Introductio

INTRODUCTION
Marketing touches our lives in a number of ways everyday. We all take part in the
marketing process as consumer of goods and services. A substantial amount of what
we spend on buying the products pays for marketing costs. Marketing is a social and
managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want
through creating, offering and exchanging products of value with others. Nearly forty
years ago, this question was raised, why cant you sell brotherhood and rational
thinking like you sell soap. In other words, can the principles used in marketing of
products be applied to the marketing of ideas, particularly, those demand beneficial to
the society.
The human mind is unique. It has the potential of churning out imaginative ideas
about almost anything and everything. The phenomenal progress made by man both
in material and non-material sphere is direct consequence of his yearning for giving
concrete shape to ideas. The idea of being able to fly like birds gave rise to the
wonderful flying machines that we know as aero planes. Similarly, the desire for
listening to good quality music resulted in the invention of gramophone.
Ideas possess a tremendous potential to stimulate and direct human thought and
action. Important changes can be brought about in socio-cultural, economic and
potential spheres of human activity through proper management of human ideas.
Modern marketer has not overlooked the significance of human ideas. The American
Marketing Association has, in fact, included them within preview of marketing by
defining the later as process of planning and executing conception, pricing, promotion
and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy
individual and organizational objectives. Marketing people are shifting the focus from
mere profit maximizing to maximizing mutually beneficial relationships. Marketers
have to be in constant touch with their customers. They need to understand the
changing and growing needs of the customers.
Marketing of ideas means a possible service that an advertiser might offer to target
group whereas concept is an elaborated version of the expressed in meaningful target
group terms. So the selling of intangible things, no matter what is produced, is selling
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concept. Selling and advertising is only the tip of the marketing iceberg. For last two
decades, there has been an attempt to broaden the concept of marketing to include
social cause marketing.
(Source: Egger, Donovan & Spark, 1993).

1.1 SOCIAL MARKETING

Social marketing was originally defined as the design, implementation, and control of
programme, calculated influence to increase the acceptability of social ideas, cause or
practice in a target group and involving consideration of product planning, pricing,
communication and market research. It utilizes market segmentation consumer
research, concept development, communications, facilitation, incentives and exchange
theory to maximize target group response. The primary focus of social marketing is to
create social value.
(Source: Kotler P et al, 2002, Social marketing Improving the quality of life)
The social marketing was conceived to be an application of various socially beneficial
ideas and causes of products and services, in commercial sense synonymous terms
might be social cause marketing or public issue marketing.
Social marketers can pursue different objectives, produce understanding (knowing the
nutritional value of different foods), trigger a one-time action (participating in a mass
immunization campaign), and attempt to change behavior (auto seatbelt campaign),
change a basic belief (convincing anti-abortion adherents to believe in a womans
right to abortion).

1.1.1 SOCIAL DIMENSIONS

The social relevance of advertising is much debated, which given its relatively high
profile is not surprising. Possibly the most massive contribution which advertising
makes to society is to make more products affordable to more people, by making
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volume sales possible for manufacturers and information available to consumers.

Beside that contribution, the occasional complaint that advertising creates discontent
by showing products which some cannot afford pales into insignificance. Various
social concepts are highlighted as below:-

1.1.2 SOCIAL CHANGE

Social marketing is a new concept, and its effectiveness relative to other social change
strategies is hard to evaluate. It is difficult to produce social change with any strategy,
let alone one that relies on voluntary response. Social marketing has mainly been
applied to family planning, environmental protection, energy conservation, improved
nutrition, auto driver safety, and public transportation and there have been some
encouraging successes. But more applications are needed before we can fully assess
social marketings potential for producing social change.
Over many years, pressure groups have tried to influence advertising so as to bring
about (so they hoped) social change. The morality of attempting social engineering
through advertising or any other means is always going to be contentious, but as far as
advertising professionals are concerned it is mostly unachievable.
The view inside the business is that social trends are forces vastly more powerful than
advertising and that to set promotional funds against the way that consumers are
going is futile. It is a fundamental truism that no matter how much it costs to alter
perception of say an out of date brand, to make it relevant to modern consumers, it is
at least theoretically achievable. The reverse however, altering lifestyles to suit the
product, has to be something which no professional would take seriously. Feminists
railed at advertising for many years during the 1970s for depicting women in
traditional domestic roles which conflicted with the image they wanted to present of
the new woman.
It was advertisings tendency to mirror society, which irritated these groups and to
some extent they did succeed in persuading advertisers to show women in a new light.
However the major influence was clearly exerted by the target consumers themselves.
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Women living a traditional homemaker life resented being depicted in that role and
simply preferred to see themselves in a more liberated role.
Many advertising concepts are pre-tested amongst the target consumers. Ultimately
this testing, and the many focus groups which are organized during the creation of
advertising, are consumer democracy in action. Consumers themselves censor
advertising and agencies and researchers pass what is learned back to the advertiser.
When advertising agencies sense that something has become, if not a trend, then
something which consumers can relate to, they are quick to reflect it in advertising. In
fact leading advertisers have claimed that the most valuable thing that agencies can
bring them is insight. An example of how agencies have sensed not the social
desirability, but the social acceptability of a new social dimension, is in their portrayal
of multiracial situations.
Advertising in all parts of the world, the United States, South Africa, the United
Kingdom and elsewhere has routinely shown a social mix of black and white at a
level which simply does not exist in real life for most people. This was evidenced by
the recent United Kingdom Cantle Report into origins of racial tension, which
concludes that, even in this long-established multiracial society, many communities
operate on the basis of a series of parallel lives. However the vision of integration has
not just become politically correct, but very acceptable to the majority of consumers,
even if it does not describe reality for them today.
(Source: Ling et al 1992, Manoff 1985).
To some extent it must be true that advertising has helped to normalize such scenes
and thereby to encourage them. We will discuss how this might apply to sustainability
later.
In making media diversity a reality and freeing information from state control,
advertising helps to spread and defend democracy. In developing markets, advertising
has helped to bring education and entertainment to towns and villages which have
never seen on TV. Mobile cinemas toured West Africa as long as 40 years ago,
showing films and promoting products like Dettol disinfectant and Disprin analgesic,
along with washing and household products.
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A more recent counterpart is the Group Africa organization originating in South

Africa, touring East Africa and many other areas on an established circuit. Group
Africa presents entertaining sponsored shows which promote and educate about
products like Eveready batteries, maize products, soap and washing powder and
Vaseline. Education can play a large part especially in promotion of healthcare
products and in stressing the advantages of hygienically packaged foods like Kimbo
cooking fat. Clearly these are commercial enterprises and the aim is to promote
products, however they represent real social benefits which are very valuable to
people in rural Africa. Urban populations similarly benefit from sponsored
educational radio and TV programmes covering a wide range of subjects. The
inevitable question is whether advertising undermines local cultures and promotes
western values to the detriment of indigenous ones? Again, the answer seems to come
down to whether one sees high standards of living as particularly western or as
something aspirational for all. Every act in advertising which is not in line with
established consumer cultures is likely to be expensive, ineffective and unproductive.

