image courtesy of gavinbell

Which one are you?

In a recent post announcing his new book, Craig Lefebvre shared the following insight for students of social marketing:

“There are many books to choose from to learn about social marketing. This book encapsulates how I have taught my students, by preparing them to be ‘chefs,’ not ‘cooks.’

Most social marketing texts are good at showing you ways to ‘cook,’ or prepare, a social marketing program with a basic menu of steps and tactics. My aim is higher – to provide you with frameworks you can use to create menus, new combinations of tastes, and most important, to assist you to learn a variety of ways to understand and work with the people you wish to serve…”

You can pre-order Craig’s book, Social Marketing and Social Change: Strategies and Tools for Improving Health, Well-Being and the Environment (I already did!). As a note of disclaimer, Craig and I now work together at RTI International, but if you’ve been following this blog over the years, you know I’m been a fan and pupil of his work for quite some time.

May we all aim to be masters of our kitchens, especially the messy ones.

You can get the badge, and a whole lot of social marketing resources (and new friends) as part of the Global Social Marketing Network (http://socialmarketers.net). Recently launched, it is free to join, open to all, and brings together social marketing minds from across the world–from the UK, to Australia, to Asia and other areas. There is even a map that communicates visually just how global social marketing is—and how much it is widely researched, studied and applied.

*I want to make clear that I have no financial gain if you join or not. I don’t “push,” “promote” or “sell” here (see my disclosure policy for more info). I just generally believe in the power of social marketing to transform how we work, how we think and how we make things better. I’m not alone in this belief–some of the greatest social marketing minds are members of the community including Nancy Lee (who wrote just a few of our trusted social marketing textbooks), Jeff French, Walter Wymer, Joe Starinchak, Craig Lefebvre, Mike Newton-Ward and many others.

If you join the network, feel free to stop by and say hello. I’d love to hear how you are helping change our world.

No, this is no re-mix of Social Media Club, but it’s a potentially Global Social Marketing Association, speaking in terms of behavior change.

I was prompted to write about this topic when I received an email from Craig Lefebvre on the Social Marketing listserv announcing a new petition–a call for global engagement. Though I had created a humble petition of my own on iPetition over a year ago, I am very excited to see this one having momentum, both online and offline.

The petition has just almost 100 signatures and anyone is welcome to support it. The great (and strategic) piece of this petition is that is was launched with the buy-in of the Social Marketing Quarterly’s Editorial Review Board, which consists of many of the field’s thought leaders. The petition states:

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We, the undersigned, agree that the moment has arrived for the development of a social marketing organization. We will support, in words and actions, the creation of a global social marketing organization by July 2010. To work towards this end, we share the following core principles:

• Social marketing starts from the personal perspectives of the people with whom we work.

• Social marketing is a well-established professional discipline with a strong academic and practical foundation.

• Social marketing is a systematic approach to large-scale behavior and social change.

• Social marketing is a “community of practice” that is open to all disciplines and types of practitioners and can be applied to a range of environmental, public health, and social issues.

• The development of a professional social marketing organization should be a widely participatory and transparent process.

• A social marketing organization should represent the views of practitioners, organizations, academics, researchers, donors, policy-makers and others who advocate for, practice, and support the use of social marketing applications to address social problems.

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Other steps to move forward have been outlined and consist of:

• Create an Ad Hoc Guidance Group of no more than 20 members.

• Establish a date for convening a “Congress” for the social marketing organization prior to the 2010 National Conference on Social Marketing in Public Health.

• In next four months, the Guidance Group will oversee a process that solicits Delegate nominations from the social marketing community.

• We suggest that work groups be created from this group of delegates to achieve certain objectives.

• The outcomes of this Congress will then be presented for discussion and affirmation to a larger group of the social marketing community attending the social marketing conference in Clearwater Beach, FL in June 2010. Officers should be elected at this time and the organization formally announced to colleagues, stakeholders and professional communities.

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I’ve signed it. And so has the legendary marketer himself: Philip Kotler! Won’t you join us? At the very least, I’m going to do my best to get to next June’s 20th Anniversary of the Social Marketing in Public Health Conference, where it’s hoped that the association will officially be launched. Go here to sign the petition directly.

flickr credit: Gataen Lee

I highly encourage discussion because as another expert I love, Chris Dorobek would say, “all of us are smarter together than each of us individually.”

