Social marketing at 50: towards an epistemological expansion of the discipline to embrace diversity. A Viewpoint

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to mark the 50th anniversary of social marketing as an innovative social change discipline; this viewpoint reviews “epistemological diversity” within social marketing and calls for its incorporation in the expansion of the discipline. Design/methodology/approach Cognisant of the visible (e.g., (APA 6.29) gender, age, race) and invisible (e.g., (APA 6.29) epistemology, experience, socioeconomic status) dimensions of diversity, this viewpoint focuses on one invisible dimension of diversity – epistemology. Using secondary data, an epistemological review of social marketing is undertaken by selecting five aspects that serve as potential indicators: professional associations, global conferences, education and training, research and publication and practice. Several recommendations are made to expand epistemological diversity in social marketing. Findings The epistemological review of diversity within social marketing reveals disparities between the Global North and South. These disparities are due to varying opportunities for participation in associations, conferences, education and training, and research and publication. In addition, there exist “hidden” social change practitioners who implement programmes in the Global South that are consistent with social marketing practice, but continue to be unchronicled and unheralded. Originality/value For many years, social marketing scholars and practitioners have been working to expand the boundaries of the discipline, with a focus on theory and application. Although the authors acknowledge that diversity and equity are inherently central to this discipline, epistemological diversity, specifically as linked to the geographies of the Global South, has been largely overlooked. Our viewpoint nudges the social marketing community into including epistemological diversity in the ongoing discourse around broadening and deepening the discipline of social marketing.

Picking Up the Beat: Social Marketing Academic Course Offerings and Trends as the Discipline Marks 50 Years

“…This Western bias is a familiar pattern (Gordon et al, 2016) that is not unique to social marketing and should be of concern to academics and practitioners. Access to formal academic training was reviewed as one of several potential indicators of diversity within the discipline of social marketing, alongside professional associations, global conferences, research, professional development, publication, and practice (Cateriano-Arévalo et al, 2022). Discrepancies in access and opportunities were found between the Global North and Global South for all the indicators.…”

“…Similarly, online access to global conferences has undoubtedly benefitted the social marketing community (Veríssimo, 2020). From an equity standpoint, increased accessibility of online courses and training can only advance the discipline, serving to narrow the epistemological gap that currently exists as a result of disparate opportunities between the Global North and Global South (Cateriano-Arévalo et al, 2022).…”

“…Finally, multi-sector and multi-disciplinary approaches are necessary in order to increase collaboration between social marketing academics and practitioners. This is necessary in general (Sherring & Foote, 2023), but particularly between the Global North and Global South (Cateriano-Arévalo et al, 2022).…”

“…In 2021, social marketing marked the 50th anniversary of the first academic paper to formally identify and delineate it as an innovative social change discipline (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971). In practice, social marketing originated in the 1960s, primarily within public health contexts around the world (Deshpande & Lee, 2013; French, 2015; Lefebvre, 1996), and has been increasingly recognized as having a vibrant—albeit often unrecognized—history of practice within the Global South (Alonso Vázquez & Aya Pastrana, 2022; Cateriano-Arévalo et al, 2022; Pang et al, 2021; White, 2018). In academic settings, it has been taught predominantly in business schools and schools of public health for decades.…”

Conceptualizing, Embracing, and Measuring Failure in Social Marketing Practice

“…The lack of publications/conversations on failures in social marketing initiatives is associated with the practitioner landscape, intersecting with accessibility, capacity, costs, and funder expectations (Akbar et al, 2021a; Parsons, MacPherson & Villagomez, 2017). In the academic world, this might result from publication bias (Cateriano-Arévalo et al, 2022; Olsson & Sundell, 2023). In the practitioner’s world, the preoccupation with providing evidence to illustrate success is often linked to funders' expectations (Gordon, Russell-Bennett & Lefebvre, 2016; Parsons et al, 2017; Ver´ıssimo, Schmid, Kimario, & Eves, 2018) and overshadows the need to examine and report on what has not worked and why.…”