1.2 SEVEN Ps OF SOCIAL MARKETING

Social marketing was born as a discipline in the 1970s, when Philip Kotler and
Gerald Zaltman realized that the same marketing principles that were being used to
sell products to consumer could be used to sell ideas, attitudes and behavior.
(Source: Kotler and Zaltman, 1971).
Lotler Anderson defines Social marketing as differing from other areas of
marketing only with respect to the objectives of the marketer and his or her
organization. Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors, not to benefit the
marketer, but to benefit the target audience and general society
Like commercial marketing, the primary focus is on the consumer-on learning what
people want and need rather than trying to persuade them to buy what we happen to
be producing.
Social marketing has the following Ps:6

 Product:

The social marketing Product is not necessarily a physical

offering. A continuum of products exists, ranging from tangible, physical

products (e.g. condoms), to service (e.g. medical exams), practices (e.g. breast
feeding, oral rehydration therapy or eating a heart healthy diet) and finally,
more intangible ideas (e.g. environmental protection).
Price: Price refers to what the consumer must do in order to obtain social
marketing product. This cost may be monetary or instead it may require the
consumer to give up intangibles, such as time or effort, or to risk
embarrassment and disapproval.
Place: Place describes the way product reaches the consumer. For tangible
product, this refers to the distribution system including the warehouse, trucks,
sales force, retail outlets where it is sold, or places where it is given out for
free. For an intangible product, place is less clear cut, but refers to the decision
about the channels through which consumers are reached with information or
training.
Promotion: The Promotion consist of the integrated use of advertising, public
relations, promotions, media advocacy, personal selling and entertainment
vehicles. The focus is on creating and sustaining demand for the product.
Additional Social Marketing Ps
Partnership: Social and health issues are often so complex that one agency
cant make a dent by itself. You need to team up with other organizations in
the community to be really effective. You need to figure out which
organizations have similar goals to yours- not necessarily the same goals- and
identify ways you can work together.
Policy: Social marketing programmes can do well in motivating individual
behavior change, but that is difficult to sustain unless the environment they are
in support that change for the long run. Often, policy change is needed, and
media advocacy programmes can be effective complement to a social
marketing programme.
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 Politics:

The issue addressed by social marketing programmes is often

controversial or complex, such as safer sex or violence and may need some
political diplomacy with community organization to gain support, to get
access to the target audience or to head off potential adversaries at the pass.
The root of social marketing lies in form known as social advertising. In recent years
advertising emerged as powerful social and economic force. Before the industrial
revolution, when goods were produced by indigenous producers, need of the
consumer could hardly be met. The industrial revolution resulted in mass production,
so it became imperative for the producers to inform, educate and persuade the public
to buy the product and services; it is through advertising producers meets its
objective.
Social advertising aims to reach one or a number of target groups in order to initiate
and effect changes in their ideas and behavior. The starting point of social marketing
is getting to know the target audience thoroughly through market research, its socio
and demographic make up, its psychosocial features and its needs. It is essential that
the target groups should feel that they are being personally addressed and taken
seriously, with due respect to their human dignity and their private sphere. Hence
great importance is attached to the selection of promoters, multipliers and advisors as
well as to their training. As in the commercial world, in social marketing too, the
consumer is the king.

1.3 SOCIAL ADVERTISING

Social advertising can be defined as the advertisement messages designed to educate
or motivate members of a public to undertake socially desirable actions or engage in
voluntary social activity such as community service, energy conservation, recycling,
promoting community's health and well being, such as programs that educate people
about drugs, diseases.
Advertising strategy designed for any social action often requires understanding of
elements of social and psychological behavior. It also requires detailed understanding
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of the environmental forces acting on, or restricting, the implementation of a given

strategy.
A social advertising campaign the following elements: a consumer orientation, an
exchange and a long-term planning outlook.
(Source: Russell Abratt and Diane Sacks, 1988)

1.3.1 A CONSUMER ORIENTATION

Consumer orientation is probably the key element of all forms of advertising. In social
advertising, the consumer is assumed to be an active participant in the change process.
The social marketer seeks to build a relationship with target consumers over time and
their input is sought at all stages in the development of a programme through
formative, process and evaluative research.

1.3.2 AN EXCHANGE
Social advertising not only shares generic marketings underlying philosophy of
consumer orientation, but it also its key mechanism, exchange.
Exchange is defined as an exchange of resources or values between two or more
parties with the expectation of some benefits. The motivation to become involved in
an exchange is to satisfy needs. Exchange is easily understood as the exchange of
goods for money, but can also be conceived in a variety of other ways: further
education in return for fees; a vote in return for lower taxes; or immunization in return
for the peace of mind that ones child is protected from various diseases. Exchange in
social advertising puts a key emphasis on voluntary behavior.

1.3.3 LONG-TERM PLANNING APPROACH

Like generic marketing, social advertising should have a long term outlook based on
continuing programmes rather than one-off campaigns. It should be strategic rather
than tactical.
The social advertising planning process is the same as in generic marketing. It starts
and finishes with research, and research is conducted throughout to inform the
development of the strategy. A situational analysis of the internal and external
environment and of the consumer is conducted first. This assists in the segmentation
of the market and the targeting strategy. Further research is needed to define the
problem, to set objectives for the programme and to inform the formulation of the
advertising strategy.

1.3.4 MOVING BEYOND THE INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER

Social advertising seeks to influence the behavior not only of individuals but also of
groups, organizations and societies. Group and macro level change are important
because they also impact on health and lifestyle decisions.
For example, peoples choices about taking up exercise may be limited by their
income, local service provision or social mores. Macro-level factors can also have a
more direct impact on health: for example, the presence of fluoride in the water
whether natural or artificial, can improve dental health, especially among children.
Better roads, reduced industrial pollution and improved safety standards on cars are
similar examples.
Effective social advertising messages must capture the attention of the target
audience, be meaningful to their daily lives and must be short, simple and singular.

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1.4 THE CONTRIBUTION OF ADVERTISING SECTOR TO

SOCIETY

Provides information on products, services, jobs, enabling informed decisions by

Citizens.

Provides a platform for competitive democratic elections.

Enables charitable institutions to support themselves independently.

Through advertising sales revenues, supports independent and diverse media choice
and underwrites cost of a substantial proportion of programming.

Promotes causes and social issues from healthcare to education, safety and
Sustainability.

Through advertising and sponsorship makes mass access to diversity of sport, arts,
music, and other cultural possible at lower cost.

Is enjoyed in its own right by consumers as a medium.

Brand image is heavily influenced by your social image - one of the most important
challenges businesses are facing. Brands will be important in setting social and political
issues as traditional government fails. Any good advertising agency giving advice to a
company has to include ecological issues because customers are demanding more active
stands on social and environmental issues.

