The product strategy is a cornerstone of the product, price, place, and promotion (four Ps) of the marketing mix that has undergone significant scrutiny and critique. This study sought to conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature to better understand how product has been conceptualized and operationalized over multiple decades. Application of inclusion criteria resulted in a sample of 88 articles published from 1973 to 2015, representing work in 18 different countries in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. Content analysis showed that authors offering formal definitions of product have placed heavy emphasis on conceptualizing the product P as the prescribed behavior for the target audience in a social marketing initiative. Analysis of the operationalization of product strategies revealed more balance across the literature in thinking about product as beneficial outcomes and tangible goods as well as behaviors. Discussion focuses on consideration of the findings in the context of the call from several thought leaders in recent years to steer away from talking about the product as behavior and concentrate more on goods, services, and product features. The results also inspire discussion about the future utility of conceptualizing product within a three-tiered frame of actual, core, and augmented products.
Social marketing has gained popularity in health used to achieve the "social good." However, there is lack of research beyond the aggregated sales data exploring the debate on socioeconomic and cultural relevance of such programs in public health in a low middle income context. The purpose of this article is therefore (a) to understand the importance of socioeconomic context that moderate acceptability, affordability, accessibility, and availability (4As) of social marketing for HIV/AIDS prevention in India and (b) analyze the barriers they may pose during the operationalization of the programs. This article performed theory-driven evaluation using qualitative research tools like documentary analysis and in-depth interviews of relevant stakeholders. Thematic analysis was followed to classify the emergent data. The 4As comprising "acceptability," "affordability," "availability," and "accessibility" proposed in this article encapsulate the important role played by socioeconomic and cultural dimensions in shaping the social marketing programs for HIV/AIDS prevention in India. Social marketing for "whom," "at what cost," and "under what circumstances" emerge as an interesting debate in this article. An enhanced understanding of how social marketing harnesses the prevalent sociocultural and economic dynamics in a heterogeneous context like India not only refines social marketing as a theory but also provides opportunities for effective health policy making resulting in better health outcomes.
This illustrated article shares insights regarding American Indian youths’ perceptions of their daily environments with regard to their diet and eating healthily. Researchers used a community-based participatory research method, "photovoice." Fourteen American Indian youth aged 11–14 were given cameras to capture opportunities and barriers to eating healthily in their environments (school, home, and community), culture, and traditional foods and customs. Images highlight challenges in youths’ nutritional understanding and environment. The study results suggest gaps in American Indian youths’ basic nutritional understanding and opportunities for strategic social marketing to overcome barriers while reinforcing benefits of healthy eating traditions. Insights gleaned can inform future health interventions. Researchers used insights to adapt an established intervention, Cooking with Kids (CWK). Under a larger grant, guided by social and cognitive learning theories, which identifies processes and determinants of health behaviors, CWK aims to increase the intake of healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, and to increase youth nutritional and cooking competencies. This article illustrates the value of photovoice for researchers and decision makers to visualize issues from participants’ point of view, specifically the American Indian obesity issue.
Superstitions are common phenomena in human society, especially in Asian cultures. Superstitious beliefs can have a negative impact on the social well-being of people in society because they are highly associated with financial risk-taking and gambling behaviors. This study looks at the effects of different types of superstitious belief (proactive vs. passive) on consumers’ risk-taking behaviors. Categorized based on the characteristics associated with an illusion of control in a situation, proactive and passive superstitious beliefs were found to show differences in risk-taking behaviors. The results demonstrate that passive superstitious beliefs increase the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors when a superstitious object is introduced. The research suggests social marketing and public policy implications.
This study aims to examine the value of personal norms in addition to the theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables (i.e., attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) in explaining consumers’ pro-environmental purchasing behavior. The hypotheses and model were formulated and tested with structural equation modeling using the data from 281 consumers who are active members of a U.S.-based recycling company. Model fit statistics indicate a good fit of empirical data and model structure for pro-environmental purchasing behavior. The findings suggest that while personal and subjective norms, attitudes toward behavior, and intention explain consumers’ pro-environmental purchasing behavior, perceived behavioral control does not have any power in explaining behavior-related intention. Policy makers and marketing professionals are advised to adopt various social and sustainability marketing strategies that focus on communicating different normative aspects of purchasing decisions to promote pro-environmental consumer behaviors. The normative concerns covered in the environmental behavior studies are mostly limited to "subjective norms" as represented in the TPB, which has been widely adopted in the behavioral studies. By extending the TPB with "personal norms," this study contributes to the better explanation of environmentally relevant purchase behaviors of consumers.