1. When is it product marketing and when is it social marketing?

This conversation can roll into a number of conversations, but I feel the question is really getting to “What is social marketing and how to you define it?” WIkipedia has it’s answer, and I know Stephen Dann has developed a wonderful definition as well. In sum and in brief, I would say that social marketing begins with influencing behavior change for social good. And on that same note, I would strongly encourage diving into more research beginning with the Social Marketing Quarterly, Andreason’s Social Marketing in the 21st Century, and some of Stephen Dann’s research.

2. What is the size of the social marketing market?

Now, we don’t have an association. We don’t have full, formal degree programs (at least in the U.S.) yet. But, I would still argue that the social marketing market is quite larger than most realize. I propose that social marketing is a much wider umbrella than it has been characterized in the past. Social marketing encompasses public health, but also civil safety, social change, environmental issues, non-profit causes, and as I proposed in my master’s thesis, even has strong similarities when it comes to strategies, tools and ehical frameworks of journalism and advertising.

3. What are the 3 major issues in social marketing?

In terms of the field itself, I would say there are three persistent issues. These include the branding of the field, creating formal education programs, and providing avenues for collaboration and best practices such as an international or national association.

4. What are the red flags for who does, or does not, design and implement social marketing programs?

This list could be very in-depth, but I think the most common red flag given is when some confuse social marketing with social media marketing. Blogger Andre Blackman had a great post this week distinguishing between the two. Social media can be applied within the social marketing framework, but social marketing is a much bigger net than social media.

5. How many social programs (or what percentage of them) are evaluated?

This might depend on how you define “social programs,” whether government funded, community based or non-profit driven. I might have to call on some of our other social marketing people to respond to this question. As an educated guess, I would say most programs have some sort of benchmarks that they are evaluated on. I do not have an actual percentage on hand though. To what extent are they evaluated and/or should be evaluated may be other good questions.

6. What are some of the more sophisticated methods used in these evaluations?

Both this question and the next depend largely on what is actually measured and why. And thus, deserves a much larger conversation than these lines can provide. For example, as many communications leverage social and mobile technologies, data analytics will be critical. Once the new tools are so “new,” people will be wanting to show results and extract meaning. Thus, programs like Salesforce, Radian6, and others are largely being researched to bring programs full circle so that analytics drive strategy.

7. What types of methods are used in formative research?

Formative research may include both qualitative and quantitative research methods, or a triangulation strategy that calls for a mixture of both. Some different types of research formats include a needs assessment, developing audience profiles, media scans, environmental scans, surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group testing, usability studies, and more.

8. What percentage of social marketing program budgets are devoted to evaluation?

This is a good question whether social marketing or just marketing in general is being discussed. Often, I would say that evaluation is considered too late in the game or not stretched through as much as it could be. It is important to make measurable objectives from the beginning and think out those baselines before implementing. Also, it often depends on the client, project, task, and resources available that determines how much of the budget is devoted to evaluation. Thus, as a professor might say, it depends. Now, another good question might be:  how much should be devoted?

9. Who are the innovators in the field?

That can be YOU! In terms of organizations, the National Centre of Social Marketing in the U.K. is doing great work that many of us are excited about. In the United States, the CDC’s e-Health Marketing group tends to lead the way. I would also add that both AIDS.gov and the EPA are also making great strides with some of their case studies that apply new media to communications and behavior change.

10. Who are the premier thought leaders?

In no particular order: Bill Smith, Alan Andreasen, Stephen Dann, Michael Rothschild, Philip Kotler, Gerard Hastings, Mike Newton-Ward, Nancy Lee, Craig Lefebvre, Nedra Weinreich, Doug Mckenzie-Mohr, Jeff French, Clive Blair-Stevens, Francois Lagarde, Seynabou Mbengue, Tane Cassidy, Mike Kujawski, Katherine Lyon Daniel, you….you….and did you get, that the next one could be YOU? I know it said premier, but all of these people and others are great. Together, we can all help build the social marketing field.

11. What conferences and publications do you use to keep up with the field?

Social Marketing Quarterly, the C-Change e-newsletter, numerous blogs, numerous books, the Social Marketing Listserv, the Social Marketing Wiki, events in the U.K., events at the University of South-Florida, and others. Additionally though, I also look to non-profit organizations and publications, as well as international development, new media and others to review best practices in other fields and see how they may resonate within the practice of social marketing.

