SOCIAL MARKETING

Basics of Social Marketing

From Prof Sameer Kulkarni For Chanakya, MumbaiIndia

What is Marketing? 

Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of  ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.

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Marketing is an organizational function and a set of  processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing m anaging customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders (AMA, 2004)

The Concept of Exchange Two or more parties are involved  Each seeks value to satisfy needs  Each is willing to offer something of value to the other  

Marketing …. is a managerial process  aims to create voluntary exchanges  comprises 4 components often referred to as the “4 P’s”: 

product  pricing  promotion  place (distribution) 

What Is Social Marketing? 

“The application of marketing technologies developed in the commercial sector to the solution of  social problems where the bottom line is behaviour  change.”

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It involves “the analysis, planning, execution and evaluation of programs designed to influence the voluntary behaviour  of target audiences to improve their  personal welfare and that of society .”

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From: Andreasen, A.R. (1995) marketing social change - changing Behaviour to promote health, social development, and the environment. Jssey – bass publishers, san Fransisco, Cal.

The Social Marketing Difference 

The objective → 

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Social marketing seeks to influence and change social behaviours to benefit the target audience and the society.

Can be carried out by anyone. It’s different from education in that its ultimate goal is to influence behaviour (later in the continuum of  change – after inform or change attitudes – slide to follow). May seek to change values and attitudes as a means of influencing behaviours. A call to action is essential

The Social Marketing Approach 

Social marketers must create an exchange situation. 

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Target audience will perceive the benefits of changing behaviour as superior to the costs (not always $) involved. Requires adopting a customer orientation – you analyze behaviour  from the point of view of target audiences so you must know about them (not make assumptions). Recognizes markets are comprised of market segments requiring different marketing strategies to generate desired behaviour  change. Requires research – lots of research – much available at no cost. Requires development of strategy around 4 P’s

Social Marketing Planning 

Major Steps: 1. Decide what you want to do 2. Analyze environment (your own organization's S&W’s, potential target audiences, competitors or competing behaviours)  Understand behaviour of your intended clients/ targets - identify barriers and benefits to your desired activity from their  viewpoint 3. Develop a strategy that utilizes tools shown to be effective in changing behaviour  5.

Evaluate the strategy once it has been implemented or during implementation – change might be required

The Four Stages of Behaviour  Change… 

To adopt a new social behaviour, the target audience evolves through 4 stages: 1. Pre-contemplation stage (need awareness)  2. Contemplation stage (have awareness – moving to understanding/motivation)  3. Action stage (involvement/input leads to informed decisions and actions)  4. Maintenance stage (they’re doing it) Note - can go back & forth through these stages 

Remember the Purpose of  Social Marketing… If don’t understand what the target audience wants and how they think, feel, and make decisions, you are unlikely to develop a successful social marketing/ behaviour-change program.  The target audience is central to social marketing 

Who is the Target Audience? 

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The target audience can be individuals and/or  groups such as families or organizations/sectors (private sector or public sector) You need to learn/understand the differences then do research to confirm where the you will get the best return on investment (don’t pick the audience that won’t change no matter what, pick the ones that are ready for change – the lowhanging fruit - go after the more difficult ones later)

Scope & Focus of Social Marketing 

SM - the domain of government and not-forprofit organisations

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Focus on health promotion, road safety, environment protection, and improving citizens’ quality of life

Purpose of Social Marketing 

Social marketers are not promoting a particular organisation but rather seeking socially positive benefit and prevention of social harm caused by human behaviour 

Goals ,Tools and Process of SM 

SM: Govt. and non-profit sectors,

Goals: to influence social behaviour : driving, purchasing, donating, voting, protecting the environment, preserving health  Tools: communication, information, persuasion techniques and theory  Process for campaigns: 1. situation analysis, research to identify publics, problems, opportunities 2. strategic plan 3. action and communication 4. evaluation 5. follow-up

Origin of SM & PR Social Marketing 

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father: marketing = confusing identity with the commercial sector, extensive use of market research and advertising mother: social justice = positive reputation

Public relations 

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father: journalism and media studies = spin, manipulation of public opinion, mother: management, (CSR) = recognition as a partner  of the dominant coalition

Line of Difference: PR & SM 

Kotler & Andreasen (1966) argue that: PR seeks to influence attitudes, whereas marketing tries to influence specific behaviours  PR is organisation- centred instead of audience

centred 

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PR relies on communication approaches: raising awareness and influencing attitudes

Social marketers are involved in actually creating benefits and providing services to consumers as a way to influence behaviour 

Confusion with CSR 

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Corporations sometimes initiate SM campaigns as part of CSR programme but the goal is the business bottom line through improved image. Success is not measured in social change Example: Dove’s “real beauty” campaign promoting sales of cosmetics Social marketers goal for a similar campaign would be: reducing anorexia

What is a Social Marketing Plan? 

“A written document containing the guidelines for the organizations social marketing programs and allocations over  the planning period”.

Social Marketing Plan  

I. II.

Executive Summary Strategic Analysis  Situation 

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Target audiences – barriers and benefits of the desired behaviour  Competitors/competing behaviours Organizations current/past strategies Organizations internal strengths and weaknesses (SW of  SWOT) External environment (OT of SWOT) Partners (potential or pre-determined) PEST (political, economic, social, technological)

Strategic Gap Identification

Social Marketing Plan  

III. IV.

Mission and Objectives, Goals Strategy and Plans     

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Segmenting markets and selecting target audience(s) Product strategy Pricing strategy Promotion strategy Place (distribution) strategy

V. Action Plans – we won’t cover this today BUT you will see how they are developed based on all the info you’re collecting (they’re a next logical step) VI. Evaluation VII. Budget

Challenges to SM 

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In commercial marketing the target audience makes a trade, or exchange, between benefits and costs In SM it can be hard to portray the benefits, and costs are usually very high Inspired by commercial marketing SM relies heavily on advertising Therefore SM campaigns are short term and not enough to sustain the behavioural change Social Marketers are not usually communication experts

How PR Can Support SM ? 

PR is not just about media relations and raising awareness

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From early childhood it developed expertise and theory in fundraising, lobbying, community relations, employee relations, and other  functions Andreasen’s 21st Century SM recently “discovered” them and called them “ upstream interventions” essential success of SM campaigns

How PR Can Support SM ? 

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In education, PR is well set, almost global in education and practice; SM is still new and marginal In professional terms, PR is stronger but both face challenges In theoretical literature and research PR is better established than SM In professional reputation, PR is a disaster  whereas SM enjoys positive association with social justice

Future Trends in SM 

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Andreasen (2006, p. 11): “ next level” of SM: to be able to influence “legislators, foundation officers, TV news directors, or members of street gangs?” “do we need new concepts and tools, new kinds of education and training? New research? Or  new measures of success to permit effective diffusion of social marketing into these new contexts?”

Future Trends in SM  

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The future needs greater equity & eco-justice Given government cuts, shortfall likely to need an enterprise framework & new funding sources Social marketing growing and becoming more essential Building partnership with PR will increase SM’s effectiveness and empower PR practice and body of knowledge

Assurance of Outcome, How? 

When aiming at social change PR practice and campaigns should include SM approaches: greater focus on audience and behaviour  outcomes

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SM included in PR syllabus PR included in SM academic education and training courses for executives

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Social marketers rely more on PR services

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Thank You!

SOCIAL MARKETING