Social Marketing and Public Health Intervention

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of community-based health education programs has out- paced the knowledge base of behavior change strategies that are appropriate and effec tive for public health interventions. However, experiences from a variety of large-scale studies suggest that principles and techniques of social marketing may help bridge this gap. This article discusses eight essential aspects of the social marketing process: the use of a consumer orientation to develop and market intervention techniques, ex change theory as a model from which to conceptualize service delivery and program participation, audience analysis and segmentation strategies, the use of formative research in program design and pretesting of intervention materials, channel analysis for devising distribution systems and promotional campaigns, employment of the "marketing mix" concept in intervention planning and implementation, development of a process tracking system, and a management process of problem analysis, planning, implementation, feedback and control functions. Attention to such variables could result in more cost-effective programs that reach larger numbers of the target audience.

Designing effective messages for microbial food safety hazards

“…The campaign is based on social marketing (USDA FSIS, 2008), which offers a consumer-based approach to promote a socially beneficial behavioral change in specific populations (Lefebvre & Flore, 1988). The key feature of this approach is to understand consumers' wants and needs, and to manufacture products that enable consumers to better solve their problems.…”

The role of psychologists and the psychological profession in health promotion and addiction prevention

“…The approach has been called the ecological approach or model and, apart from psychological aspects, includes a significant public health aspect as well, findings of social marketing theories, developmental-organizational theories, community organization theories, and innovation diffusion theories, etc. (Bracht 1990;Glanz et al 1990; Lefebvre and Flora 1988).…”

Turning health research into health promotion: A study of causality and ‘critical insights’ in a United Kingdom health campaign

“…One advertisement features a young, supposedly healthy girl eating a cupcake, with the associated the header 'Is a premature death so tempting?' [6]. The explanatory text in the advertisement states: '.…”

“…Social marketing uses commercial marketing strategies (including targeting of 'consumers' and 'branding' to create health campaigns), and the approach is ostensibly 'especially well-suited for the task of translating necessarily complex educational messages and behaviour change techniques into concepts and products' [5,6]. Despite this hopeful orientation, social marketing is considered here to be potentially problematic, particularly with regard to modifying health information as to be 'palatable for consumers' [3].…”