In sum, many of these questions focused around evaluation. In other words, how do we know that what we are doing is working? Now THAT’S a conversation worth having. Now it’s your turn. How do you answer some of these questions (especially 5-8)? And, what other questions do you also have?

Tagging: Spare Change, Pulse and Signal, Social Marketing Panorama, Stephan Dahl

Social marketing, as we’ve discussed, has decades of theoretical history and practice. It is a term constantly evolving and defining itself. However, the field also faces a challenge: branding itself…especially since the onset of social media marketing.

Reading through social marketing texts and journals, the terms – social change, marketing for social change, and social change marketing are making increasing appearances, so I am curious on others’ thought about how the two terms relate.

A good summary of the two concepts, including how they relate to commercial marketing, is found in Dr. Stephen Dann’s slideshow titled:

“Social change marketing in the age of direct benefit marketing – where to from here?”

In this presentation, Dann asks the question: Where to from here? which provides information on how social marketing has grown and compares to commercial marketing and what this may mean for the future. Other signs of the concept of social change’s relationship to social marketing dates back to Prof. Alan Andreason’s book: Marketing Social Change. So, there is a history. On the web, Craig Lefebvre’s blog is titled On Social Marketing and Social Change, suggesting the relationship.

Thus, I am curious on your thoughts about the terms/concepts of social marketing versus social change marketing:

• Can social marketing be renamed social change marketing?
• Or, is social marketing one component of social change?
• Or, is social marketing one piece of social change marketing? What’s the difference? Is there a difference?

It may seem like a matter of scrabble to some, but these discussions really engage me, and I hope the enthusiasm sparks interest as I think the relationship between the two terms is continuing to develop and will becoming increasingly important as we work to brand social marketing. =)

On Monday, the BBC published an article that highlighted findings from a study, Kicking Bad Habits, conducted by the King’s Fund that calls for new ways of thinking when it comes for public health – specifically, more social marketing. In short, the King’s Fund study enforced what many of us in both the U.K and increasingly so in the U.S. is that what we have been doing to address health isn’t working, and that more social marketing may be the answer. Quote:

• “Social marketing techniques and data analysis tools like geodemographics should be used to identify, target and communicate messages designed to motivate people to change how they live.”
• “And public health programmes should not rely on just one approach…as the evidence shows the most effective interventions employ a variety of tactics.”
• “The methods used to promote public health need to be more modern, using the most advanced techniques and technologies.”
• “We need social marketing techniques to target messages and understand what will make changes worthwhile for people but also we need to make sure the healthy choices are the easy choices.”

You can download the full results from the study here. This article further re-enforces why the U.K. created the National Social Marketing Centre. Once I got beyond my own excitement that 1) social marketing was being covered by mainstreams media and 2) that the use of the term “social marketing” was applied correctly (i.e. –> NOT confused with social media), I started to analyze what this means.

I wasn’t alone. Social marketing great Alan Andreasen brought the article to the attention of the social marketing list serv. A member of the King’s Fund responded to the article on the list serv backing the application of social marketing. Social marketer Craig Lefebvre blogged his response to the post as well. Hallelujah!

So, SB, what does this mean? It means the time is now. If a similiar study was conducted in the U.S., I agree with Lefebvre that we’d probably find similiar results. What we are doing isn’t working. Taking a serious look at social marketing and fully integrating it into our activities, I think, would bring about much of the ‘change’ that is a-buzz this year.

As I shared on Craig’s blog, I feel social marketing truly can and does provide an umbrella for people with various expertise across a range of fields to approach public health and well-being. Won’t you join us?

To those on board in the U.K, know we are all watching, here to support and hope a similiar initiative develops here in the U.S. Perhaps an international social marketing association would help? (Hey, it’s at least worth another plug right?)

(digg the BBC’s original article here)

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Abstract: This research project looks at the concept of influence within social marketing as compared to journalism and advertising. This includes examining these professions’ definitions, ethics, standards, and agenda-setting capabilities. Through in-depth interviews, a further understanding of how these three practices relate within the gray matter of the media landscape is pioneered, as well as better defining the role and influence of social marketing.