Sustainability has long been considered an important component of program development, and varying approaches to sustainability exist. When tight budgets get even tighter—or are cut altogether—program sustainability can become a significant challenge. Creative thinking may be required by social marketers who wish to keep their programs running effectively. Best Bones Forever!, a campaign developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and its contractor Hager Sharp, confronted this exact problem. This article reviews key factors in ensuring sustainability and documents the process and methods OWH and Hager Sharp took to allow the campaign to live on.
We applied Photovoice, an innovative methodology, in order to enhance participation by Latino youth living in Langley Park, MD in community-based participatory research (CBPR) and in the ongoing Adelante Positive Youth Development intervention. This study sought to: 1) expand our understanding of current needs and experiences of Latino youth and update our information on the evolving Marketplace; 2) involve youth in the process of developing CBPR intervention and social marketing components; and 3) build skills in photography, critical thinking, and community activism among Latino youth. Using Photovoice, we engaged twelve Latino youth, including six recently arrived to the U.S. and six second generation immigrants, in a dialogue about peer, family, community, and health issues affecting Latinos. Through six sessions, participants developed photography skills, used photographs to stimulate critical thinking and discussion, and suggested solutions for emergent issues. Sixty pictures selected for group discussion all corresponded to one of the three main domains of inquiry: 1) Strengths and needs of Langley Park, 2) Latino youth experiences, and 3) Community health assets and risks. Participants organized a photography exhibition and community forum to raise awareness about important findings. Both recently arrived and second generation Latino youth have important perspectives to share that guide and refine ongoing targeted CBPR interventions. Findings from this study shed light on the most relevant topics for community-based interventions, advocacy, and social marketing campaigns needed in this community. Photovoice is a useful tool for social marketing formative research targeting immigrant youth sub-groups.
Encouraging gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) to use condoms for anal sex has been a cornerstone of HIV prevention initiatives globally for several decades. In New Zealand, Get it On!, a social marketing program, sought to influence gay and bisexual men to use a condom "every time" for anal sex. To assess the effectiveness of Get it On!, an integrated program evaluation approach including evaluation rubrics was utilized. Self-report data were collected from 960 men using an online survey and a paper-based survey administered at a large, gay community event. The men reported they were exposed to the campaign messages, understood them well, and engaged with the program. Importantly, the men reported Get it On! encouraged them to take action, including being more conscious about using a condom for sex. Get it On! performed well in regard to encouraging a culture accepting of condom use. Significantly, the evaluation found the greater the exposure to Get it On!, the more likely a man was to report using a condom for anal sex. Overall, the campaign is likely contributing to New Zealand’s relatively high rates of condom use and the low incidence of HIV infection among MSM. This strongly suggests the campaign should be continued and enhanced as a key HIV prevention strategy.
In recent decades, obesity has become a critical global health issue. Experts and laypeople alike attribute high obesity rates to lifestyle choices involving diet and exercise. Following decades of increasing portion sizes and decreasing nutritional value, the food and beverage and fast-food industries have felt intense pressure to answer to new consumer priorities and what some see as their role in fueling the obesity epidemic. This article examines marketing and pricing practices implemented by some of the most popular food and beverage and fast-food industry players in the U.S. market that are involved in this response. Although marketers claim they are offering healthier choices and supporting the fight against obesity, our analysis reveals common industry strategies, including value pricing, psychological pricing, quantity discounts, and combo deals that undermine healthy food choices. We argue that in order to truly encourage healthy eating, these industries must revise not only their products but also their fundamental approach to creating customer value. It is also imperative that consumers, legislators, and the media be informed about deceitful strategies used pervasively by food and beverage manufacturers and fast-food restaurant chains that ultimately aggravate the obesity epidemic.
We present the process of developing a social marketing campaign to promote HIV testing with Black and Latina women living in neighborhoods with high rates of HIV. We developed partnerships with organizations serving women at high risk for contracting or transmitting HIV as well as with experts in prevention, marketing, and research. Focus groups with community organizations’ staff members helped create motivational messages. These data led us to focus on health promotion attitudes toward enhancing well-being rather than on fear-based messages about disease and risk behaviors. Additionally, we determined that to shape norms and self-efficacy, messenger images should be women that the focus audience would identify with as a model of their "best self"—attainable and positive. A series of messages were then pretested to Latina and Black women receiving services at the partner organizations. They confirmed that they did not want to read negative messages or see portraits of women representing their community in a stigmatizing way. Women also related barriers to testing such as fear of medical providers, stigma, and child welfare intervention, which would impact the costs and benefits of testing. Motivations to get tested included availability of health-care services in addition to testing and a "strong/positive" messenger for testing. Materials were distributed in locations that would be coordinated with HIV prevention services of testing, education, and linkage to care. A small-scale evaluation indicated that 14% of women recognized the campaign and 33% of those women said it influenced their behavior.
