Introduction to Social Marketing

[Speaker]

[Role]

Overview

• What is social marketing?• Principles of social marketing• Examples of approaches to communication• Summary• Questions

What is social marketing?

• ‘The systematic application of marketing alongside other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioural goals, to improve health and healthcare’

OR• ‘Using marketing ideas to convince people to do

the right thing, rather than the profitable thing’

Principles of social marketing

• Focus on behaviour• Specific measurable

goals• Market research• Insight

• Exchange• Competition• Segmentation• Intervention mix

Focus on behaviour

• Social marketing can be used to help get people to change what they do

• Can be used at every level, and with every group – patients and carers, clinical staff, non-clinical staff, senior manager, politicians

• Can be the main change technique used, or can support behavioural aspects of a broader change programme

Specific measurable goals

• What are you trying to achieve?

• How will you measure how well things are going?

• How will you know when you get there?

Market research

• Aim is to understand the people you are trying to get to change

• Identify audience characteristics and needs• Range of techniques, from simple to involved -

tailor the approach to the problem

Insight

• Aim is to gain a full understanding of what matters to the people you are trying to get to change

• Insight will guide the approaches you take to change behaviour

• By putting yourself “in the shoes” of your audience, you can make better decisions on how best to convince them

Exchange

• Clear understanding of benefits of the proposed changes – for every group of people you are targeting

• Clear understanding of the ‘costs’ too• Need to be able to answer ‘What’s in it for me?’,

whoever asks it• Incentives, recognition, reward, disincentives –

carrots and sticks

Competition

• What are people currently doing instead of what you want them to do?

• Why are they doing this other thing?• How do you convince them that the new way is

better? (for them directly, as well as for the patient, or for the NHS in general)

Segmentation• Think about the different groups within your

audience• Base this on values/motivation – what is

important to each group?• Interventions tailored directly to specific

audience segments – emphasise different benefits for different groups of staff; use different techniques to reach’ different groups

Intervention mix

• Use a range of different approaches, tailored to the specific problem, and the needs of different groups

• Avoid use of a single method in isolation• “Holistic” – each method should be used in the

context of the overall approach

Examples of approaches to communication

• Poster campaigns• Information leaflets• Merchandise (targeted) e.g. pens, tourniquets, pen

torches• Articles in local, regional, national newsletters and

publications• Presentations to staff groups and forums• Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, internet• Engage with professional bodies, royal colleges, etc.• Lobby decision-makers and policy makers

Summary

• Social marketing uses the principles of marketing to improve services and processes by convincing people to change their behaviour

• By thinking about your audience and understanding what matters to them, you can make your approach as effective as possible

Questions?