What is social marketing?

Social marketing is not merely motivated by profit but is concerned with achieving a social objective. It goes beyond marketing alone as it is also concerned with how the product is used after the sale has been made. The aim is, for example, not only to sell latrines but to encourage their correct use and maintenance. In other way it can be defined that Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing along with other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioral goals for a social good. Social marketing can be applied to promote merit goods, or to make a society avoid demerit goods and thus to promote society's well being as a whole. For example, this may include asking people not to smoke in public areas, asking them to use seat belts, or prompting to make them follow speed limits and etc.

The key components of social marketing are: a. systematic data collection and analysis to develop appropriate strategies; b. making products, services, or behaviours fit the felt needs of the different consumers/user groups; c. strategic approach to promoting the products, services or behaviours.

d. methods for effective distribution so that when demand is created, consumers know where and how to get the products, services, or behaviours with the different groups;
e. improving the adoption of products, services, or behaviours and increasing the willingness of consumers/users to contribute something in exchange; and f. pricing so that the product or service is affordable.

What are the basic characteristics of social marketing?

As in commercial marketing, the four Ps are the basic characteristics of the social marketing approach (see box below). Successful social marketing depends on good research to define each of the four Ps carefully.
Product Decide on what is the product, its form, format, and practice or behaviour: wash presentation in hands after using latrines; or an terms of packaging idea: clean environment, and characteristics good sanitation for health
Examples The marketed product can be: physical item e.g. a VIP latrines, SanPlats; or a

Price Decide on what the consumer would be willing to pay, both in terms of direct and indirect costs and perceptions of benefits: make the product worth getting

The price can be : monetary or direct costs: cost of products (with or without subsidies), social cost opportunity/indirect costs: time lost from other activities, missed opportunities, transport, loss in production or income psychological or physical costs: stress in changing behaviour, effort involved in maintaining latrine or obtaining additional water required

Place Where will the product be available to consumers, including where is it displayed or demonstrated
Promotion How the consumers will know the product exists, its benefits, costs, and where and how to get it.

The place is every location where the product will be available, e.g at tea shops, builders yards and suppliers, at clinics, pharmacies, clubs and local businesses
Promotion relates to the ways of delivery of the information about the product. For example this can be done through television, radio, newspapers, posters, billboards, banners, folk singers or dramatists, public rallies, interpersonal/counselling

Additional Social Marketing "P's" Publics--Social marketers often have many different audiences that their program has to address in order to be successful. "Publics" refers to both the external and internal groups involved in the program. External publics include the target audience, secondary audiences, policymakers, and gatekeepers, while the internal publics are those who are involved in some way with either approval or implementation of the program.

Partnership--Social and health issues are often so complex that one agency can't make a dent by itself. You need to team up with other organizations in the community to really be effective. You need to figure out which organizations have similar goals to yours--not necessarily the same goals--and identify ways you can work together.

Policy--Social marketing programs can do well in motivating individual behavior change, but that is difficult to sustain unless the environment they're in supports that change for the long run. Often, policy change is needed, and media advocacy programs can be an effective complement to a social marketing program. Purse Strings--Most organizations that develop social marketing programs operate through funds provided by sources such as foundations, governmental grants or donations. This adds another dimension to the strategy development-namely, where will you get the money to create your program?

What are the key steps in designing a social marketing campaign?

1. A sample of the intended audience is divided into different groups and questioned about needs, wants and aspirations (sometimes, existing consumer groups may be used to provide the same information). The groups collaborate in the development of feasible, attractive solutions. This data collection and testing is crucial to orienting the promotional activities. 2. Overall marketing (or promotion) objectives are developed. 3. The data are analyzed and used to develop an overall marketing plan in collaboration with key stakeholders. 4. The audience is divided into discrete units with common characteristics.

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