Social marketing: the real deal?

Social marketing has been defined as: 

The application of commercial marketing technolo- gies to the analysis, planning, execution, and evalua- tion of programs designed to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences in order to improve their personal welfare and that of their society.

While most marketing techniques focus on getting people to think, or feel about something in a certain way, cause marketing, or social marketing relies on changing behaviour from the grassroots, is aimed at achieving sustainable behaviour change. 


This distinction between behaviour change, and attitude change is crucial—especially as a PR practitioner. Most campaigns aim at making people aware, or persuading them to do something about a product, brand, etc. But social marketing or cause marketing, whose purpose is social good is distinct. Its success depends on people realising the problem, and taking active action (not mere awareness) to rectify it, and not on sales figures. Within the UK, five-a-day, Breast Aware and Know your limits (for alcohol)are among the many campaigns run by the government for public welfare.


The environmental movements that have been running have provided deep insight into the many dos and don'ts of cause marketing. Mr Sean Kidney—who made a presentation on social marketing—gave us the example of UK's "Switch it off" and "recycling" campaigns, which require people to do as directed. Although, they're noble in thought, he questioned their effectiveness towards really making a difference to the real issue—which is using non-renewable methods to produce electricity.


While we, as consumers, assume that our little contribution by way of flicking the switch, and recycling is helping the environment, he argues otherwise. Although many (of us) felt shocked that we weren't doing "our bit", his point is valid!  


"If change is necessary, at what step does it start? And, are we being naive in assuming that our contributions will really make a difference to the larger picture, as we have been led to believe through decades of governmental policies and messaging?"


But the end result isn't the only distinction between social marketing and other marketing methods. Social marketing, as reiterated by Mr Kidney, requires (of the many): 

• Defined outcomes (do you want the regulation to change or do you want people to stop littering the street?)
• Very defined audiences that may not necessarily be targeted by media, but could result in actual change  
• Defined changes you want people to make  

For those who seek to make a real difference to big issues, that treads past traditional methods of approaching a problem, social marketing is definitely the way to go!