Challenges and Ethical Considerations

PUBH 535, Social Marketing in Public Health August 19, 2015

Learning Objectives

• Understand the beginning role of social marketing and how this role has been defined in the marketing and public health profession.

• Understand the current challenges of social marketing

• Discuss some of the ethical considerations of social marketing

In the Beginning

• Social Marketing started as a concept originated by sociologist GD Wiebe in 1950’s

• The roots within the marketing field began with the work of Kotler in 1971.

• Practical application began with family planning programs in the 1960’s.

• SM did not have identity for many years.

Since then

• Several textbooks devoted to social marketing • Chapters about SM in marketing and health

comm textbooks • Journal of Social Marketing • Social marketing conferences • Social marketing centers in Scotland, Canada,

Poland, and in the UK.

Now

• Healthy People 2020 has specific objectives surrounding social marketing

• Social marketing has become a household name

• Overall objective is no longer promoting ideas but influencing behavior

Misconceptions

• You ask most people what social marketing is and they will tell you it has to do with social media.

• Social marketing goes much further than commercial marketing: we are not selling a product, we are selling change for greater good.

Misconceptions

• Marketing is manipulative • Marketers are shallow and unethical • Marketing is too expensive • Marketing is just putting different labels on

what other brands have always done

Challenges

• There is lack of buy in by senior administration • The SM field has poor brand positioning

Challenges

• Not enough case studies and wide-scale success stories, not well publicized.

• SM lacks academic standing as opposed to other programs.

Time to Overcome

• Must look at the benefits of SM: – Target audience plays a major role – Focused on whole behavior change– Tailored to specific target audience segments – Better uses resources – Moves beyond the promotion of the product

Time to Overcome

• Costs: – It is now easier to find social marketers – More private marketers putting their efforts

towards social problems – More online resources – Free training and resources

Time to Overcome

• SM is increasingly widely adopted • It is being used in many areas • Now groups and conferences where people

can share best practices.

Time to Overcome

• Taken together there is no reason why social marketing cannot work in public health

Areas for Improvement

• Committed and extensive private sector involvement

• Create academic programs • SM as a scholarly field of study• Basically it is a exciting new journey within

public health!

Ethics

• Currently no concrete ethical blueprint exists • Biggest grey area is: – Individual freedom versus community good – Who’s right and who’s wrong?

• Two schools of thought: – Deontology – Teleology

Schools of Ethical Thought

• Deontology: – To be ethical we must use the right means

regardless of the outcome – Immanuel Kant’s: Categorical Imperative

• Problem is the ethicality of rewards: – The means used to change behavior

Schools of Ethical Thought

• Teleology– Good or bad of the outcome is what counts – Utilitarianism

• Problem is determining the appropriate goal

Standards for Marketing

• Proposed standards for marketing – Be truthful – Protect privacy – Don’t model inappropriate behavior – Don’t be offensive – Be fair and balanced – Avoid sterotyping – Protect children

Ethical Dilemma

• “One cannot not communicate” • Step further: “one cannot not manipulate

when communicating about health and disease”

Ethical Dilemma Solutions

• Deciding in advance what their health-related goal is, and then constructing their messages to fit that goal.

• Promoting the “common good” • Ensuring that a community standard is used to

determine the common good

Fear Appeals

• Common in print and tv advertising • Several problems: – Keeps the person from making a rational and free

choice – Exploit particular vulnerabilities – Create consumer anxiety

Fear Appeals

• Teleologist may support use of fear: – If the product, behavior, or idea being promoted is

beneficial to society.

• Deontologist may reject use of fear: – It is morally wrong to cause anxiety and distress

• These fear messages may cause a boomerang effect

Readings

• Andreasen, AR. 2002. Marketing Social Marketing in the Social Change Marketplace

• Jones, SC. & Hall, DV (2006) Ethical Issues in Social Marketing. Proceedings of the 3rd Australasian Non-Profit and Social Marketing Conference Newcastle, 10-11 August 2006, Australia: University of Newcastle.

Sources

• Andreasen, AR. (2002) Marketing Social Marketing in the Social Change Marketplace. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, vol. 21 (1), 3-13.

• Pang B , Kubacki K , (2015) "The four Es of social marketing: ethicality, expensiveness, exaggeration and effectiveness", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 5 Iss: 1, pp.83 – 99