William Smith

1999

This book is a compilation of articles containing low-cost suggestions for implementing marketing ideas as a part of programmes for social change. The author defines social marketing as "a process for influencing human behavior on a large scale, using marketing principles for the purpose of societal benefit rather than for commercial profit".

Marketing, the author points out, is more comprehensive than communication or advertising. Rather than centring on the message alone, "the real power of marketing lies in the design of social products and services that sell themselves."

The book describes the areas that make up a social marketing approach:

1. A philosophy of exchange, wherein both parties must receive something they want if the interchange is to be successful.
2. A strategy that integrates research with action, using research tools that influence the development of a programme by providing constant data on audience response.
3. A mix of the 4 Ps of marketing: changes in the product, the price of the product, the place where the product is made available, and finally how the product is promoted.
4. A positioning strategy, recognising that a product must be described and presented in relation to its primary competitors.

The author argues for the benefits of a social marketing approach, and includes case studies from AIDS prevention and education reform programmes. Examples are drawn from regions as different as the United States and Bangladesh, and the author emphasises that the quest for social marketing knowledge is universal.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Social Marketing: An Evolving Definition
• Chapter 2: Social Marketing: What's the Big Idea?
• Chapter 3: Forget Messages...Think about Structural Change First
• Chapter 4: Marketing with No Budget
• Chapter 5: Homegrown Social Marketing - What Next?
• Chapter 6: Branding and Brand Envy
• Chapter 7: Social Marketing Lite: A Practical Future for a Big Idea
• Chapter 8: Application to AIDS Prevention
• Chapter 9: Application to Education Reform
• Appendix A: Behavioral Science Theory

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