Two converging paths: behavioural sciences and social marketing for better policies

Abstract

Purpose-This commentary argues that social marketing and the application of behavioural sciences to policy constitute two converging paths towards better policies. It highlights points of convergence and divergence between both disciplines and the potential benefits of further embedding social marketing principles and methods within the recent trend of applying behavioural sciences to policy. Design/methodology/approach-The commentary relies on a review of the behavioural sciences and social marketing literatures and on an analysis of institutional reports reviewing cases of behaviourally informed policies. Findings-Behavioural sciences are increasingly informing policies to promote societal well-being. Social marketing has seldom been explicitly considered as being part of this phenomenon, although it is de facto. Both disciplines share similar end-goals, inform similar policy applications and are rooted in behavioural analysis. They diverge in their theoretical frameworks, their relative emphasis on behaviour change and the span of interventions they generate. Several benefits of embedding social marketing principles and methods within the current way of applying behavioural sciences to policy are identified. Practical implications-Scholars applying behavioural sciences to policy are encouraged, when appropriate, to use the insights and methods from social marketing. Social marketing can engage in a dialogue with behavioural sciences to explore how to pilot the convergence of both approaches in practice. Originality/value-The novelty of this contribution lies in providing the first comparison of the application of behavioural sciences to policy with social marketing, and in using the policy-making cycle framework to map the contributions and complementarities of both disciplines.

Understanding Behavioral Economics: A Narrative Perspective

“…To change individual behaviors, the government must improve public engagement and experiment to promote the "best behaviors" within society (Marron, 2012). Public policy is linked to behavior as it is through public policy that the government attempts to regulate, influence, and change individual and organizational behaviors (Chetty, 2015;Dessart and Bavel, 2017). According to Madrian (2014) the psychological aspects of behavioral economics are important for understanding human behavior; public policy is related to the provision of complex products and services, and as it is linked to individual decisions and choices, behavioral economics offers great policymaking potential (Lefevre and Chapman, 2017).…”

Normative Influence on Household Waste Separation: The Moderating Effect of Policy Implementation and Sociodemographic Variables

“…It is however important to note that although this study was conducted only 6 months after the mandatory HWS policy was implemented, the policy has not been enforced rigorously as no disincentive or penalty has been applied to persuade noncompliant households to adopt HWS and encourage those who already separate their domestic waste to continue doing so (DoE, 2018). Given that social marketing programs are based on persuasion and not coercion (Dessart & van Bavel, 2017; French & Russell-Bennett, 2015), it is incumbent on the policy makers to apply more persuasive measures to bring about behavioral change. As policy implementation creates a macro-environment that shapes injunctive norms (Kelly & Stanley, 2014), it is imperative for policy makers to be decisive in enforcing HWS policy.…”

“…The upstream level of social marketing intervention acknowledges the influence of structural and environmental changes initiated by legislative or policy changes (Dessart & van Bavel, 2017; French, 2011; Gordon, 2013; Schuster et al, 2016). Often, despite all social marketing efforts undertaken, behavior change may not occur simply because of the absence of proper policy and legislation to create an environment that will facilitate the decision to change behavior (French & Russell-Bennett, 2015; Gordon, 2013).…”

“…Moreover, although it is evident that the support received at the upstream level (government, policy makers) through effective policy implementation plays a crucial role in changing individual behavior (Dessart & van Bavel, 2017; Kelly & Stanley, 2014), there is a paucity of research on the role of policy implementation in promoting behavior change (French, 2011; Gordon, 2013; Schuster et al, 2016). This study thus examines how the current HWS policy could have a moderating effect on the impact that norms have on the intention to adopt HWS.…”

A Reflection on Marketing 4.0 From the Perspective of Senior Citizens’ Communities of Practice

“…That is, once an SCLC's members feel touched by what they are doing and feel it is meaningful, they become willing to speak up for its program and thus affect the joining decisions of other members of the wider community. In this situation, the individual's interpersonal networks and e-communities both become powerful media for enhancing the CoP's reputation (Tarabasz, 2013), and the power derived from customers' actual experience not only changes their perceptions, but also influences their behavior (Dessart & Bavel, 2017). And to the extent they feel they are doing meaningful work, this behavioral influence is likely to include the above-mentioned role-change from customer to volunteer.…”