1.5 ETHICS IN ADVERTISING AND ITS IMPACT

The word ETHICS, is known as Ethikos in Greek and Ethicus in Latin. It is
derived from ethos, which means character or manners. Ethics therefore is said to be
the science of morals, moral principles and rules of conduct.
The characteristics that define acceptable conduct in advertising are called
Advertising Ethics. Certain fundamental ethical issues have been codified into
statutory regulations, to be followed by marketers. However, it is not enough to
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follow these legal regulations if marketers want to build a long term relationship with
their customers. To nurture their relationship with customers, marketers need to
confirm to ethical standards, which society expects them to follow. The expectations
of customers and the general public should be observed carefully.
Practicing ethics in marketing means deliberately applying standards of fairness, or
moral rights and wrongs, to marketing decision making, behavior, and practice in the
organization. In other words, Ethics in Marketing is a sub-set of business ethics and
examines the moral issues relating to marketing decisions made by organizations.
Ethics are a collection of principles of right conduct that shape the decisions that
people or organizations make. Marketers must develop ethical standards that are
followed by the entire organization and ensure that these standards are never
compromised.
For e.g., a pharmaceutical Company may provide technical details about its products
in advertisements, but hide critical information about their side effects. In such a case,
the Company might not be breaking any rule, but it will be morally incorrect to
deprive customers of the information which may affect their health adversely.
Similarly, a salesperson of a financial services company may sell a product to a
customer, which does not suit his needs.
Concern about the ethical values adopted by organizations is on rise, as the increasing
impact of media and the increase in its reach are making information available to the
public fast. There is a myth that if a Company acts ethically, its profit objective will
be adversely affected. A firm which strictly adheres to these standards without
compromising on them for short-term benefits would definitely find itself in a
profitable position in the long run.
(Source: Edward Spence, 2004)

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1.6 ATTITUDE
Attitudes are evaluative statements - either favorable or unfavorable concerning
objects, people or events. In other words attitudes are state of mind or a feeling, way
of regarding things, disposition or reaction, thinking to which one belongs to and
which also changes from time to time and also to ones surroundings.
Attitude may be positive or negative depends upon the situations. Attitude can be seen
as summation of three components-cognition, affect and behavior determining the
potential relationship between attitudes and behavior.
(Source: Krech & Crutchfield (1948) cited in Ajzen & Fischbein, 1980 p.20)
Rosenburg and Hovland (1960 cited in Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) developed a threecomponent view of an attitude, including measures of three response classes: affective
(sympathetic nervous responses and verbal statements of affect); cognitive (perceptual
responses and verbal statements of belief), and behavioural or conative (overt actions
and verbal statements concerning behaviour).

1.7 BEHAVIOR
Behavior can be defined as the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements
made by an individual in response to external or internal stimuli. In other words,
behavior is a manner of acting or controlling oneself.
There are reasons why people do the things they do, so, it stands to reason that social
marketers better give people a good reason to change a behavior. Most people dont
want to make lifestyle or behavior changes. Behaviors are often rooted in emotion.
Barriers to behavior change are also often rooted in emotion. New behaviors need to
be even more attractive than current behaviors motivating the people to change.
Reasons for which people act in a particular manner include:

Survival food, drink, shelter.

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Safety need for security, protection.

Self-control need to control ones own behavior, make choices, etc.

Self-esteem need for a positive view or image of ourselves.

Social relationships need for acceptance, love, belonging to a group.

Social recognition need for respect, prestige, approval.

The social advertisers job is to determine what will motivate people to change, and
then position the campaign to highlight the motivating factors.
(Source: Organizational Behaviour 9th Edition, Robbins (2000))

1.8 SOCIAL ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGNS IN INDIA

1.8.1 JAGO GRAHAK JAGO
With the focus on empowering consumers, the government has been implementing an
innovative and intensive multimedia campaign, "Jago Grahak Jago (Wake up
Consumer)" to create consumer awareness in the country. Jago Grahak Jago focuses
on defective products and exorbitant prices.
Realizing the need for empowering consumers, the government has approved a
scheme of Rs 409 crore during the 11th five-year Plan on the awareness campaign
aimed at helping the emergence of consumers who irrespective of age, socioeconomic class or gender are empowered enough to make free, fair, and informed
choices of products or services.
Under its "Jago Grahak Jago" initiative, the department has tried to reach consumers
through print advertisements in national as well as regional newspapers, TV spots in
Doordarshan and private channels, audio spots in All India Radio and private FM
channels.

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The department has also tied-up with the postal department for display of posters on
consumer awareness and printing and distribution of publicity material through DAVP
and outdoor publicity through the Song and Drama Division of I&B ministry.
The department is also in the process of launching a joint publicity campaign with
ministries that are directly dealing with issues involving consumers and a joint
campaign with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is already underway.

Figure # 1.1 Jago Grahak Jago Advertisement

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Upbeat over the success of the campaign, the department of consumer affairs has
sought an increase in allocation for the current fiscal to Rs 91 crore for the campaign
through the electronic and print media and outdoor publicity covering the entire
country.
The department has already spent an amount of Rs 49 crore till November this year
against the budgetary estimates of Rs 75 crore during current fiscal.
The government celebrates December 24 as "National Consumer Rights Day", since
the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, which is termed as a "milestone in the consumer
movement" was enacted on this day with the objective of providing "cheap, simple
and quick justice" to consumers.
Encouraged by the response to its campaign, the government has intensified its
consumer education initiatives by highlighting issues such as maximum retail price
(MRP), labelling and standardisation and is also planning to expand the hallmarking
scheme.
Right now, it focuses on defective products and exorbitant prices. They argue that the
government needs to change it as services, and not product-related problems, are
clearly troubling consumers the most.
The consumers experts, who have emphasised the importance of framing standards to
protect consumer interests, higlight the need for facilitating industry to adopt
voluntary standards so that consumers can get products with well-defined quality
standards.
The National Consumer Helpline, which has been the focus of the awareness
campaign, empowers consumers from all over the country to dial the toll-free number
1800-11-4000 and seek telephonic counselling for problems that they face as
consumers.
(Source: www.fcamin.nic.in)

1.8.2 PULSE POLIO

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Pulse polio campaign is another successful social service programme. Rajya Sabha
member and actress Jaya Bachchan will figure in an ad campaign against polio that
will especially target rural population where numbers of children have been afflicted
with the crippling disease so far this year.
A total of 490 polio cases have surfaced in the country since January 2008, with the
maximum number of cases being reported from Uttar Pradesh.

Figure # 1.2 Pulse Polio Advertisement

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, who is also UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for
polio eradication and HIV/AIDS, is already coaxing parents on television across the
nation to not to miss the polio vaccination.
Apart from Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and cricketer
Sachin Tendulkar have been part of the pulse polio promotional programmes.
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(Source: www.mohfw.nic.in/polio.htm)

1.8.3 BLOOD DONATION

Blood donation campaign is geared towards young adults, designed to raise awareness
about the importance of and need for blood donation to foster a new generation of
lifelong blood donors.

