Social marketing 4 Sep 2009

Margaret Byrnes Director The Bridge

Today What is social marketing? Process model Principles of good social marketing – real life examples Whatever you do, don’t …….. Top tips

Power of marketing The art of ensuring your offering fits the needs, emotions and lifestyles of your target audience. So often used for ‘negative’ behaviours, can it be used to for ‘positive’ ones?

Social marketing An approach to planned social change using marketing principles for social rather than consumer behaviour Often targets complex behaviours With delayed and distant benefits To people who don’t want to change or don’t think it is an issue or a problem Leader not a follower

Process model Scope Develop Implement Evaluate Follow -up

Scope Scope Examining and defining the issues Stakeholder identification and engagement Review evidence and practise Clarify aims Interventions mix Ethics Behavioural goals Develop initial proposition

Develop Scope Develop Testing out the proposal- and developing an intervention Understand your consumer Dig for insights Research, research, research……(and theory) Segmentation and targeting

Behaviour change model Stage What does it mean? Marketing and Communications Task Pre contemplation Unaware of the problem or issue Create awareness – change values and beliefs Contemplation Becoming aware of the issue and start to consider it in light of their lives Persuade and motivate Preparation Determine what they need to know or do to change their behaviour Educate, give information Action Trial the alternative behaviour Maintenance Adopt the alternative behaviour long term – becomes the normal behaviour Reinforce the change, reminder communication

Develop Testing out the proposal- and developing an intervention Understand your consumer Dig for insights Research, research, research …(and theory) Segmentation and targeting Check aims and behavioural goals – know your competition Develop your mix – product, policy, training, promotion Stakeholder engagement – or fail Scope Develop

Implement Scope Develop Implement The most visible bit Interventions / campaign Live refinement and adjustment – dynamic process Maintain stakeholder engagement Record and capture

Evaluate Scope Develop Implement Evaluate Dedicated to examining and reviewing the intervention Target audience – changes Achievement of aims – short term and long term Opinions of stakeholders Wider societal reactions Impacts –(including unintended) Learnings Cost assessment

Follow up Scope Develop Implement Evaluate Follow -up Really important dedicated stage Implications and learnings arising from evaluation Capitalise on achievements Long term aims Review findings and feed into other interventions Inform the scoping of new work

Process model Scope Develop Implement Evaluate Follow -up

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Uses consumer research and testing Teen smoking Challenge the cool Boys not that impressed Tricky – use the music video to challenge the glamour

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Makes use of theory (- rehearsing a situation…)

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Uses segmentation and targeting HPV Girls want to be grouped together Parents want their place Harder to reach groups

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Plans for all outcomes Smoking Cessation Introduced a DVD to reduce drop off from DRTV

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Is insight driven Binge drinking Objective to reduce admissions to A&E, accidents, out of control Insight- fear of making a fool of yourself in front of your peers

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Works at creating an attractive and motivating exchange Give blood Small hassle for you – save someone’s life. Being asked personally

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Understands the competition

Guiding Principles of Good social marketing Doesn’t expect communications to do the whole job Smoking Passive smoking Cessation Services Legislation

Big mistake…. Knowledge does not change behaviour Assume people are interested in what you have to say Just because people do stupid things does not mean they are stupid – Dick Eiser, psychologist. Don’t confuse doing good with doing a good job

Top tips Start with your audience, not your message – It’s all about them. Listen and show that you heard. Go beyond communications. Get your exchange right – no-one buys a box of ‘health’. Make an offer – if it’s rejected, be ready to go back, change your offer and try again. You might not get it right first time. Fish where the fish are- know your audience and go to them.

Thank you. Your views and feedback - email mbyrnes@thebridgeuk.com