Glenn Gumulka, a Masters of Environmental Studies student AND a graduated MBA who works for Procter and Gamble, will come to speak to us about Social Marketing. Find at the end of this page Glenn's list of sources, to which he makes reference in his talk and more

You also should check out Glenn's website on sustainable living, a project which made up a good part of his final paper for his Masters in Environmental Studies degree.

Change Agent is the person or persons or organization setting out to change something

Target Adopter is what in traditional Marketing we call the "target market", whose behaviour or thinking the change agent is trying to change. We are usually asking the target adopters to do one of three things with respect to the social issue: 

Most social issues are a combination of idea, attitude, practice, and behaviour, but in each case one of those will be primary. In these examples, remember that different people will have different perceptions of what is foremost, but the list should give you a general idea of the differences: 

Idea	Example: people with AIDS deserve fair treatment Almost every social marketing concept involves an idea at some level. But while the concept that people with AIDS deserve equal treatment involves one's attitude toward the disease and might involve certain practices and long-term behaviours, we are primarily marketing an IDEA
Attitude	Example: Gays are people too One's attitude toward gays involves the idea that they are equals, and such practices as hiring them without discrimination as to their sexual orientation, and behaviours such as treating them like anyone else in any instance from casual eye contact in the street to inviting them to your home. But the main thing we are marketing here is ATTITUDE
Practice	Example: Recycling Practice and Behaviour are difficult to differentiate, and it is perhaps ultimately on a moral ground on which we do it. Practice involves something you do regularly, customarily, habitually (to quote Webster). Recycling involves the idea of not wasting and the attitude that the earth is sacred, but mostly in marketing the concept of recycling we are marketing a PRACTICE. You also may label as Practice something which you wish your target adopter to do for a short period of time, such as writing to one's MP (as opposed to behaviour which involves doing something longer-term)
Behaviour	The most difficult to define, behaviour is really how we conduct our lives in solidarity and accord with societal norms and our own deeply held beliefs. Any of these examples - AIDS, Gay Rights, Recycling, may become a behaviour as one becomes fully committed to the concept and integrates it into their life

Social marketers reach their target market in pretty much the same way that traditional marketers do - through Channels of Communication and of Distribution, and they effect change through the same process that P&G uses to sell soap - Marketing Strategy. 

Examples of Social Marketing Campaigns through History (from Kotler/Roberto)

Exercise Campaigns Why do you think the column on the right is longer?

Exercise Campaigns For any of these campaigns, decide:  Who is the change agent?  Who are the target adopters?  Are you asking people to accept, modify, or abandon what they are currently doing?   Is the issue an idea, attitude, practice, or behaviour?

Why Do Information Campaigns Often Fail?

Exercise Walkerton In a recent scandal over tainted water that killed 7 people in the Ontario town of Walkerton, can you identify/describe the following characters?

Chronic Know-Nothings All of us care about our water supply, but most of us are pretty ignorant about the water purification process

Lack of Interest Who is this person and why is s/he so disinterested in the water issue?

Interpreting Information Differently Think about two different people in the case and how they would interpret information differently; perhaps a mother of a new-born and the overworked supervisor looking for a quick solution

What Dilutes Mass Media Impact?

Apathetic, Defensive, or Ignorant Audience
The Message is Not Sufficiently Motivating
Message is Placed in Inappropriate Media
Provides No Way To Respond Constructively

What Makes a Successful Social Marketing Campaign? 
From the perspective of the social change agent

From the perspective of the target adopter

Force Intensity of commitment is greater if a person is already pre-disposed toward the message; once you reach them, make the message as stimulating as possible

Direction Knowing how and where to respond to the campaign's message

Mechanism Having an actual agency, office, or retail outlet to which to go

Adequacy and Compatibility Finding the agency able to do its job

Distance Feeling that the effort put forth is going to be worth the end result As the change agent you must reduce the distance the target adopter must travel; not only physically, as in the case of a recycling centre, but psychologically, as in convincing them it is their problem

It's harder to sell an idea than a bar of soap because of

Situation Involvement Do your target adopters care about your issue?

Enduring Involvement Will they keep caring?

Benefits/Reinforcers Is it going to be personally worthwhile to them?

Costs If it costs too much in money or effort they may not want to do it

Benefit/Cost Relationship Can they see a tangible result? something that makes their effort worthwhile?

Pre-existing Demand Is it something that everyone already wants?  (clean water should be)

Segmentation Are you reaching the right groups with the right marketing message?

Exercise A Successful Project Thinking now about the social issue for your final exam substitute project, how do each of these apply?  Monopolization, Canalization, Supplementation Force, Direction, Mechanism, Adequacy, Distance Situation Involvement, Enduring Involvement, Benefits, Benefit/Cost Relationship, Preexisting Demand, Segmentation

Stages of Social Marketing Campaigns

Types of Causes & Why They Fail

Change Strategies - Quitting Smoking

The Social Marketing Approach To Social Change

Exercise Starting the Project Thinking about a social change campaign you may wish to use for your final exam substitute project, do the following

Social Product Regarding your Social Marketing Plan product:  Is it an idea? If so,  is it a belief, attitude, or value? Is it a practice? If so, is it an act or a behaviour? Or is it a tangible object? If so, what?
Target Adopter Group For the target adopter, list the            Socio-Demographic Characteristics           Psychological Profile           Behavioural Characteristics
Influence Holding Groups List the            Permission-Granting Groups           Support Groups           Opposition Groups           Evaluation Groups
Social Change Management Technology         What need is not being met or met well enough?         What will be involved in positioning your idea?         If it is a tangible product, where will you sell it?         What personal service might be involved?          What changes might you have to make              as the campaign progresses?
Social Marketing Management Process List three broad objectives for your social marketing campaign and for each one an example of a kind of behaviour you want to see in your target adopters

Glenn Gumulka's List of References

Check out Glenn's website on sustainable living