Figure # 1.3 Blood Donation Advertisement

The new campaign was developed to catch the attention of young adults, especially
17-24 year olds, to increase awareness of the need for regular blood donation and to
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set the foundation for lifelong donor behavior. Education plays a very important role
in the promotion of voluntary blood donation among youth. Through education we
can develop adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and appropriate practice among
youth towards voluntary blood donation ensuring safe and adequate blood supply
throughout the country.
Blood donation signifies selfless service to humanity. People are educated that if they
donate blood after every three months, then blood is replaced soon and no weakness is
caused. So people should come forward, donate blood and become regular donors for
the noble cause.
(Source: www.indianblooddonors.com)

1.8.4 AIDS AWARENESS

Aids awareness campaign has been made to target people above 18 years including
Sex workers to avoid indulgence in those activities which lead to HIV or AIDS.
The battle against HIV/AIDS is not just about fighting the disease. It also involves
taking on the obstinate mindset, irrational fears, superstition and removing social
stigmas that shroud the disease. And who better than actors and sportspersons, with
their huge fan following, to communicate with people and dispel the myths.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been one of the biggest voices against the disease. In
early 2005, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) appointed him a Goodwill
Ambassador to educate people about HIV/AIDS.
Cricketer Rahul Dravid has lived-out his youth icon status by spreading the message
for safe sex the best preventive for HIV/AIDS.
There have also been the odd fundraising fashion shows where Aishwarya Rai, Ajay
Devgan, et al have walked the ramp to raise money for AIDS patients.

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Figure # 1.4 Aids Awareness Advertisement

The current advertisement, featuring Shabana Azmi, is most effective for its warmth
and directness: It shows the actress embracing an AIDS-afflicted child and assuring
that the disease does not spread through non-sexual contact. After listing the ways in
which the HIV virus can spread, she says in Hindi while hugging the child, "This way
you can only spread love thus promoting the awareness relating to AIDS among
masses and causes for the same.
(Source: www.mohfw.nic.in/Advertisementsnaco.htm)
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1.8.5 POLLUTION CONTROL

Figure # 1.5 Pollution Control Advertisement -1

Global warming is changing the world's climate rapidly. Icebergs are melting, oceans
are rising, and nature is revolting. Act now, conserve energy and treat the planet with
respect, or we'll have a world at sea.
A rolling flood temporarily swamped several areas of the online world as part of a
campaign to illustrate the potential environmental and financial impacts of climate
change.
"Our message was, you may have a second life, but you still need to offset your
second life in real life," said David de Rothschild, a London-based environmentalist
and adventurer whose nonprofit Adventure Ecology helped stage the flood.

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Figure # 1.6 Pollution Control Advertisement - 2

General public is made aware about the environmental concerns i.e. to avoid cutting
of trees, go for environmental favorable use of devices which cause pollution so as to
protect the world from global warming and preserve nature.
(Source: www.keralapcb.org)

1.8.6 DONT DRINK AND DRIVE

Alcohol-related accidents are so prevalent; an estimated 40 percent of all persons in
the India involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives.
Dont drink and drive campaign is targeting the youth of today. The commercial aims
at giving a solution in case anyone overdoes drinking. The message is spread in a very
subtle manner that in case people are going out and wish to drink, they should take a
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taxi or public transport to have a safe drive back home. Its all about educating people
about responsible consumption of alcohol.

Figure # 1.7 Dont Drink and Drive Advertisement

It is said that when a person is drunk, he cannot hold even a pen properly, let alone
drive! Those who love to have alcohol should know how to enjoy it responsibly. The
likelihood of having an "accident" increases with every drink a driver takes. People
who drink and drive should exercise self control.
(Source: www.arrivesafe.org)

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1.8.7 ADOPT A CHILD

Creative ads made by Ogilvy & Mather Ltd for an adoption child Indian organization.
The organization Indian Association for Promotion of Adoption and Child Welfare
is trying to provide to Indian kids a house and a new family that can give back to
these kids considerably more warm, thank and love. Many of us can give to these
children proper conditions for their life. So they are suggesting adoption as a need and
better life for these kids.
Adopt. You will receive more than you can give.

Figure # 1.8 Adopt a Child Advertisement

(Source: www.livejournal.com)

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Review of
Literature

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Social advertising has come after the success of commercial advertising and uses the
same principles as used in the advertising. So it has become essential to present a brief
review of these studies. Though, social advertisement is comparatively new but the
studies conducted in the field of advertising are of great help in making social
advertising campaigns.
For social advertising a problem is identified and then a campaign is made to solve
this problem. The problem can be related to some kind of behavior in which
individuals are indulging in, inspite of it being risky (smoking, taking drugs).The
consumers are unaware of some services or goods, which can improve their lives
(family planning, health care, etc.) or some group is unresponsive to needs of the
others by ignoring things (environmental pollution). Social advertising is an effort to
control the process of change is in the desirable direction leading to favorable results.
Before starting the survey, desk research was done to find out which studies have
been already conducted related to selected topics. The research helped in
understanding the meaning of social advertising. Other studies related to social
marketing, media message, marketing segmentation, attitude helped in this study. So
this chapter presents the review of studies conducted in this area.

Archbishop John P Foley, (1997)Advertising can itself contribute to the betterment

of society by uplifting and inspiring people...Governments should not seek to control
and dictate policy to the advertising industry any more than to other sectors of the
communications media.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, once said in context for social advertisements
that, If I were starting my life over again, I am inclined to think that it would go into
the advertising business in preference to almost any other. The general raising of the
standards of modern civilization among all groups of people during the past half
century would have been impossible without the spreading of the knowledge of higher
standards by means of advertising.
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Kotler (1991) concluded that good planning and control of advertising depend,
critically, on measures of advertising effectiveness. Most of the money is spent by the
agencies on pre testing. The much less is spent on post evaluating their effects. Most
advertisers try to measure the communication effect of an advertisement, i.e. its
potential effect on awareness, knowledge of preference. So, a company must know its
advertising objectives. Is right amount is being spent on advertising? How is the
budget determined? Is the advertisement theme effective? What do customers and
public think about the advertising? Is the advertising media well chosen? Is the
internal advertising stall adequate? Etc.

Shiv Ramu (1991) studied the type of social changes occurring in India, which need
social advertising as an effective communication process. It also discusses the
communication strategy based on the attitude consistency-discrepancy model, for a
completed planned social change. Eight strategies have been suggested relevant to
different messages and appeal factors pertinent to appropriate segmentation
techniques. It also discusses the types of different commercials based on above
messages and appeal factors, situational context and involvement level, etc.

Jaswal (1989) while writing about preventive Education in drug abuse stated that
mass media, at the national level, must work to create public awareness about the
issue. The purpose of all this is to make the public understand the dangers of drug
abuse and to mobilize public participation in the war against drugs.

Moore (1985) concluded the study to find out the correlation of successful advertising
campaigns. They conducted a study to find out that campaigns were successfully
increasing awareness due to following facts:

Product effectiveness.
Intensity of competition.
Appropriate media selection.
Unique and creative messages.
27

Adequate managerial, financial resources for advertising.

Nature of market.

Sheth and Frazier (1982) reported the model of planned social change, which consist
of following characteristics:

The social behaviour to be changed must be identified and well defined.

There should be a policy objective with respect to magnitude and/or direction

of social change.
Some entity should be unmarked as the change agent and supplied with

appropriate resources of powers.

One or more strategy of change should be utilized.

Planned social changes are therefore, a managerial process rather than a behavioural
task, that require making decision as to which strategy is better to use, in what
combination and for which target group in order to achieve policy objective related to
bringing about a perspective and magnitude and direction of change of given social or
consumption behaviour. The model suggests that change agent must not be in terms of
strategy approach but seriously consider segmenting the total strategy population and
utilize the mix of influence strategies on selective basis form among those that
facilitate reinforcement, inducement, rationalization and confrontation process.