This study explores social marketing effects of a hotel’s proenvironmental practices. With an emphasis on consumers’ perceptions of a hotel’s corporate social responsibility motives, it looks at how perceived motives influence consumer responses—attitudes toward a hotel and hotel selection, intentions to participate in a hotel’s green program, and willingness to pay a premium to support its efforts. Findings indicated that a consumers’ perceived public-serving motive positively influenced consumer responses, while a self-serving motive had negative impacts. Additionally, this study revealed that consumers’ perceived motives varied significantly by hotel user segments but not by hotel class. That is, luxury hotel users had a tendency to consider the motive as public serving compared to an economy hotel user group. Further, perceived motive mediated the relationships between hotel user segments and consumer responses, which included prosocial outcomes, like intentions to participate in a green hotel program, along with attitudes toward a hotel, intentions to select a hotel, and intentions to pay a premium.
Corporate social initiatives (CSIs) are increasingly important in boosting public acceptance for companies, and emerging research suggests corporate social marketing (CSM) could be the most effective type of CSI. However, scholars caution that CSM is not a one-size-fits-all. Through a content analysis of Coca-Cola’s social media posts on potentially controversial topics related to sustainability, health, and social change, this study explores how CSI type and message content influence public response to an organization’s social media corporate social responsibility posts. Posts emphasizing socially responsible business practices generally received the most favorable public response, while posts focused on cause promotion were received the most negatively. Findings also suggest that CSM is less effective when the issue and advocated behavior change appears to be acting against the company’s interests.
A research team in Nebraska developed a public health campaign for teens focused on obesity prevention, based on social marketing and buzz marketing principles, to test a series of hypotheses postulating that positive attitude toward the campaign among the most engaged members of the target audience, the buzz agents, will lead to positive attitudinal as well as positive self-reported behavioral changes involving fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. The team implemented the Whatcha doin? social marketing campaign in a select number of public high schools in Nebraska from 2007 to 2013. Results from 6 years of annual survey data of buzz agents in these schools showed positive associations between attitude toward the campaign and changes in health attitudes and behavior.
Reduction of energy consumption in the affordable housing sector is highly impacted by human behavior. However, only limited behavior change research exists that is aimed at reducing energy consumption in this sector. This study seeks to implement the first two phases of the community-based social marketing (CBSM) framework in an affordable housing setting. The goals of the research are to identify the optimal behaviors for energy reduction and to identify the perceived barriers and benefits associated with those behaviors in a low-income housing facility. The results of this study identify five target behaviors along with their barriers and benefits. In addition, the study identifies potential issues and nuances in the CBSM process that researchers should take into consideration during future implementations of CBSM in affordable housing environments.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR), with its subdisciplines of corporate social marketing (CSM) and cause-related marketing (CRM), has an axiomatically attractive ring. The idea of publicly traded corporations doing good deeds and behaving well seems self-evidently desirable, and any addition to humankind’s pool of social responsibility is surely to be welcomed. So when a multinational offers to provide books for British school children, support indigenous rights in the Americas, or fund child literacy programs in Malawi, the temptation is simply to say "thank you kind sir and more power to your elbow." However, all that glisters is not gold and good deeds are not always what they seem; a kiss can be a mark of love or an act of betrayal. So we need to look further, beyond the immediate act, and examine motives, repercussions, and morality before we decide. We marketers, of all people, should look carefully at the price tag before we make the purchase. And when we do so with CSR, CSM, and CRM, it becomes clear that the costs are simply unaffordable. In this article, I adopt an uncompromisingly critical stance. I do so because helping those in need, who have fallen on hard times or are less fortunate than ourselves, and to do so without expectation of return or advantage, is the defining quality of our humanity. When we allow this to be co-opted and distorted for commercial advantage, we create a profound moral hazard.
