Copyright Senate 2004 Introduction to Social Marketing

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 Outline Defining social marketing When do you need social marketing In case there was any confusion … Some marketing basics: –Audience –Selling –Risk A note on policy

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 Defining social marketing Classic social marketing definitions deal with: promoting behaviour change the voluntary nature of that behaviour change the social improvement purpose of that behaviour change applying a planned approach to achieving the behaviour change the use of commercial marketing techniques to achieve social change

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 When do you need social marketing? Continuum of needs: When there is a desire to increase public knowledge on an issue When there is a desire to change public attitudes to an issue When there is a desire to change public behaviour Communications solution:

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 When do you need social marketing? Hierarchy of needs: When there is a desire to increase public knowledge on an issue When there is a desire to change public attitudes to an issue When there is a desire to change public behaviour Communications solution: public education public education / social marketing social marketing

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 When do you need social marketing? Audience behaviour: Where people are prone to behave as desired Where people are resistant to behaving as desired For those in the middle Communications solution:

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 When do you need social marketing? Audience behaviour: Where people are prone to behave as desired Where people are resistant to behaving as desired For those in the middle Communications solution: education and information are likely to be enough policies and enforcement are likely to be needed social marketing is the answer

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 In case there was any confusion… Public education knowledge and attitudes focuses on promotion alone about telling subject focus demographic research one dimensional and static Social marketing behaviour change uses all elements of the marketing mix about selling audience focus psycho-behavioural research feedback and evolution

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 Marketing 101 It’s about the audience –You have to understand the audience and what they need / want / care about –This means research –Human beings aren’t rational It’s about selling –Commercial marketing techniques –Consider Product –Consider Price –Consider Placement –Consider Promotion Be prepared to take a risk –Sometimes selling is outside the public sector comfort zone –Challenge for public sector communicators is to question this constraint and ensure it’s justified

Copyright Senate Communications 2003 A word on policy The fifth “P” Social marketing is most effective when it is backed by appropriate policy Policy can take many forms –Provision of public parks –Making something illegal –Enforcement of rules What role can / do communicators have in influencing policy?

Copyright Senate 2004 … the end