Fox and Kotler (1980) studied the impact the social advertising had on the society
and found this to be a positive reinforce of social change. It also discusses the social
marketing as an approach to social change, describes its evolution and reviews social
marketing application and assesses their impact. Social marketing is a topic of
growing interest to non profit organizations, which confront new, complex, market
problems. These institutional heads are taking their first tentative step towards
marketing, often confusing with its advertising and selling sub functions. Non profit
organizations can introduce marketing in a number of ways such as applying a
marketing committee or task force hiring an advertising agency or marketing research
or marketing director or vice president.
28

Rothschild (1979) studied the impact of social advertisement and found that is likely
to promote beneficial social changes in an effective manner. It also discusses the
social marketing as an approach to social change in an effective manner. It also
discusses the social marketing as an approach to social change, describes its evolution
ad reviews social marketing techniques, applications assesses their impact. To use
marketing, communication technique effectively for public and non-profit sector
problems. Major differences between them include the presence of very high or very
low involvement, issues offering few perceivable benefits to involvement. A
framework for considering high and low involvement case is considered and options
for marketer are presented.
The limits of marketing communication with reference to these variables are:

Extreme level of involvement.

The absence of reinforcers.
The need for highly centralized attributes.

By determining the limits for existing theories and techniques, the discipline of
marketing communication will grow, and potential for strategic success will increase.

Michael and Arnon (1976) reported that recall of advertisement is widely used as a
measure of advertising effectiveness. The rationality of using is the belief that recall
of an advertisement is necessary condition for a change in attitude and behaviour.
Advertiser hypothesizes that if the purpose of advertising is to sell, it must
communicate best and good advertisements are those that will producer the greatest
memory impression.
Pierre Huppert, advertising consultant concluded that, Brand image is heavily
influenced by your social image - one of the most important challenges business is
facing. Brands will be important in setting social and political issues as traditional
government fails. Any good advertising agency giving advice to a company has to
include ecological issues because customers are demanding more active stands on
social and environmental issues.
29

Sheth and Wright (1974) reported that the use of marketing techniques has been
expanding in our society i.e. most persons are familiar with recent campaigns to
market political candidate and their platforms; conserve energy and abstain from
smoking. The potential of various science theories in context of social marketing have
been studied.

However, Krisher, Darley and Darley (1973) concluded that direct relationship
holds between fear and attitude enhancement. Other studies (Higbee, 1969, la tour and
pitts, 1989) conclude that stronger fear appeals in social advertisements are more
effective than weak fear appeals, especially in health and safety topics such as dental
hygiene, smoking, AIDS prevention and safe driving practices.

Lazer and Kally (1973) concluded that advertising is the use of paid media by a
seller to communicate persuasive information about its product, service or
organization and is a potent promotional tool. The use of such marketing techniques is
expanding in our society. Most persons are familiar with recent campaigns to market
political candidate and their platform, conserve energy and abstain from smoking.
These effort encompassing various aspects of marketing go beyond simple
advertising. For instance, some stop smoking organizations sponsor informational
seminars, distribute special products to alleviate desire to smoke in those who want to
quit smoking and initiate publicity aimed at general public pressure within discipline
of making advertisements and among general public to expand the application of
modern techniques and theories in dissemination of social ideas. Like any other social
development the trend may have positive or negative social effect.
Ansary and Kramer (1973) found that social marketing today is in transition phase
whereas traditional marketing dealt only with the product, the term product has
gradually been expanded to include services and the concept of marketing itself has
been broadened. In essence broadening the concept means extending the application
of marketing technology to the marketing of organizations, persons, places, and ideas.
30

Idea marketing has been labeled as social marketing since it involves the promotion
of social causes such as safe driving and anti smoking campaigns.

Kotler and zaltman (1971) concluded that social marketing is defined as the design,
implementations and control of programmes calculated to influence the acceptability
of product planning, pricing, communication, distribution and marketing research.
They also defined social advertising as a cost effective way to disseminate the
messages, whether to build brand preferences for coca-cola or to practice birth
control. The roots of social marketing lie in the formation approach, in the form of
social advertising. Properly designed, these campaigns can influence attitude and
behavior.

Higbee (1969) concluded that evoking too much fear appeal in an advertisement
touches of intense feeling of anxiety, which causes individual to avoid the
advertisement.

Zielske (1959) concluded that advertising repetition is essential for optimal consumer
response. He found that repetition is essential for optimal consumer response. He
found that repetition of a message as many as 13 times continued to increase
consumer response as measured by recall of the message. When these repetitions were
masses over a period of 13 weeks, that response peaked quickly, but also decayed
rapidly after the campaign. However, when the repetition was spaced out once a
month over a year, the response continued to increase steadily during that period to
reach a similar peak, but with much less decay.

31

Research
Methodolog
y

32

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Every study is conducted with key objectives and aims kept in the fore. Without aims
and objectives the study is like a ship without radar. So aims and objectives of this
study are:
1) To study the extent of exposure and level of awareness to select Social
advertising Campaigns.
2) To analyze the attitude of people towards social advertisement.
3) To study the effectiveness of social advertisement in terms of change in
attitude of the respondents.
4) To study the effectiveness of social advertisement in terms of change in
behavior of the respondents.
5) To study the liking of people regarding these advertisements.

33

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. The
research methodology included various methods and techniques for conducting a
research. Marketing Research is a systematic design, collection, analysis, and
reporting of data and finding relevant solution to a specific marketing situation or
problem. Sciences define research as the manipulation of things, concepts or
symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend, correct or verify knowledge,
whether that knowledge aids in construction of theory or in practice of an art.
Research is thus, an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge
marketing for its advancement, the purpose of research is to discover answers to the
questions through the application of scientific procedure.
My research project has a specified framework for collecting the data in an effective
manner. Such framework is called Research Design. The research process which
was followed by me consisted following steps:
DEFINING
THE
RESEARCH
OBJECTIVE

DEVELOPING
THE
RESEARCH
PLAN

COLLECTING

ANALYSING

THE

THE

INFORMATION

PRESENTING
THE

INFORMATION

FINDINGS

3.1 DEFINING THE PROBLEM & RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

It is said, A problem well defined is half solved. The step is to define the project
under study and deciding the research objective. The definition of problem includes A
study of impact of social advertisement with respect to attitude and behavior.

3.2 DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH PLAN

The second stage of research calls for developing the efficient plan for gathering the
needed information. Designing a research plan calls for decision on the data sources,
research approach, research instruments, sampling plan and contacts methods. The
34

research is descriptive in nature and is aimed at analyzing the impact of social

advertisement with respect to attitude and behavior.
The development of Research plan has the following Steps:
a.)

Data Sources

Two types of data were taken into consideration i.e. Secondary data and Primary data.
My major emphasis was on gathering the primary data. The secondary data has been
used to make things more clear.
i.

Primary Data: Direct collection of data from the source of information,

including personal interviewing, survey etc.

ii.

Secondary Data: Indirect collection of data from sources containing past

or recent information like, Annual Publications, Books, Newspaper and
Magazines etc.

