What is social marketing ?

                       

Social marketing is a marketing approach that aims to promote social causes or general interest by influencing people’s behavior. It uses the same principles and techniques as commercial marketing, but with a different goal: to achieve the common good. Social marketing can be used to address various social issues, such as health, environment, education, or human rights1.

According to the NSMC, a leading social marketing organization, social marketing follows six steps2:

• Define the goal: what behavior do you want to change or maintain, and why?

• Define the target audience: who are the people you want to reach, and what are their characteristics, needs, and motivations?

• Define the benefits: what are the benefits of the desired behavior for the target audience and society, and how can you communicate them effectively?

• Define the strategy: how will you use the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) to influence the behavior of the target audience?

• Define the activities: what are the specific actions and interventions that you will implement to execute your strategy?

• Define the evaluation: how will you measure the impact and effectiveness of your activities, and how will you use the feedback to improve your social marketing program?

Some examples of social marketing campaigns are:

• The “Bob” campaign in Belgium, which encourages drivers to designate a sober driver when they go out drinking1.

• The “5 a day” campaign in the UK, which promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet1.

• The “Truth” campaign in the US, which exposes the lies and manipulations of the tobacco industry and empowers young people to reject smoking1.

I hope this answer helps you understand what social marketing is and how it works. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. 😊