject modify, or
abandon a behaviour for the benefit of
individuals, groups, or society as a whole.
Most often, Social Marketing is used to influence
an audience to change their behaviour for the
sake of improving health, preventing injuries,
protecting the environment, or contributing to
the community.

There are four major social arenas

Selling a Behaviour
Use of traditional marketing principles and
techniques
Selecting & Influencing a Target Audience
The Beneficiary is the Individual, Group,
or Society as a whole

Selling a Behaviour
Similar to commercial sector marketers who sell
goods & services, social marketers are selling
behaviour change. Change agents typically want
target audiences to do one of four things: (a)
accept a new behaviour
(b) reject a potential behaviour
(c) modify a current behaviour
(d) abandon an old behaviour

Use of traditional marketing

principles and techniques
The most fundamental principle underlying marketing is to apply a customer
orientation to understand what target audiences currently know, believe,
and do. The process begins with marketing research to understand market
segments and each segments potential needs, wants, beliefs, problems,
concerns & behaviours. Marketers then select target markets they can best
affect and satisfy. They establish clear objectives and goals. They can use
four major tools in the marketers toolbox, the 4Ps, to influence target
markets: product, place and promotion, also referred to as the marketing
mix. They carefully select product benefits, features, prices, distribution
channels, message, and media channels. The product is positioned to
appeal to the desires of the target market to improve their health, prevent
injuries, protect the environment, or contribute to their community more
effectively than the competing behaviour the target market is currently
practicing or considering. Once a plan is implemented, results are
monitored and evaluated and strategies are altered as needed.

Selecting & Influencing a Target

Audience
Marketers know that the marketplace is rich collage of
diverse populations, each having a distinct set of wants
and needs. They know that what appeals to one
individual may not appeal to another. Marketers divide
the market into similar groups (market segments),
measure the relative potential of each segment to meet
organizational and marketing objectives, and then
choose one or more segments (target markets) for
concentrating their efforts and resources. For each
target, a distinct mix of the 4Ps is developed, one
chosen to appeal to the targeted market segment.

The Beneficiary is the Individual,

Group, or Society as a whole
Unlike commercial sector marketing, in
which a primary intended beneficiary is
the corporate shareholder, the primary
beneficiary of the social marketing
program is the individual, a group, or
society as whole.

How does social marketing differ

from commercial sector
marketing?
There are a few important differences
between social marketing and
commercial sector marketing

 Most agree that a major distinguishing factor lies

in the type of product sold. In the case of
commercial sector marketing, the marketing
process revolves primarily around the selling of
goods and services. In the case of social
marketing, the marketing process is used to sell
behaviour change. Yet the principles and the
techniques of influencing are the same in both
arenas

 In the commercial sector, the primary aim

is financial gain. In social marketing, the
primary aim is individual or social gain.

 Although both social and commercial

marketers recognize the need to identify

and position their offerings relative to the
competition, their competitors are very
different in nature.

Despite some differences, there are

also some similarities
A customer orientation is applied
Exchange theory is fundamental
Marketing research is used throughout the
process
Audiences are segmented
All 4Ps are considered
Results are measured and used for
improvement

In the planning process, we have

completed a situation analysis:
A focus for one plan (e.g., use of cell phones while driving)
A clear purpose (e.g., reduce injuries statistics on accidents

involving cell phone use)

Strength to maximize (e.g., impressive statistics on accident
involving cell phone use)
Weaknesses to minimize (e.g., those who argue that the cell phone
wasnt at fault)
Opportunities to capture (e.g. new hands-free models on the
market)
Threats to prepare for (e.g., telecommunication lobbyists)
Possible discovery of existing campaigns that will be useful for our
effort

Steps involved in target marketing

Segment the market
Evaluate segments
Choose one or more segments for
targetting

Criteria for Evaluating Segments

Segment Size
Problem Incidence
Problem Severity
Defenselessness
Reachability
General Responsiveness
Incremental Costs
Responsiveness to Marketing Mix
Organizational Capabilities

What is the product in a social

marketing effort?
In social marketing, our product is what we are selling,
the desired behaviour and the associated benefits of
that behaviour. It also includes any tangible objects
and service developed to support and facilitate the
target audiences behaviour change.

Using a drinking and driving

campaign as an example:
Desired behaviour: Keep blood alcohol content

(BAC) below .08% if you are going to drive.

Associated benefits: Avoid a citation for driving
under the influence, serious accident,
impounded car, and increased car insurance.
Tangible Object: A Breathlyzer sold over the
Internet.
Service: Free taxi service on New Years Eve.

Three levels of the product

Core Product (Benefits of Desired

Behaviour)
Actual Product (The Desired Behaviour)
Augmented Product (Tangible Objects and
Services to Support Behaviour Change)

What is the price of a social

marketing product?
The price of a social marketing product is
the cost that the target market associates
with adopting the new behaviour.