3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH

Surveys are best suited for Descriptive Research. Surveys are undertaken to learn
about peoples knowledge, beliefs, preferences, satisfactions and so on and to measure
these magnitudes in the general public. Therefore I have done this Survey for the
Descriptive Research Process.

3.4 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

Before an attempt was made to collect the information from the sample, desk research
was conducted to see through literature and other library material available on the
subject. Various related studies in consumer goods advertising and social marketing
were reviewed to have through knowledge. Before considering how to collect
information from the respondents and after having the background knowledge,

35

questionnaire was developed to obtain responses pertinent to the objective of this

research.
The important factors to be studied were listed. Structured, undisguised interview
schedule for the purpose of collecting primary data was designed. A part of interview
schedule was aimed at getting information related to the respondents socio-economic
background such as age, income, level of education etc. Among the subjects discussed
were awareness of social advertisements, their response to these i.e. relevance of and
identification with the message, change in attitude and behavior etc. and reason for
reservation against some ads.
The questionnaire was close ended. Some of the questions were dichotomous i.e., yes
or no type. Some were in the form of checklist. It was basically an opinion survey in
which the reaction of the respondents in connection with various aspects of the study
were recorded. The research included what they thought of the advertisements.
a.) Sampling Plan
The sampling plan calls for the following decisions.
I.

Sampling unit: Who is to be surveyed?

The target population must be defined that has to be sampled. It is necessary
so as to develop a sampling frame so that everyone in the target population has
an equal chance of being sampled. The sampling unit of this project was
Chandigarh, Mohali & Panchkula.

II.

Sample Size: How many people have to be surveyed?

Generally large sample gives more reliable results than small samples. A
sample of 50 respondents has been selected from Chandigarh and its
surrounding areas. Fifty respondents belonging to different age groups,
income groups, sex, educational background and professional background
have been selected from selected localities. The sample has been selected
conveniently.

36

III.

Contact Methods
Once the sampling plan has been determined, the question is how the subject
should be contracted i.e. by telephone, mail or personal interview. Here in this
survey, I have contacted the respondents through personal interviews.

IV.

Scope of the study

There are many social issues being considered presently. In order to restrict
the scope of study due to shortage of time, only a few campaigns were
selected moreover, this formal research may not be necessarily the solution.
One will have to spend more time, indeed, short term or long term: there is no
better teacher than experience. So all the advertisements should be tested for
their effectiveness so that the time, money and energy are not wasted. The
research work was completed within a time frame of eight weeks.
As India is a vast country, the people from various castes and creed have
different cultures, beliefs, traditions, languages, and ethnic group etc., which
affect their attitudes. The advertisements, which are more effective for a
certain group, may not be effective for others. So there is need to examine the
feasibility

of

segmentation

to

create

more

reliable

and

effective

communication. Study can also be done on a type of workable appeals used in

these advertisements because different appeals have different impact of
message design and construction.

3.5 SELECTION OF CAMPAIGNS

There are a number of social advertising campaigns being run on television. They are
classified into 10 major groups; such as family planning, health care, technology
mission, environmental awareness, social attitude, safety, patriotism, and government
advertisements on saving and legal aspects. In order to restrict the scope of study
following advertisements were selected looking into the general interest of the public.
The list of campaigns selected for the study is given below:

AIDS awareness.
Family planning.
Literacy campaigns.
37

Pollution control.
Pulse polio.
Save oil.

3.6 COLLECTING THE INFORMATION

The collection of data is a tedious task. For conducting any sort of research data was
needed. So for my research, there was plenty of primary data and for increasing the
validity of information collected, some books, journals, pamphlets, information about
the company were studied and taken into considerations. After this, I have collected
the information from the respondents with the help of questionnaire.
a.) Collection of Primary Data: Primary Data is the data collected from the
original source. In my survey and study, there was optimum availability of
primary data because every aspect was witnessed carefully at each point.
Questionnaire and personal interviews were the main instruments, which were
used for collecting primary data.
b.) Collection of Secondary Data: Secondary Data is the one which has
already been collected by someone else and some other person is using that
information. The source of secondary data was books and websites related to
the company. The competent staff of the company helped me a lot in
providing information about the company.

3.7 ANALYZE THE INFORMATION

The next step is to extract the pertinent findings from the collected data. I have
tabulated the collected data and developed frequency distributions. Thus the whole
data was grouped aspect wise and was presented in tabular form. Thus, frequencies
and percentages were prepared to render impact of the study. Different statistical tools
have been used in the study. For e.g.: mean, standard deviation test etc.

3.8 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

38

This is the last and important step in the research process. The findings are presented
in the form of graphs, pie charts, conclusions, suggestions and recommendations after
data analysis.

39

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Like any other study, this study is also subject to certain limitations. These are
explained here under so that the findings of the present study can be seen in their
proper prospective:

Due to paucity of time and resources a countrywide survey was not possible
hence only Chandigarh and its surrounding areas were undertaken for project
study.

The possibility of respondents responses being biased cannot be ruled out.

Only a few social advertisement campaigns could be taken for the study due to
time constraint.

Since a small sample was chosen so it may not be true representative of

population under study.

Some of the respondent could not answer certain attributes affecting

the

analysis. Some bias could have crept into the data and some proportions may
be incorrect.

40

Data
Analysis and
Interpretatio
n

41

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

RESPONDENTS PROFILE
A part of the interview schedule was aimed at getting basic information relating to the
respondents socio-economic background, awareness and attitude towards social
advertisements. The general information has been tabulated in the table given below:

GENDER

NUMBER

PERCENTAGE

Male

27

54

Female

23

46

Total

50

100

Table 4.1

Gender of the Respondents

Out of 50 respondent 54 % were males while 46 % of respondents were females.

Figure 4.1
PROFESSION

NUMBER

42

PERCENTAGE

Students

18

36

Serviceman

15

30

Business

11

22

Housewives

12

Total

50

100

Table 4.2 Profession of the Respondents.

The table shown above reveals that 36 % of the respondents were students while the
percentage of serviceman was 30 %, businessman and housewives being at 22 % and
12 % respectively.

Figure 4.2

RESPONSE

NUMBER

43

PERCENTAGE

Yes

44

88

No

12

Total

50

100

Table 4.3:- Number Of Respondents Who Watch Social Advertisements.

This table shows that 88 % of the respondents watch social advertisements; whereas
12 % of respondents do not watch social advertisements. See figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3

44

Objective 1: To study the extent of exposure and level of awareness to select

Social advertising campaigns

ADVERTISEMENT

NO OF RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

AIDS Awareness.

15

30

Family Planning.

Literacy campaigns.

Pollution Control.

10

20

Save Oil.

14

Pulse Polio.

12

24

Total.

50

100

Table 4.4: Awareness of the Social Advertisements among Respondents.

Figure 4.4

45

The above table reveals that maximum awareness among the respondents is of AIDS
Awareness (30 %), followed by pulse polio having (24 %) and pollution control which
is (20%). see figure 4.4

MEDIUM

NO OF RESPONSES

PERCENTAGE

Television

36

72

Internet

Radio

10

Magazines

12

Total

50

100

Table 4.5: Most Successful Media for Social Advertising.