Excerpt:

The Question of Influence

While the Information Age leaps into the Connected Age, the power of a free press is offered daily to start-up bloggers. Newspapers are downsizing. Amateurism is becoming the new professionalism. Online media producers replace today’s broadcast directors; all making the gray shades of influence between the information and its consumers a thunderstorm waiting to happen. Social marketing is in the business of change, whether it is behavioral change or attitude change, social marketing can also be described as the field for social change. But, how? In today’s world, who holds more influence to create these changes, a journalist, advertiser or a social marketer? How can one tell the difference? Is there a difference? And, do the professions work together? Could they? Should they? This research hopes to add to the discussion on the evolving definition and role of social marketing, using agenda-setting relationships to examine its influence and attempt to determine its position between advertising and journalism in the media landscape.

Literature Review

It is 1961. A time when questions were raised and hope diminishing as borders became gray and a rise of an international community emerged. Two Portuguese students were imprisoned for declaring a public toast towards their dream, rooted in an idea – freedom. Having their freedom stolen from them for displaying a human right of expression, a newspaper article was written, and with it, a movement spurred. This movement would form Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org). Social change is possible, and it begins with an idea. Social marketing is an increasing movement currently being expanded because of its foundation in ideas about positive change for the welfare of the public.

Though specific definitions differ, social marketing achieves social change objectives by applying the marketing mix of product, place, promotion and price. Currently, social marketing is used mostly in public health communications and is expanding in the realms of environmentalism, civil rights, urban renewal, public service and raising awareness of international issues.

Conclusion: The conclusion of course I can’t share here, but it involves what I found consistent between journalism and advertising, but interestingly, the field of public policy was drawn into the mix through the research as well.

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We have journalists, policy makers, psychologists, gurus, non-profiteers, communication firms, academics, new media techs, international developers, champions for the environment, public health professionals, humanity, researchers, consultants, publishers and many more from across sectors.

Delegates represent South Africa, India, the U.S., England, Portugal, China, Australia, Bangladesh, Slovenia, New Zealand, Senegal in West Africa, Wales, Scotland and many more!

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To follow conference updates, Dr. Stephen Dann is commanding the Twittering front @WSMC, and you can following using Twitter Search #WSMC08. Also, presentations and pictures may be gathering on Flickr and Slideshare down the line. I look forward to a posting full of pictures later myself, but here are some great recaps thus far (though, literally, I could post on each one individually!)

Craig Lefebvre: In his keynote, Lefebvre (who I finally got the wonderful opportunity to connect with), brought us social marketers into the danger zone and challenged us, as a global community to form a social marketing global platform. I won’t do Lefebvre’s vision for the field justice in this space, but Lefebvre is laboring tirelessly to rally support for an international professional network, that would be inclusive of those in social marketing, environment issues, public health, business thought leaders, psychologists, economists, marketers, social entreprenuers and more! It could/would involve a case study database, a journal, educational development and shared experiences for all: thus highlighting the variety of roles us social marketers, can, do and should have in the social change sector. Currently, Lefebvre has raised a quarter of a million dollars to support this organization and asks: What will you do?

Philip Kotler: A guru favorite for many conference delegates, Kotler laid out his most recent work on the subject of poverty. Kotler and colleague Nancy Lee, in their next book, apply social marketing to the problem of poverty. Within the presentation, Kotler identified four main methods currently being used to reduce poverty:

1. Economic Growth Strategy
2. Redistribution Strategy
3. Massive Foreign Aide
4. Population Control

In this book, Kotler and Lee lay out a 10-step process for demystifying the poverty problem while providing resaons why it is all of ours problem. Looking at the World Bank and The U.N.’s Millenium goals, and the approachng deadline for results, this application is most needed.

Nancy Lee: In a wonderfully graceful way, Lee provided four clear examples on how social marketing utilizing all four of the 4Ps – product, price, place, promotion. Lee concluded that her state, Washington, hopes to become a role-model to gain the attention of those in Washington D.C. and further establish social marketing as a working strategy and field. My favorite part of her presentation was her exclamation that social marketing must become a required course. I highly agree, and ask: What is one way, us in the trenches, can make social marketing a required course? My answer: ask for it. Students, and those interested in social and behavior change: investigate social marketing. Ask about it. Reach out. Demand it.

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These are my first three updates, and the computer area is closing, so thus, I must close. More to come in following days!

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My first encounter with Mike was when he graciously helped me with my graduate project this past Spring. Though we’ve only ‘met’ through phone, email and now blogging, he is a very knowledge, helpful and passionate voice for the social marketing field.

Mike outlines a few reasons why he entered the blogosphere:

• Exchange ideas about social marketing
• Extend the discussions from Georgetown’s social marketing list serv
• Create community
• Share resources, as well as his personal observations in the field

Mike’s addition to the blogosphere is a special treat for all of us as he invites us to:

“to observe the world around you, listen to what people are saying, reflect on your experiences, and share them.”

