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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review existing literature on marketing in social enterprises (SEs). It identifies major trends and issues and highlights gaps in the existing knowledge base on social enterprise marketing (SEM). Design/methodology/approach Relevant articles on SEM were searched, following the PRISMA framework, in online databases using keywords and phrases like “marketing in social enterprises,” “marketing strategy/practice in social enterprises,” “social enterprise marketing” and “business practices in social enterprises.” After screening and checking for eligibility, 47 significant articles published in 21 peer-reviewed journals during 1995–2018 were selected for review. Findings The findings suggest that marketing in SEs has different issues and challenges when compared to marketing practices adopted by conventional business organizations. They are forced to address the varied expectations of the stakeholders in a resource-constrained situation, which creates problems for them. The review also highlights the fact that resource constraints, legacy mindset, and lack of marketing skills limit the impact of marketing practices in SEs. To address these issues, many social entrepreneurs survive through cost-effective marketing techniques. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first effort to identify and analyze extant literature in SEM. The resultant themes and research gaps highlight the current status of SEM literature. The paper can help SEs to understand and plan their marketing activities for better impact and profitability. Future research can draw on the findings of this review.

Increasing environmental challenges together with irresponsible consumption and production practices call for marketing research focused on sustainability. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for marketers to operationalize sustainability and to build awareness and shape consumers’ as well as businesses’ views about responsible consumerism and sustainability. As the SDG framework continues to influence marketing literature and practice, it is important to take stock of how consumer and marketing strategy scholars have engaged with the SDGs since their announcement in 2015. To this end, we undertake a systematic literature review of 41 papers published in premier marketing journals that explicitly engage with the SDGs. The review identifies several gaps in the marketing literature that provide a basis for identifying future research opportunities. We argue that engaging with these research opportunities provides a transformational opportunity for marketing scholars to positively impact society.

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