The table reveals that most of the respondents (72 %), feels that television is the best
medium for social advertising followed by (12 %), who feels that magazines are the
best for social advertising. See figure 4.5

46

Figure 4.5
RESPONSE

TOTAL

PERCENTAGE

Yes

35

70

No

15

30

Table 4.6 Awareness of Social Issues Prior to Social Advertising campaigns

The table above shows that most of the respondents (70 %) were aware of social
issues before social advertising campaigns. Only (30 %) of them were not aware of
the social issues. See figure 4.6

Figure 4.6

Objective 2: To analyze the attitude of people towards social advertisement.

Parameter

Least Effective

Effective

Most Effective

(WT 1)

(WT 2)

(WT 3)

Informative

13

30

2.34

Believable

10

15

25

2.30

47

Mean Score

Convincing

22

20

2.24

Worth

17

23

10

1.86

Remembering
Table 4.7 Opinion of the Respondents Regarding the Effectiveness of Social
Advertisements with Respect to the following Parameters.
The table shows that effectiveness of social advertisements with respect to
Information giving ability is maximum followed by Believability and ability to
convince. The remembering of social ads is minimum amongst listed attributes.

Option/weight

Strongly agree
wt(2)

Agree
Wt(1)

Neither agree
Nor disagree
Wt(0)

Disagree
Wt(-1)

Strongly
Disagree
Wt(-2)

Mean
score

Social advertising is the most

appropriate way of taking up
social issues on various media.

13

15

11

11

0.6

The time of telecast of various

social ads is proper.

27

12

-0.02

Social advertising is the cost

effective way to disseminate
social messages.

17

14

11

0.7

Social ads are informative and

educating.

33

13

1.56

Social advertising helps in

identifying
and
highlighting
problems of society.

23

10

11

0.98

Social works for welfare of

society.

15

35

1.3

Social advertising creates public

awareness.

13

32

1.16

Too much fear appeal used in

advertisements creates wrong
impression or generates a scare
among people.

11

12

15

Social advertising is wastage of

money.

29

13

-1.08

48

Social advertising is a boring and

useless concept.

15

30

-1.5

Social campaign with a celebrity

or some influence or opinion
leaders are much successful.

12

28

Govt. and social organization

should concentrate more on social
advertising for creating awareness
among people.

11

25

10

0.86

Social advertising helps in

mobilising public participation
e.g. pulse polio.

20

15

0.82

Table 4.8 Perception towards Social Advertising

49

Mean= strongly agree x 2 + Agree x 1 + Not agree or Not disagree x 0-Disagree x 1-Strongly Disagree x 2
100 (No. Of Respondents)

The table shows that mean score for different options of social advertising. The
respondents agree that social advertising is the most appropriate way of taking up
social issues on various media. But they have varied responses to the statement that
the time of telecast of social ads is proper. The respondents are of option that social
advertising is a cost effective way to disseminate the social messages and are very
informative and educative and helps in identifying and highlighting the problems of
the society. They strongly agree that it works for the welfare of the society and creates
public awareness. They strongly disagree to the statement that social advertising is
wastage of resources and that it is a boring and useless concept. They fully agree to
the statement that social advertising helps in mobilizing public participation. Overall,
respondents perceive social advertising as a very positive concept.

Objective 3: To study the effectiveness of social advertisement in terms of change

in attitude of the respondents.

RESPONSE

NUMBER

PERCENTAGE

Yes

37

74

No

13

26

Table 4.9 Effect of Campaigns on Respondents So As To Make Them Realise the

Importance of These Issues.
The table no 4.9 reveals that 74 % of the respondents agreed that various social
advertisements made them aware of the various important social issues,
while merely 26 % of them disagreed. See figure 4.7

50

Figure 4.7
Objective 4: To study the effectiveness of social advertisement in terms of change
in behavior of the respondents.

Advertisements

Followed the

Became more

Went out and

Looked for

Did

instructions given

concerned and

educated other

more info. On

nothing

in social ads

careful

people

these issues

AIDS Awareness

17

20

Family planning

19

14

Literacy campaign

25

13

Pollution control

22

18

Pulse polio

20

10

12

Save oil

13

12

10

Table 4.10 Various Action Taken By the Respondents after Coming across
Various Social Advertisements.
From table no 4.10, it can be noted that 34 % of the respondents followed the
instructions given in the social ads for AIDS awareness, whereas 40 % of them
51

become more careful. A mere 6 % of the respondents did not take any action after
coming across the AIDS awareness Campaigns. Overall, it means that respondents
believe that social advertising is very effective. See figure 4.8

Figure 4.8
In case of family planning campaign, 38 % of the respondents become more
concerned and careful, followed by those 18 %, who acted as per the instructions in
the social advertisements.
So far literacy campaign is concerned, 50 % of the respondents went out and educated
other people. 26 % of them did not take action in this regard.
In case of pollution control and pulse polio advertising campaigns, majority of the
respondents 44 % and 40 % respectively followed the instructions given in the social
advertisements.
In case of save oil advertisements, a mixed response was there i.e. the respondents
followed variety of actions in response to the ads.
Objective 5: To study the liking of people regarding these advertisements.
52

Advertisements

Timing of

Message not

Appeals

Contents of

Models

No

Telecast

well

used

ad

used

Reservation

delivered

AIDS Awareness

10

22

Family Planning

18

15

Literacy

13

10

11

Pollution control

12

25

Pulse polio

14

16

Save oil

13

15

10

campaigns

Table 4.11 Reason for Reservation against Some Social Advertisements.

Despite the fact that a reasonably good number of respondents liked social
advertisements, there is no reason to believe that respondents were entirely in favor of
such ads. They did express a note of caution and reservation against some ads. There
may be host of reasons as to why the like or dislike a certain social ads. People may
dislike some of the ads on account of advertisement content, the message, appeal
used, models used and timing of the broadcast etc. see figure 4.9

53

Figure 4.9
Frequency break up of these reasons for all six ads under consideration is given in the
table 4.11. For the AIDS awareness campaign, 56 % of respondents are having for one
or the other reason. In case of family planning ad, 70 % of the respondents had
reservations while in case of pollution control almost 50 % of the respondents have
reservation. In case of save oil ad, the main reason for reservation that the message
has not been delivered properly.

54

MAJOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

This chapter provides summary and conclusions of the present study on the
effectiveness of social advertisements with special reference to the technology
mission and environmental awareness. The main objectives of the study were to find
the extent of exposure and level of awareness. The main objectives of the study were
to find the extent of exposure and level of awareness of respondents to these social
campaigns, to analyse the attitude of the people towards social advertisements in
terms of change in attitude and behavior.
To achieve these objectives a survey was conducted in Chandigarh and its
surrounding areas. The present study is descriptive research carried out by means of
non-disguised, structured schedule to collect the relevant and quantitative aspect of
the research project. The respondents were interviewed personally. The main
conclusions of the study are as follows:

AWARENESS OF SOCIAL ADVERTISING

As per the result of the study, most of the respondents were aware of the concept of
social advertising. The TV media has been cited as the chief and most successful
medium for social messages, followed by radio and print media. Out of the selected
social advertisements respondents were aware of most of them. The advertisements of
literacy, save oil and pollution control were liked most by the respondents. When
asked about various social advertisements about AIDS awareness, literacy, family
planning, pollution control, pulse polio and oil conservation without any hesitation.