Social marketing’s presence in the blogosphere continues to expand and gain traction. Join the metamorphosis. Come fly with us in this growing movement called social marketing.

• Spare Change, Nedra Weinreich
• On Social Marketing and Social Change, Craig Lefebvre (**Did you check out Lefebvre’s recent post about medical and health bloggers? I suggest you check it out for a link to the free research report!)
• Subject to Change, Vanessa Mason
• Health Marketing Musings, Jay Bernhardt
• Social Marketing Panorama, Mike Newton-Ward
• SocialButterfly, Yours Truly

For more social marketing-related blogs, my links page offers many more resources and listings!

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Conversation: What ingredient turns you into the Energizer Bunny? On a more serious note, in the very beginning, when you were with Apple and all, what made you finally let go of the ledge, and follow that first big idea?

2. Rohit Bhargava: Not only does he work for a very well established company at Ogilvy PR, but he doesn’t let himself get comfortable. He seems to always be on the go, expanding his own personal horizons, and living his passions and interests. I feel that, from reading and following his blog, he is in the business because he truly loves it – a rare quality in a marketer.

Conversation: Let’s talk about 1) writing a book 2) publishing a book and 3) a book tour. This year Rohit published Personality Not Included, and in doing so, not only elevated his personal brand, but also expanded his following, further established his name, helped elevate his company, met some cool peeps, seemed to have buckets of fun, and made a mohawk chicken cool in the process. Not an easy task, especially the chicken.

3. Craig Lefebvre: Dr. Lefebrve’s blog has encouraged and inspired me professionally as he writes, researches, practices and pretty much breathes all items social marketing. I am continually learning from him and inspired by his leadership in a field that is working to grow itself and its professionalism.

Conversation: Dr. Lefebvre has a range of experiences in the states, and from what I gather, abroad. Plus, he’s a professor. I am a journalism major; thus, I love asking questions. And professors have loads of information, but they share that information with a learning curve in mind. Not to be flashy. Not to gain attention. But to share….hence open publishing. First item: Where do you envision the field 5, 10, 20 years from now?

4. Geoff Livingston: Geoff seems like an all-around great guy, go-getter, and someone who ‘gets it.’ Not only has he published a book, started a growing company, leads a great team (go Qui and friends), is a recognized leader in the field, is an off-line role model, but he also sincerely wants to do good. This is the apple in the eye of Socialbutterfly readers. Keep that eye on Livingston Communications and the Buzz Bin. They are going to re-define how we do business.

Conversation: Business is still business, but I’ve read on the Buzz Bin that you all have some tricks up your sleeves that you will be rolling out. And, that this could include a social entrepreneur-type set-up. Now, this is a conversation I am all ears (all two of them) about hearing.

5. Beth Kanter: If you are not familiar with Beth, I recommend getting familiar. She is the go-to-guru for all items non-profit tech. A fundraiser, writer, blogger, practioner, speaker and sector role model, Beth continually gives us her best. I follow Beth’s blog like it’s my job. She offers the tips, she begins conversations that need discussing, highlights those in the field, calls us to action and gets us involved.

Conversation: When do you sleep? Do you even sleep? Though she’s posted about her experiences and shares them, there is something to be said about hearing it first hand. This is why I want to hear specifically about Beth’s outreach and work in Cambodia. How, why, when? I’m an avid traveler, and the fiance and I really did consider the Peace Corps vs. real jobs last year, so would love to hear more how Beth has combined her love for social media, non-profits with work abroad.

6. Chris Brogan: If there is anyone’s writing style I love, it’s Chris Brogan’s. He lays it out. Step by step. And, he magically succeeds in being relational, personal, yet professional and educational all at the same time. Not only do I love Brogan’s resourceful blog, but also his helpful e-newsletters, which had a great free e-book about personal branding the other week.

Conversation: About personal branding…(smile), let’s explore that some more shall we? Now, I am probably one of very few, who have yet to see Brogan present, let alone have the honor of a face-to-face conversation. My question would be: how do you manage multiple personal brands? Or, let me re-phrase: multiple personal interests –> online. Another one: what are the biggest mistakes people make with their personal brand online?

What about you? What would be the conversation you would want to have if you got to meet some of your own personal wonder-bloggers?

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