Monetary Costs
Most commonly, monetry costs are the
prices charged for purchasing tangible
objects and services that accompany the
campaign. In some cases, it is the actual
cost of the product or service, and in
others, it is any increases in price relatives
to current products and services being
used.

Examples of tangible objects with

potential monetary costs include
the following:

Bike helmets, life vests, & booster seats

Earthquake preparedness kits
Blood pressure monitering equipment
Birth control pills
Natural fertilizers (versus regular fertilizer)
Recycled paper (versus regular paper)
Energy saving appliances

Examples of sevices with potential

monetary
Fees for family planning services
Swimming classes
Smoking cessation classes
Sucide prevention workshop
Athletic club fees
Nurse consultations
Taxi rides

Nonmonetry Costs
Target audiences will also face

nonmonetry costs that will be associated

with adopting the new behaviour, and
examples have been organized in three
major categories.

Time, effort, and energy involved in

behaviour such as the following:

Sorting garbage
Pulling over to use the cell phone
Cooking a balanced meal
Finding the box at the office for mixed paper
recycling
Putting together an earthquake preparedness kit
Reusing grocery bags
Waiting for a bus and then transferring to get to
work

Psychological risks (e.g. embarrassment,

rejection, or fear) and losses
(e.g.,aesthetics or familiarity) associated
with behaviours such as following:

Finding out whether a lump is cancerous

Letting a lawn go brown in the summer
Saying no to a second glass of wine
Having a cup of coffee without a cigrette
Listening to the chatter of others in a car pool
Telling your husband you think he drinks too
much
Asking your son whether he is considering
suicide

Physical discomfort or loss of

pleasure from activities such as the
following:
Taking shorter showers
Exercising
Craving a cigarette
Pricking a finger to monitor blood glucose

Major Strategies for Managing

Costs:
Decrease costs of adopting the new

behaviour, those associated with exiting

the current behaviour as well as entering
new one.
Increase benefits of adopting the new
behaviour.

Five major pricing-related tactics

that can be used to manage costs:
Decrease monetary costs.
Decrease nonmonetary costs.
Decrease costs relative to the competition
Increase monetary benefits.
Increase nonmonetary benefits.

The 1st task is to determine pricing

objectives. Kotler & Roberto outline several
potential objectives
Maximizing profits where the primary consideration is money

making.
Recovering costs where revenue is expected to offset a portion of
costs
Maximizing the no. of target adopters where the primary purpose is
to influence as many people as possible to use the service and/or
buy the product.
Social equity where reaching underprivileged or high-risk segments
is a priority & different prices might be charged according to ability
to pay.
Demarketing where pricing strategies are used to discourage people
from adopting a particular social product

Once the pricing objective is clarified,

specific prices can be set. Three
options are available:

 Cost based pricing where prices are based on

desired or established profit margin.

Competitive based pricing where prices are more
driven by the prices for competing (similar)
products & services.
Value based pricing where prices are based on
an analysis of the target adopters price
sensitivity, evaluating demand at varying price
points.

Place in a Social Marketing

Environment
Place is where and when the target market
will perform the desired behaviour,
acquire any related tangible objects, and
receive any associated services.

Objective when developing a place

Strategy
Objective with the place marketing tool is to
develop strategies that will make it as
convenient and pleasant as possible for
our target audiences to perform the
behaviour, acquire any tangible objects,
and receive any services.

How do we make access to the

social marketing product more
convenient?
Make the location closer
Extend hours
Make the location more appealing
Be there at the point of decision making
Make performing the desired behaviour
more convenient than the competing
behaviour

Now that our product is developed, prices are

established, & distribution channels are in
place, we are ready to create promotions,
persuasive communications designed and
delivered to highlight the following:

 Product benefits, features, & associated

tangible objects & services.

Pricing strategies, including an emphasis
on value relative to the competition, as
well as any incentives, recognition, &
rewards
Place components that offer convenience
of access

Message Strategy:
What do we want to say?
Siegel & Doner describe creating messages
as a a complex art. The final message a
target audience member receive is a
combination of the communication
strategy, how the message is executed in
the materials, & how it is processed by the
sender. Reeves recommends, Think of
an ad not as what you put into it, but as
what the consumer takes of it.

Steps in setting the message

strategy:
Key Message
Target audiences
Communication Objectives
Benefits to Promise
Support for Promise
Openings
Position

Message Execution Strategy:

How Do We Want To Say IT?
Now that we know what we want to say and why,
our attention is turned to how we will say it. Our
goal is to develop communication that will
capture the attention of our target audience and
persuade them to adopt the desired behaviour.
Our task is to consider and choose from a
variety of potential communication elements,
styles, tones, words, and formats.