RELEVANCE AND IDENTIFICATION

All the respondents understood the messages of all the advertisements. Most of the
respondents rated that the advertisements on adult literacy and immunization are not
meant for them but found them useful for the lower strata of the urban and rural
55

population. All the respondents identified themselves with the character portrayal in
the advertisements and found the message relevant to their lives.
Most of the respondents stated that it was proper to take these issues on various
media. Most of them were of opinion that it was appropriate to take these issues for
the present.
Most of the respondents stated that it was proper to save oil, get their children
immunized and make the environment pollution free. They felt that issues like AIDS
needed much more concentrated efforts.
Most of the respondents were of the opinion that the campaigns made them realize the
importance of these issues, which were related to them. The respondents said that they
had taken many measures to prevent AIDS, to increase literacy and to save the
environment after seeing the related advertisements.

CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR

All the respondents felt that the flood of the communication had a significant change
in the lives of people. More families are now sending their childrens to the schools,
adopting family planning methods, taking care of their vehicles, conserving the
energy, power and anti pollution measures. Among the poor groups, this correlation
was specially communication marked because TV and radio were the main source of
information for them.
The findings of this study revealed that TV media has very high communication
potential. People tend to turn to the TV media were major portion of their leisure time.
Messages channeled through TV media generally have a very powerful impact but
owing to glut of messages in a viewing slot, only those messages have been presented
in the novel and catchy manner, which have lasting impact. This make television very
popular and effective medium of social change. The study of the respondents attitude
towards social advertisements reveal that the messages were related to the burning
social issues but only those messages could initiate intended behavioral change which
56

had either very strong back up of social issue or very effective presentation.
Regarding the effect of social advertisements the analysis revealed that these
advertisements had created awareness among them and helps them to change their
attitude and behavior.
Taking the cumulative effect on social advertisement on the respondents action, it was
observed that that the intended attitudinal and behavioral change at the mass level was
definitely high than that of prior to the advent of social advertisements. The people
had responded, partially or wholly to the social advertisements.

57

RECOMMENDATIONS
RELATIONSHIP
Most of social messages meant for the urban people have been thought of as
universal. It is a worthwhile to examine the feasibility of respondents segmentation in
the light of this study, in the social context. This can be only possible by building a
closer relationship with the target audience.

INTERESTING
The messages of broad/global themes such as AIDS awareness, pollution control,
literacy, immunization etc. should be conveyed in a plot form involving a high degree
of dramatization of facts.
The direct messages such as save oil, etc. should make use of jingles. More elements
of humor and satire should be introduced in the advertisements.

CELEBRITIES
Popular figures, cult heroes should be used to create a message to imitative instincts.
In order to bring more awareness, street plays, and live demonstrations should also be
organized along the advertisements in different media. In rural areas, the village
sarpanch or prominent persons in the social gathering/congregations should
disseminate the information about these.

TIME OF DISPLAY
These advertisements should be telecast on television at prime time, like just before or
after the popular tele-serials, and time should be ten to thirty seconds. Besides, giving
social messages through these advertisements, the time should be equal to that of
58

commercial advertisements, alternative format such as those of tele films, tele serials
and song programmes should be experimented with.

EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT
The idea should touch the emotions of the people. Researches into the brain cognitive
functioning are increasingly demonstrating that, even in the judgments of apparently
most-rational of issues, emotions play a strong part. Finally whatever the resulting
idea is, it must be capable of capturing the viewers attention.

THEME OF ADVERTISEMENT
The idea must have value in the attention economy. As social problems are complex
and interrelated, social advertisements need to be developed in the light of specific
socio-economic, historical, religious and cultural framework.

59

BIBLIOGRAPH
Y

60

BIBLIOGRAPHY
JOURNALS:
Abratt, Sacks (1988), Perceptions of the Societal Marketing Concept,
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WEBSITES:

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

www.pcra.org

www.leaoverde2007.com.br

www.prenhall.com

www.adsoftheworld.com

www.fcamin.nic.in

www.keralapcb.org

www.livejournal.com
63

www.indianblooddonors.com

www.mohfw.nic.in/polio.htm

www.mohfw.nic.in/Advertisementsnaco.htm

www.arrivesafe.org

64

ANNEXUR
E

65

I Aman Bansal, a student of MBA-Marketing (4 th Sem) of Gian Jyoti Institute of Management & Technology,
is conducting a survey for the project report entitled A study of impact of social advertisement with respect to
attitude and behavior. So I want your cooperation in this work. I will be obliged if you fill the below
mentioned questionnaire.

Personal Profile
Gender:

Male

[ ]

Profession:

Female

[ ]

Student

[ ]

Business

[ ]

Serviceman

[ ]

Housewives

[ ]

1. Do you watch social advertisement?

Yes [

No [

If, yes which Advertisement do you like the most?

a) AIDS Awareness
[ ]
b) Family Planning.
[ ]
c) Literacy Campaigns
[ ]
d) Pollution control
[ ]
e) Pulse Polio
[ ]
f) Save oil
[ ]
2. Which media according to you is best for social advertising?
a) TV [ ]
b) Internet
c) Radio [ ]

d) Magazines [ ]

3. Were you aware of these social issues before the social advertising campaigns?
Yes [

No [

4. Kindly express your opinion regarding the effectiveness of social advertisements

with respect to the following parameters.
Parameters

Least effective

a) Informative.

b) Believable.
c) Convincing.

d) Worth remembering

66

Effective

Most effective

5. Tick the most appropriate option.

Option/weight

Strongly
agree
(2)

Agree
(1)

Neither
agree
Nor disagree
(0)

Disagree
(-1)

Strongly
Disagree
(-2)

Social advertising is the most appropriate

way of taking up social issues on various
media.
The time of telecast of various social ads
is proper.
Social advertising is the cost effective
way to disseminate social messages.
Social ads are informative and educating.
Social advertising helps in identifying
and highlighting problems of society.
Social works for welfare of society.
Social advertising creates public
awareness.
Too much fear appeal used in
advertisements creates wrong impression
or generates a scare among people.
Social advertising is wastage of money.
Social advertising is a boring and useless
concept.
Social campaigns with a celebrity or
some influence or opinion leaders are
much successful.
Govt. and social organization should
concentrate more on social advertising
for creating awareness among people.
Social advertising helps in mobilizing
public participation e.g. pulse polio.

6. Do you feel the campaigns on various media have made you realize the importance of
these issues ?
67

Yes [

No [

68

7. What were the various actions taken by you after coming across following social
advertisements?
Advertisements

Followed the
instructions
given in
social ads

Became
more
concerned
and careful

Went out
and
educated
other people

Looked for
more info.
On these
issues

Did
nothing

AIDS Awareness
Family planning
Literacy campaign
Pollution control
Pulse polio
Save oil
8. If you are having some reservations against the social advertisements, then please tick the
most appropriate reason for such reservations.
Advertisements

Timing of
Telecast

Message not Appeals Contents

well delivered
used
of ad

AIDS
Awareness
Family
Planning
Literacy
campaigns
Pollution
control
Pulse polio
Save oil

69

Models
used

No
Reservation