In response to the plastic bag pandemic, many studies have indicated that penalties can lower consumption of plastic bags but are only effective in the short term. For long-term impact, shoppers’ intrinsic motivations need to be explored. Using framing and the theory of planned behavior, the current study looked at how advertising messages framed as "avoiding a fee" (gain) and "paying a tax" (loss) can impact shoppers’ behavior to bring reusable bags. Findings from a hierarchical and multiple regression analysis showed differences in how both frames were interpreted. For the fee frame, attitude toward compliance and perceived control were important to intentions, while attitudes toward bringing reusable bags, control, and subjective norms impacted intentions for the tax frame. Behavioral intention was the main predictor of behavior for both frames. The findings suggest that a penalty framed as a tax maybe more effective in motivating shoppers to bring reusable bags. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
This article describes two examples of online ad testing used to assess effectiveness of tobacco control ads in Minnesota (United States). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends mass-media campaigns to change tobacco-related attitudes and encourage quitting. ClearWay MinnesotaSM uses online surveys to test ads with target audiences, select the most effective ads, and complement traditional evaluations of its campaigns. Two examples in this article demonstrate the method and how results have been used.
Example 1 used an online survey to test two ad campaigns with 600 tobacco users. Participants were randomly assigned to evaluate two CDC Tips From Former Smokers ads and two ClearWay Minnesota QUITPLAN® Services ads for motivational effectiveness. In Example 2, 805 adult Minnesotans evaluated three of ClearWay Minnesota’s Still a Problem educational ads to determine whether the campaign was having the intended effect on its target audience.
Results for Example 1 revealed CDC’s ads were more effective than QUITPLAN Services ads in motivating tobacco users to seek help. Results for Example 2 demonstrated that the Still a Problem campaign was having the intended effect on the target audience.
Example 1 results compelled ClearWay Minnesota to tag CDC’s ads with the QUITPLAN Services brand and buy more advertising time. Observed service volumes increased. Example 2 results suggested no need for adjustments to change the Still a Problem campaign because it was working as intended. Traditional evaluation requires longer time frames than online testing. Online message testing can inform social marketing and educational campaign development in real time, typically for less cost than traditional methods.
Online message testing is an efficient way to test ads, improve program effectiveness, and protect investments in public health marketing campaigns.
Corporate social marketing (CSM) is one of several initiatives companies can undertake to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility (CSR). While there are many motivations for CSR and CSM, all are linked to profit in some way, including promoting the reputation of the organization. While CSM is often seen as evidence of organizations making a contribution to their community, there are some industries whose CSM campaigns have drawn considerable controversy and criticism. This article discusses the role of the alcohol industry in developing and disseminating "responsible drinking" CSM activities. It discusses some of the problems identified with alcohol industry CSM campaigns—including evidence that industry education campaigns communicate ambiguous messages; improve public perceptions of the industry but do not discourage harmful or underage drinking; and divert attention from more effective approaches, such as controls on price and availability. The paper also addresses the issue of other CSM/CRM activities undertaken by the alcohol industry, such as encouraging consumers to purchase a brand by donating a proportion of the profits to health and social causes (including those that are exacerbated by alcohol consumption). It discusses the value of these activities for the industry and their potential negative impact on the health of the community. In summary, the evidence suggests that industry CSM and CRM activities protect the industry (from restrictive policies and declining sales) but may in fact be detrimental to the community.
This article discusses the social marketing planning process and strategies used to design a preconception health campaign, Show Your Love, launched in February 2013. Developing a social marketing strategy for preconception health is a challenging endeavor, in part because preconception health represents a set of diverse behaviors and the audience for the campaign is quite large, encompassing all women of childbearing age whether they intend to become pregnant or not. The network of organizations implementing the campaign, the National Preconception Health Consumer Workgroup, required a broad audience segmentation strategy; therefore, two large audiences were selected. This commentary describes the two primary audiences selected for the campaign based on the Transtheoretical Model—intenders (those in contemplation, preparation, and action) and nonintenders (precontemplators)—and explores how levels of knowledge, motivations, the campaign product, and the campaign goals are distinct for each audience. Additionally, the authors describe potential extensions to the segmentation strategy that could offer finer grained approaches for social marketers who may be building on the Show Your Love campaign or designing other programs in this area.
We describe the use of formative research in the construction and dissemination of the Acceptance Journeys campaign. This campaign aims to increase acceptance of gay men of color as a means to combat the broad disparities in HIV/AIDS experienced by this group in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (United States). A situation analysis and systematic formative research in the form of a readiness assessment, in-depth interviews, preproduction focus groups, and postproduction concept testing were used to inform our conceptualizations of the problem (homophobia), product (acceptance), promotion (Acceptance Journeys branding), and channel selection. Implications for the application of social marketing techniques to social determinants of health are discussed.
