Changing Behaviours: Harnessing the Power of Marketing to

Move Communities

David Thorp

Director of Research and Professional Development

Changing Behaviours

The Chartered Institute of Marketing

• A not-for-profit body established in 1911, we are the leading international professional marketing body, with members worldwide

• We exist to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners

• We encourage and promote leading edge thinking through our wide networks of practitioners, researchers and academics

• We do this via Membership, Professional Qualifications and providing Training, and a comprehensive CPD programme

• Anyone, at any level, with an interest in marketing can join us

Changing Behaviours

The Social Marketing Group

• Formed in August 2009

• To promote marketing excellence in this sector.

• To promote greater understanding of social marketing and its application as a force for social cohesion, change and delivering the public good.

• To inform members of changes in the marketing environment and their implications and promote high, professional marketing standards.

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

So… is marketing powerful?

Exhibit One

Changing Behaviours

So… is marketing powerful?

Exhibit Two

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

“The enthusiasm of the Cameron Tories for community development and localism, and its convergence with the New Labour and Lib Dem ‘community empowerment’ agendas, suggests it is time to ask whether community development and community action, once a radical force in local politics, has been effectively depoliticised and incorporated as an arm of government”

Red Pepper, May 7th 2010

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Segmentation is…

The process of splitting consumers, or potential consumers, in a market into different groups, or segments, within which consumers share a similar level of interest in the same or comparable set of needs satisfied by a distinct marketing proposition.

Changing Behaviours

The trajectory of marketing…

Commercial

Move away from concepts of mass marketing to an increasing emphasis on individualism and the rejection of conformity

Emphasis increasingly on products we want but don’t actually need

Benefits increasingly perceptual

Social

Frequently has social conformity as its primary aim. Pushes against the trend to individuality in commercial marketing

Emphasis is primarily on behaviours we need but don’t particularly want

Benefits mainly tangible

Changing Behaviours

So what is Social Marketing?

1. Social Marketing starts and ends with a focus on the person and what’s important for them

1. Social Marketing has roots in both best public and commercial sector practice

2. Social Marketing is an adaptable approach that can be used with large and small budgets

Changing Behaviours

So what is Social Marketing?

4. Social Marketing does not compete but integrates with best marketing, promotion and communications practice

5. Social Marketing actively considers and is concerned with ethical issues and values

6. Social Marketing is more…much more…than advertising and communications

7. Social marketing challenges top-down paternalistic “we know what you need” approaches

Changing Behaviours

Definitions of Social Marketing:

“…the simultaneous adoption of marketing philosophy and adaptation of marketing techniques to further causes leading to changes in individual behaviours which ultimately in the view of the campaign’s originator will result in socially-beneficial outcomes”

Dann, S

“…the application of marketing concepts and techniques to exchanges that result in the achievement of socially-desirable aims; that is, objectives that benefit society as a whole”

Donovan, R

Changing Behaviours

Definitions of Social Marketing:“…an attempt to influence consumers for the greater good, and as such, always has an ethical aspect; specifically, social marketing seeks to induce customer change that is deemed to be inherently good, as opposed to change that is good merely because it increases profits or non-profit earnings”

Gibbs, B

“…the application of appropriate marketing tools and the systematic analysis, development, implementation, evaluation and integration of a set of comprehensive, scientifically-based, ethically-formulated and user-relevant programme components designed to ultimately influence behaviour change that benefits society”

Kirby, S

Changing Behaviours

Definitions of Social Marketing:“…a programme planning process which promotes voluntary behaviour change based on building beneficial exchangeexchange relationships” with a target audience for the benefit of society”

Schwartz, B

“…a large-scale programme planning process designed to influence the voluntary behaviour of a specific audience segment to achieve a social rather than a financial objective, and based upon offering benefits the audience wants, reducing barriers the audiences faces, and/or using persuasion to influence the segment’s intention to act favourably”

Smith, B

Changing Behaviours

Key themes from the definitions

• Individual behaviours• Exchanges• Ethical• Inherently good• Systematic• Scientifically-based• Planning Process• Voluntary

• Segment• Persuasion

Changing Behaviours

Changing Behaviours

Do you target a single message at a single segment in a market with many segments?

Do you ignore the differences in the segments, and choose to aim a single message at all segments i.e. the whole market?

Do you target a variety of different segments with a series of differentiated messages/offerings?

Changing Behaviours

10 Strategic Questions

1) What is the social (or health) issue I want to address?

2) What actions do I believe will address the problem?

3) Who is being asked to take that action?

4) What does the audience want in exchange for adopting this new behaviour?

5) Why will the audience believe that anything we offer is real and true?

6) What is the competition offering? Are we offering something the audience wants more?

Changing Behaviours

10 Strategic Questions

7) What is the best time and place to reach members of our audience so they are the most disposed to receiving the intervention?

8) How often and from whom does the intervention need to be received if it is to work?

9) How can I integrate a variety of interventions to act over time in a co-ordinated manner to influence the behaviour?

10) Do I have the resources to carry out this strategy alone?; if not, where can I find useful partners?

Changing Behaviours

Diagram © National Social Marketing Centre

Thank You

David Thorp

Director of Research and Professional Development