Where do social marketers get their inspiration?

In an attempt to share how social innovation and social marketing intersect with a colleague of mine, the colleague responded something along the lines of: “I don’t get why it matters. Social innovation sounds like everything we’re already doing in social marketing.”

Exactly. Social innovation touches on everything we’re doing in the social marketing field and vice versa. It matters.

The momentum is building. Case in point: The most popular SocialButterfly post from 2012 is actually SB’s category of posts on social innovation. Social marketers, meet social innovation. Social innovations, meet social marketing. You’re welcome. Both of you offer a world of inspiration to the other.

A Word on Defining Social Innovation

Definitions for social innovation are broad and often changing given no universally accepted definition exists (something we social marketers can relate to). A good guide is the Stanford Social Innovation Review’s updated definition of social innovation. They share:

Our complete definition of social innovation: A novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals. A social innovation can be a product, production process, or technology (much like innovation in general), but it can also be a principle, an idea, a piece of legislation, a social movement, an intervention, or some combination of them. Indeed, many of the best recognized social innovations, such as micro-finance, are combinations of a number of these elements.

Canada’s Centre for Social Innovation shares that simply, social innovation “is an idea that works for the public good.” Their fuller definition includes references to creating benefit to both “people and planet”, being “systems-changing”, sustainable and changing perceptions, behaviors and structures. Sound familiar? How do you define social innovation? The video above shares how some leading minds defined back in 2011.

Top Posts of 2012

Rather than share SocialButterfly’s top posts, I’ve curated some of the top posts relevant to both the art and science behind social change, touching on both social marketing and social innovation:

• The Most Dynamic Social Innovation Initiatives of 2012, Forbes
• 10 of the Year’s Best Designs for Social Good, Fast Company’s Co.Exist
• The Best of Social Marketing in 2012, On Social Marketing and Social Change
• The Top 10 Social Capital Blog Posts of the Year, Social Capital Inc.
• The Year in Social Media Research, Nieman Journalism Lab
• The 10 Best mHealth Papers of 2012, On Social Marketing and Social Change
• Social Media for Social Good’s Favorite Things of 2012, Armchair Advocates
• Best Cause Marketing Campaigns of 2012, Selfish Giving

Social marketers, you are social innovators! Social innovators, you will benefit from wearing a social marketing hat. Showing how social marketing and social innovation connect, SocialButterfly Mike Newton-Ward wrote a chapter on social marketing as part of a three-book series on social entrepreneurship that was published in late 2012, titled Social Entrepreneurship: How Businesses Can Transform Society.

We need to listen to one another. The world needs us to listen.

Inspired for 2013

Exploring the world of social innovation is where this SocialButterfly and social marketer finds her inspiration for 2013. This encompasses social design, social capital, social entrepreneurship, social value, social business and B corporations, the built environment movement, impact investing, philanthro-capitalism, studying innovation models and more.

Based on how you readers enjoy posts tagged with social innovation, it looks like I’m not alone.

What are your thoughts on social marketing and social innovation?

In the email, the inquirer specifically wanted to know how to use the concepts and social marketing framework to influence one’s staff and motivate them in their work for change? One of my favorite social marketers is Mike Newton-Ward. Thus, when someone pointed to Jay Kassirer ‘s Tools of Change website and the case study Marketing Social Marketing in North Carolina Public Health–my ears perked up.

The case study shares the journey of how social marketing was adopted by North Carolina, but my favorite part is in the notes section where the author describes the process of change in terms of a traffic light:

We’ve learned to take a ‘traffic light’ approach to introduce social marketing very gradually, rather than a ‘race car’ approach where change is presented suddenly. For example, if you’re in your city and the department of transportation is getting ready to put up a new traffic light. They don’t just put up the traffic light and turn it on and you stop one day. They start out months before putting up a sign that says, “Warning, there’s going to be a traffic light here.” Then finally they put it up and it just blinks for a while. And then finally, they put up the sign or the light, so that by the time they do that, people are used to the idea. This approach helps staff acclimate to a change in their way of doing things.

In a world of instant gratification, patience and perseverance seem like words from the stone ages. But they are important for a reason. Persevering doesn’t mean doing nothing–it means learning, absorbing, and evolving. If given a red or yellow light, we should be looking for the little signs pointing the direction along the way. Or, thinking about the little ways we can influence a behavior, belief or attitude at any turn in the process–even if it’s our own. Because, eventually, the light turns green. Persistence–this is how change happens.

The authors of the case study talk about how to make change happen within an organization, but there’s some core take-aways for anyone working to make change.  Read more lessons learned on the Tools of Change website.

flickr credit: maartmeester

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.

Can you swallow this math?

According to Copywrite, Ink, there were 88,000 blog posts on Earth Day (April 22) that were added to the already existing 2 million written earlier in the week. What’s even more amazing? …About 10% of all those blog posts, came from bloggers on BloggersUnite.org.

In all transparency, I’m a participating members in both the BloggersUnite and BlogCatalog communities, and we worked on a project together in the past, but dang—they deserve a big pat on the back for accomplishing their exact mission, harnessing the power of the blogosphere.

As mentioned on the BloggersUnite Earth Day event page, Earth Day 2009 was held April 22nd and also marked the beginning The Green Generation Campaign, a two-year campaign that will culminate with the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2010.

More Green Goodness

• In honor of Earth Day, Colleague Mike Newton-Ward and fellow social marketer wrote a post on applying a social marketing approach to the environment and other green goodies that I highly recommend checking out. Bonus: He provides a slideshare presentation that outlines this even more! (But like a good blogging friend, I’m going to make you go to his post to access it. It’s worth it.)
• Looking for ways to take action? Check out EPA’s “Pick 5” campaign to identify five ways you can start today to make a difference for our earth. Twitter tag: #p5e

One More Thought

So I say again, great job Tony, Rich and the whole BloggersUnite team–and count this posting just one more for the record book! And I ask you, the SB reader, how have you seen blogging communities drive awareness, change and/or action? I have some of my own ideas, but I’m more into hearing yours. =)

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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