Social Marketing: The Art and Science of

Behavior Change

Northland Bioneers ConferenceOctober 20, 2006

The Watson Group Marketing Communications

The Watson Group works with organizations that seek to change health behavior and prevent violence. We use marketing to persuade people to voluntarily adopt behaviors that improve health or benefit society.

The Watson Group Marketing Communications

In the spirit of the Northland Bioneers Conference, which is a zero-waste event, I have no handouts for you today.

We’re going low-tech—just you and me and a whiteboard.

Social Marketing Defined

Show of hands. Marketing and advertising: Evil or good? Okay, well I know where I stand now. Today I’m going to show you how to use marketing for good.

I’m going to introduce you to social marketing.

Social Marketing Defined

Using marketing principles to influence human behavior in order to improve health or benefit society. (Turning Point Social Marketing National Excellence Collaborative)

It is persuading people to voluntarily change their behavior, usually health or environmental behaviors, or violence prevention.

Social Marketing Defined

Social Marketing Is Not: Just advertising—or marketing for nonprofits or a cause

A clever slogan and a logo on a sport bottle or canvas bag

Reaching “everyone” through a media blitz An image campaign Done in a vacuum—you have to know your audience A quick process—scientific and research-based

Social Marketing Defined

Social Marketing Is:A behavior change strategyTargeted to those who have a reason to

care and who are ready for changeStrategicMakes efficient use of resources

Social Marketing Defined

In social marketing, awareness is not enough. The goal is to change behavior, to move the needle, to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Example: Target Market campaign

Continuum of Ways to Change Behavior

Unaware/Considering Change/Maintaining Behavior

Education

Aware/Not Considering

Change

Social MarketingVoluntary Behavior Change – How?

Entrenched/ No Desire to

Change

Law

Key Concept:Know Your Audience

You conduct audience research Put them at the center of decisions Understand that you are (usually) not

the target audience Test your assumptions

Key Concept: Exchange

You give me X, I give you Y. You give me a mercury thermometer, I give you a free non-mercury thermometer

Research helps us understand how to make that attractive Change what we are offering to make the exchange work You give me your toxic mercury thermometer at any Cub

Foods on any Saturday in November and I’ll give you a free replacement thermometer that will keep your family safer.

Key Concept: Exchange

Increase or highlight the benefits Decrease or de-emphasize the barriers

Key Concept: Competition

Target audience can go somewhere else or do something else or maintain current behavior– Example: childhood obesity prevention project in NC,

research told us the Competition was “Whining and hollering”

Modify program, delivery, service provider or the product or message to make the competing behavior less attractive, less available, or more costly

Social Marketing Process

Define the social or health or environmental problem

Identify who must act to change the problem

Social Marketing Process

Conduct market research– Do surveys, interviews, and/or focus

groups to find out what makes it easier (“benefits”) or harder (“barriers”) for the target audience to do the desired behavior

– Ask about wants, hopes, fears, knowledge, attitudes, behavior, perceived risk, “messengers and gatekeepers”

Social Marketing Process

What is the difference between the people who are doing what you want, and the people who aren’t?

Put aside your assumptions, listen carefully.

Use what you learn to form ideas for your social marketing campaign

Develop Program or Campaign

Apply marketing principles: Four P’s/“Marketing Mix”– Product– Price– Place– Promotion

Plus Policy Pre-test all products, services and messages

Product

Behavior, service, product being exchanged with the target audience for a price and benefit

Behavior, service, product must compete successfully against the benefit of the current behavior

Price

Cost to the target audience of changing behavior

Can be financial, or more often related to other “costs”– time – effort– lifestyle– psychological cost

Place

Channels through which products or programs are available (access)

Move programs or products to places that the audience frequents, in order to ease access

Promotion

Communicating to the audience about product/program, price, and place variables– advertising– media relations– Events/entertainment– Web– personal selling– direct mail

Policy

Encourage and leverage policies/rules that influence voluntary behavior change

Consider and compensate for policies that discourage voluntary behavior change

Avoid policies that punish “bad” behaviors

Launch Your Program or Campaign

Create, deliver and monitor your program Evaluate results

– Did you reach target audience?– Did program have an impact?– Did desired outcome occur, why/why not?

“Course correct” your program if needed

Workshop

Target behavior: Reduce trips by car by increasing carpooling

Target audience: People who value sustainability and the environment—people like you.

Incentives:– Preferred parking– Commuter book clubs– Coffee coupons

Think Like a Marketer

Think behavior change Know your audience Think benefits and costs and exchange When/where in right frame of mind? When/where is right place and time?

Danie WatsonThe Watson Group339 Barry Ave. S.Wayzata, MN 55391952-404-1314dwatson@millcomm.com

Please contact me with questions or for resources