Macro‐social marketing and social engineering: a systems approach

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to show how macro-social marketing and social engineering can be integrated and to illustrate their use by governments as part of a positive social engineering intervention with examples from the Canadian anti-smoking campaign. Design/methodology/approach -This is a conceptual paper that uses the case of the Canadian anti-smoking campaign to show that macro-social marketing, as part of a wider systems approach, is a positive social engineering intervention. Findings -The use of macro-social marketing by governments is most effective when it is coupled with other interventions such as regulations, legislation, taxation, community mobilization, research, funding and education. When a government takes a systems approach to societal change, such as with the Canadian anti-smoking campaign, this is positive use of social engineering.Research limitations/implications -The social marketer can understand their role within the system and appreciate that they are potentially part of precipitating circumstances that make society susceptible to change. Social marketers further have a role in creating societal motivation to change, as well as promoting social flexibility, creating desirable images of change, attitudinal change and developing individual's skills, which contribute to macro-level change. Practical implications -Social marketers need to understand the structural and environmental factors contributing to the problem behavior and focus on the implementers and controllers of society-wide strategic interventions. Social implications -Eliminating all factors which enable problem behaviors creates an environmental context where it is easy for consumers to change behavior and maintain that change. Originality/value -The value of this paper is in extending the literature on macro-social marketing by governments and identifying the broader strategy they may be undertaking using positive social engineering. It is also in showing how marketers may use this information.

From Social Marketing to Societal Perversion: History of Hometown Tax in Japan

“…The competition in downstream dimensions encouraged further government interventions. What was observed in Japan is consistent with existing research (Kennedy and Parsons 2012;Kennedy 2016;Truong 2016) that has indicated that social change is effectively promoted by linking the upstream, downstream, and government interventions -although the outcomes are at times different from the original intention of the government.…”

“…The focus of macro-social marketing is social change through interventions by the government (Dholakia 1984;Domegan 2008;Donovan 2011;Kennedy and Persons 2012;Truong 2016;Wymer 2010). Kennedy and Parsons (2012) consider the case of the Canadian government's interventions in smoking cessation and indicate that it is an important research issue in macro-social marketing research to understand the linkage between intervention by governments and downstream activities. Kennedy and Parsons (2012) make an important contribution by developing the theoretical foundation of macro-social marketing.…”

“…Kennedy and Parsons (2012) consider the case of the Canadian government's interventions in smoking cessation and indicate that it is an important research issue in macro-social marketing research to understand the linkage between intervention by governments and downstream activities. Kennedy and Parsons (2012) make an important contribution by developing the theoretical foundation of macro-social marketing. Based on Kennedy and Parsons (2012), Kennedy (2016) and Truong (2016) present theoretical frameworks of macro-social marketing with reference to systems theory and institutional theory.…”

“…Kennedy and Parsons (2012) make an important contribution by developing the theoretical foundation of macro-social marketing. Based on Kennedy and Parsons (2012), Kennedy (2016) and Truong (2016) present theoretical frameworks of macro-social marketing with reference to systems theory and institutional theory.…”

“…These economic incentives promote social change by encouraging donor's decision-making based on their free will. The economic incentives are considered to play an important role as the linkage with other social marketing interventions, such as taxation, is important for social change, as Kennedy and Parsons (2012) indicate.…”