The current study explored the role of advertising in building an effective cessation service brand in Minnesota, United States. Using data from a ClearWay MinnesotaSM campaign evaluation (N = 1,361), this study examined how mass media advertising works to reinforce recognition of the QUITPLAN Services brand, brand favorability, and brand attributes. Respondents with confirmed awareness of television campaign ads were significantly more likely to report ever hearing of the brand than those who were not aware of the ads (odds ratio [OR] = 4.28, p < .001). In addition, confirmed ad awareness correlated with brand favorability (β = .37, p < .001) and attributes (personalized: β = .50, p < .001; respectful: β = .43, p < .001; proven: β = .42, p < .001; accessible: β = .46, p < .001), and there was a significant relationship between brand favorability and intention to quit among smokers (OR = 2.44, p = .001). The findings in this study contribute to the literature on social marketing and health branding by demonstrating effective strategies for establishing a cessation service brand. Practical implications, research limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Objectives: A common commercial marketing segmentation technique is to divide a population into groups based on psychographic characteristics (i.e., attitudes and interests). We used this approach to define segments of female and male college students and examine substance use differences. Method: We administered an online survey to 24,055 students at six colleges in the Southeastern United States (response rate 20.1%, n = 4,840), obtaining complete data from 3,469 participants. We assessed sociodemographics, psychographic factors such as those used by the tobacco industry to define market segments, and substance use (cigarettes, other tobacco products, alcohol, and marijuana). Cluster analysis was conducted among females and males using 15 psychographic measures (sensation seeking, Big Five personality traits, and nine measures adapted from tobacco industry documents), identifying three segments per sex. Results: Safe responsibles were characterized by high levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, academic achievement, and religious service attendance. Stoic individualists were characterized by low extraversion, sensation seeking, and openness. Thrill-seeking socializers were characterized by high levels of sensation seeking and extraversion. Among females, thrill-seeking socializers were significantly more likely than safe responsibles to have used any substance in the prior 30 days (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.65, 2.52]; Nagelkerke R2 = .084). Among males, stoic individualists (OR = 1.50, CI [1.08, 2.08]) and thrill-seeking socializers (OR = 1.53, CI [1.09, 2.13]) were more likely than safe responsibles to have used substances in the past 30 days (Nagelkerke R2: .109). Conclusion: Psychographic segmentation can identify young adult subgroups with differing psychographic and substance use profiles and inform health campaigns and messaging targeting youth.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings in the United States consistently occur when residents improperly use portable gasoline-powered generators and other tools following severe storms and power outages. However, protective behaviors—such as installing CO alarms and placing generators more than 20 feet away from indoor structures—can prevent these poisonings. This study identified knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that lead consumers to adopt risk and protective behaviors for storm-related CO poisoning and post-storm generator use. Four focus groups (32 participants in total) were conducted with generator owners in winter and summer storm-prone areas to explore home safety, portable generator use, CO poisoning knowledge, and generator safety messages. Discussions were transcribed, and findings analyzed using an ordered meta-matrix approach. Although most generator owners were aware of CO poisoning, many were unsure what constitutes a safe location for generator operation and incorrectly stated that enclosed areas outside the home—such as attached garages, sheds, and covered porches—were safe. Convenience and access to appliances often dictated generator placement. Participants were receptive to installing CO alarms in their homes but were unsure where to place them. These findings suggest a deficit in understanding how to operate portable generators safely and a need to correct misconceptions around safe placement. In terms of behavioral price, the simple installation and maintenance of inexpensive CO alarms may be the most important strategy for ultimately protecting homes from both storm-related and other CO exposures.
In this article, the authors aim to clarify the process that leads customers to form a certain corporate social responsibility (CSR) image of their banking service providers. The authors analyze whether the proposals of associative learning theory, attribution theory, and persuasive communication are adequate to anticipate CSR image in a banking services context. A causal model is positively tested that allows the researchers to anticipate CSR image based on three variables: the coherence between the company and its CSR policy, the attribution of altruistic motivations for the company to implement CSR activities, and corporate credibility in developing CSR initiatives. Two new contributions to literature are made. First, the process is accepted in a context where CSR is a broad corporate strategy that includes significantly more initiatives than just cause-related marketing or the sponsorship of social causes. Second, the role of both company–CSR coherence and altruistic motivations is better explained in this article. Their influence on CSR image seems to be dependent upon the current situation of the international banking industry.