Rational, Emotional, Moral, and

Nonverbal Elements
First framework identifies four elements that
can be considered for an execution
strategy: (1) rational
(2) emotional
(3) moral, and
(4) nonverbal

Rational Elements
Focus on delivering straightforward
information and facts. An example would
be a litter campaign that has message on
roadway signs and litterbags that inform
motorists about laws and fines for
littering.

Emotional Elements
Are designed to elicit some negative feeling
(e.g., fear, guilt, or shame) or positive
emotion (e.g., humor, love, pride, or joy)
that will motivate the desired behaviour. A
litter prevention campaign for Texas, for
example, uses the slogan Dont Mess
With Texas. For many, it engenders
emotions of pride as well as humor.

Moral Elements
Are direct to the audiences sense of what
is right and proper. Keep America
Beautiful litterbag appears to be designed
to appeal to patriotic citizens.

Nonverbal Elements
Rely on visual cues, graphic image, and
symbols and on the body language of
actors and models, including vocal
expression, facial expressions, body
movements, eye contact, spatial distance,
and physical appearance.

Effective Communications (Partial

List from McKenzie Mohr &
Smith)

 Make sure your message is vivid, personal, and

concrete
Have your message delivered by an individual or
organization who is credible with the audience
you are trying to reach.
Frame your msg to indicate what the individual is
losing by not acting, rather than what he/she is
saving by acting.
In threatening msg make sure that you couple it
with specific suggestions regarding what actions
an individual can take.
Make your communication, especially instructions
for a desired behaviour, clear and specific.
Make it easy for people to remember what to do,
and how and when to do it.

Pretesting message and potential executions

is advised, especially when economic and
political implications are significant.
Potential pitfalls in testing are real and can
be minimized with careful construction of
questioning and briefing of respondents,
as well as colleagues and clients.

Selection of media channels and

vehicles to carry out promotional
strategies.
The major decisions are:
Choosing types of media channels
Selecting specific media vehicles
Determining campaign timing

What are major media channels to

consider?
Advertising
Public Relations
Printed Materials
Special Promotional Items
Signage & Display
Personal Selling
Popular Media

Choosing Specific Media Vehicles

Specific media vehicles will also need to be
selected and will include decisions such as
television programs, radio stations,
sections of the Newspaper, and location of
brochure distributions.

What timing decisions need to be

made?
Decisions will also need to be made on
scheduling the communications over the
course of a year. This will involve
specifying months, weeks, days , and
hours when communications will launch
and be visible.

Media strategies will be developed

on the basis of several
considerations
It include communication objectives and
campaign goals; desired reach and
frequency needed to meet these
objectives & goals; advantages &
limitations of each media type; target
market size, media habits, openings &
compatibility with the media type and
vehicle; and comparative costs and
available budgets for the program.

Principles for guiding decision

making:
Several principles can benefit decision
making and maximize media budgets: an
integrated approach, being there just in
time or in the event of, maximizing
publicity and public service
announcements (PSAs) opportunities, and
exploring alternative media.

Key components of an evaluation

and monitoring plan include
answers to the following questions:
What will be measured?
How will it be measured?
When will it be measured?
How will results be used?

Key factors to be measured

include:
Outcomes (results)
And Processes (activities)

Potential indicators for process

measures include:
Change in behaviour
Behaviour intent
Knowledge
Beliefs
Campaign awareness
Responses to campaign elements
And Customer satisfaction

Options for measuring indicators

include:

Quantitative Technique
Qualitative Techniques
Observation Research
Control Groups
Records and Databases
In general, outcome measures will use target
audience survey, and process measures will rely
more on records and database.

When will it be measured

Prior to campaign launch, sometimes referred to

as precampaign or baseline measures.

During campaign implementation, thought of as
tracking or ongoing measures, one time only or
over a period of years.
Postcampaign activities, referring to
measurements taking place when all campaign
elements are completed.

Developing an implementation plan is, the

final step in the marketing planning
model. It turns strategies into actions and
is critical to doing things right, even if we
have planned the right things.

Implementation plans function as a concise

working document that can be used to
share & track planned efforts. It provides
a mechanism to ensure that we do what
we said we would do, on time, and within
budget.

Key components of an
implementation plan include:
What will we do?
Who will be responsible?
When will it be done?
How much will it cost?

formats
Formats for plans vary from simple plans
incorporated in the executive summary of
the marketing plan to complex plans using
software programs. The ideal plan
identifies activities over a period of 2 to 3
years.

What frameworks can be used to

organize a plan in phase?
Plans are often presented in
phases, usually broken down into
months or years. Several
frameworks can be used to
determine & orgnize phases,
including:

 Target markets
Geographic areas
Campaign objectives
Campaign goals
Stages of change
Products
Pricing
Distribution channels
Promotional messages
Media channels
Funding
Or some external environmental factor