Social Marketing: The Art and Science of Behavior Change Northland Bioneers Conference October 20, 2006

The Watson Group Marketing Communications The Watson Group works with organizations that seek to change health behavior and prevent violence. We use marketing to persuade people to voluntarily adopt behaviors that improve health or benefit society.

The Watson Group Marketing Communications In the spirit of the Northland Bioneers Conference, which is a zero-waste event, I have no handouts for you today. We’re going low-tech—just you and me and a whiteboard.

Social Marketing Defined Show of hands. Marketing and advertising: Evil or good? Okay, well I know where I stand now. Today I’m going to show you how to use marketing for good. I’m going to introduce you to social marketing.

Social Marketing Defined Using marketing principles to influence human behavior in order to improve health or benefit society. (Turning Point Social Marketing National Excellence Collaborative) It is persuading people to voluntarily change their behavior, usually health or environmental behaviors, or violence prevention.

Social Marketing Defined Social Marketing Is Not: Just advertising—or marketing for nonprofits or a cause A clever slogan and a logo on a sport bottle or canvas bag Reaching “everyone” through a media blitz An image campaign Done in a vacuum—you have to know your audience A quick process—scientific and research-based

Social Marketing Defined Social Marketing Is: A behavior change strategy Targeted to those who have a reason to care and who are ready for change Strategic Makes efficient use of resources

Social Marketing Defined In social marketing, awareness is not enough. The goal is to change behavior, to move the needle, to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Example: Target Market campaign

Continuum of Ways to Change Behavior Unaware/ Considering Change/ Maintaining Behavior Education Aware/ Not Considering Change Social Marketing Voluntary Behavior Change – How? Entrenched/ No Desire to Change Law

Key Concept: Know Your Audience You conduct audience research Put them at the center of decisions Understand that you are (usually) not the target audience Test your assumptions

Key Concept: Exchange You give me X, I give you Y. You give me a mercury thermometer, I give you a free non-mercury thermometer Research helps us understand how to make that attractive Change what we are offering to make the exchange work You give me your toxic mercury thermometer at any Cub Foods on any Saturday in November and I’ll give you a free replacement thermometer that will keep your family safer.

Key Concept: Exchange Increase or highlight the benefits Decrease or de-emphasize the barriers

Key Concept: Competition Target audience can go somewhere else or do something else or maintain current behavior – Example: childhood obesity prevention project in NC, research told us the Competition was “Whining and hollering” Modify program, delivery, service provider or the product or message to make the competing behavior less attractive, less available, or more costly

Social Marketing Process Define the social or health or environmental problem Identify who must act to change the problem

Social Marketing Process Conduct market research – Do surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups to find out what makes it easier (“benefits”) or harder (“barriers”) for the target audience to do the desired behavior – Ask about wants, hopes, fears, knowledge, attitudes, behavior, perceived risk, “messengers and gatekeepers”

Social Marketing Process What is the difference between the people who are doing what you want, and the people who aren’t? Put aside your assumptions, listen carefully. Use what you learn to form ideas for your social marketing campaign

Develop Program or Campaign Apply marketing principles: Four P’s/“Marketing Mix” – Product – Price – Place – Promotion Plus Policy Pre-test all products, services and messages

Product Behavior, service, product being exchanged with the target audience for a price and benefit Behavior, service, product must compete successfully against the benefit of the current behavior

Price Cost to the target audience of changing behavior Can be financial, or more often related to other “costs” – time – effort – lifestyle – psychological cost

Place Channels through which products or programs are available (access) Move programs or products to places that the audience frequents, in order to ease access

Promotion Communicating to the audience about product/program, price, and place variables – advertising – media relations – Events/entertainment – Web – personal selling – direct mail

Policy Encourage and leverage policies/rules that influence voluntary behavior change Consider and compensate for policies that discourage voluntary behavior change Avoid policies that punish “bad” behaviors

Launch Your Program or Campaign Create, deliver and monitor your program Evaluate results – Did you reach target audience? – Did program have an impact? – Did desired outcome occur, why/why not? “Course correct” your program if needed

Workshop Target behavior: Reduce trips by car by increasing carpooling Target audience: People who value sustainability and the environment—people like you. Incentives: – Preferred parking – Commuter book clubs – Coffee coupons

Think Like a Marketer Think behavior change Know your audience Think benefits and costs and exchange When/where in right frame of mind? When/where is right place and time?

Danie Watson The Watson Group 339 Barry Ave. S. Wayzata, MN Please contact me with questions or for resources