SOCIAL MARKETING

Social Marketing is a process that uses marketing principles and techniques to influence target
audience behaviors that will benefit the society as well as the individual. This strategically
oriented discipline relies on creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that
have positive value for individuals, clients, partners, and society at large.

We focus on Behaviors

We typically want to influence target audiences to do one of four things:

1. Accept a new behavior(e.g. composting food waste)

2. Reject a potentially undesirable behavior(e.g. reject smoking)
3. Modify a current behavior(e.g. increased physical activity from three to five days a week
or decrease the number of fat grams consumed)
4. Abandon an old undesirable behavior (e.g. Stop talking on cell phone while driving). It
may be the encouragement of a onetime behavior (e.g. immunizing a child) or the
establishment of a habit and the prompting of a repeated behavior(e.g. driving without
incessant honking)

Alan Andreasen suggested two more arenas in which we want to influence people to

5. Continue a desired behavior(e.g. giving blood on an annual basis)

6. Switch behavior (e.g. take the stairs instead of the elevator)

Most challenging aspect of social marketing (also its greatest contribution) is that it relies
heavily on rewarding good behaviors rather than punishing bad ones through legal,
economic, or coercive forms of influence. In many cases the social marketers cannot
promise a direct benefit or immediate payback in return for adopting the proposed
behavior. For e.g. the task of influencing householders to use natural cleaning agents
instead of harmful chemicals. It is tough to show them the healthier environment that their
actions helped to support. And it is tough to convince youth who want to have a good time
to eat healthy food so they will (maybe) avoid obesity and diabetes later in life.
This is why a systematic, rigorous, and strategic planning process is required- one that is
inspired by the wants, needs, and preferences of target audiences and focuses on real,
deliverable, and near term benefits. However, many believe this heavy reliance on
individual voluntary behavior change is outdated and have moved on to applying social
marketing technologies to influence other change factors in the environment (e.g. laws,
policies, media).

We use a systematic planning process that applies traditional marketing principles and
techniques

Many Nonprofit and government based organizations carry out social change in a
haphazard manner. However, to be successful it should be systematic and well planned.
The salient steps could be briefly summarized as follows:
An environmental scan to establish a purpose and focus for the plan.
A situational analysis by way of SWOT.
Selecting target audience.
 Establishment of clear behavior objectives and goals.
Formative research to identify audience barriers, benefits, and the competition.
Positioning of the offer.
Marketing Mix.
Establishment of evaluation methodology.
Budget and Implementation plan.
Evaluation and Monitoring of results.
Selecting and Influencing.

The primary beneficiary is the society

Unlike commercial marketing in which the primary beneficiary is the corporate

shareholder, the primary beneficiary of the social marketing program is society. The
question many pose and banter about is: who determines whether the social change
created by the program is beneficial? Although most causes supported by social marketing
efforts tend to draw high consensus that the cause is good, this model can also be used by
organizations which have the opposite view of what is good. Homosexuality is an example
of an issue where both sides argue that they are on the good side and both use social
marketing techniques to influence public behavior. Who then defines good? People
propose the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a baseline with
respect to common good.
Some other such current issues are:
Globalisation
Genetic Food
Women Rights
Vegetarianism
Animal Rights

Origination of the Concept

The concept is not new and we saw a plethora of such activities in the efforts to promote
swadeshi, free India from British rule, liberate untouchables, abolish sati practice, or allow
women to attend educational institutions.
Launching the discipline formally more than 40 years ago, the term social marketing was
first introduced by Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman in a pioneering article in the Journal of
Marketing to describe the use of marketing principles and techniques to advance a social
cause, idea, or behavior.
In late 1950s India launched programs in family planning using social marketing
exhaustively.

Difference between Social Marketing and Commercial Marketing

SM concentrates on societal gain whereas CM concentrates on financial gain.

Commercial marketers choose primary target audience that will provide greatest
volume of profitable sales. Social Marketers select segments on basis of prevalence
of social problem, ability to reach the audience, readiness for change, etc. However,
both seek to gain the greatest returns on their investment of resources.
 For commercial marketer the competition is often identified as other organizations
offering similar goods and services. For social marketer competition is most often
the current or preferred behavior of the target audience. It also includes any
organizations selling or promoting competing behaviors (e.g tobacco industry)

Social Marketing is more difficult than commercial marketing due to the challenges they
face:

Quitting smoking amounts to Giving up an Addictive behavior.

Habit of walking amounts to change a comfortable Lifestyle.
Donation of blood amounts to being uncomfortable.
Buying environmental friendly goods amounts to spending more money.
Getting HIV Test amounts to hearing bad news.
Taking keys from drunk friend amounts to risking relationship.
Volunteering for a cause amounts to giving up leisure time.

Similarities between Social Marketing and Commercial Marketing

Customer Orientation is critical

Exchange theory is fundamental
Marketing Research is used throughout the process
Audiences are segmented
Marketing Mix is utilized
Results are measured and used for improvement later

Social Marketing Vs. Non Profit Marketing Vs. Public Sector Marketing Vs. Cause
Marketing

In Non Profit sector marketing is more often used to support utilization of organizations
service e.g. volunteer recruitment, advocacy efforts, fundraising.

In Public Sector marketing activities are also used to support utilization of governmental
agency products and services e.g. postal services, railway services, etc. and engender
citizen support and compliance. So here social marketing is only one of many marketing
activities done by the organization.

Cause promotions focus on efforts to raise awareness and concern for a social issue e.g.
global warming but typically stop short of charging themselves with influencing specific
behaviors. In comparison Social marketers are always focused on whether the desired
behavior was adopted.

Who does Social Marketing?

Usually social marketing principles and techniques are used by those on front lines
responsible for improving public health, preventing injuries, protecting environment,
engendering community involvement, and improving governance. It is rare that these
individuals have social marketing title. More often they are Program Managers or those
working in community relations or communications positions.
 Most often, organizations sponsoring these efforts are:

Public Sector Agencies: International agencies like WHO, national agencies like Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare, National Aids Control Organisation, Department of School
Education and Literacy, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, Ministry of Environment and Forests, etc.

Nonprofit Organizations and Foundations: These get involved most often supporting
behaviors aligned with their agencys mission like Energy Research Institute urges
individuals to use solar lanterns, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation uses their Avahan
HIV/AIDS campaign to promote testing, Laughter Club encourages people to use trained
laughter to relieve stress and cure diseases.

Professionals working in a for-profit organization: In positions responsible for

Corporate Philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Marketing, or Community
Relations often in partnership with nonprofit organizations and public agencies that
benefit their communities and customers. Although their primary beneficiary is society
their efforts contribute to a desired brand image or even increased sales. For example,
Maruti Suzuki operates training institutes to teach safe driving to commercial and non
commercial drivers, Tata Steel trains contract workers to observe safe behavior at work
place, Sanofi Aventis encourages diabetes patients to follow an appropriate food, exercise,
and medication regimen to effectively manage their disease, Reckitt Benckiser promotes
hand washing with their popular brand Dettol as an effective means of preventing
diarrhea.

Organizations engaged in Social Marketing campaigns: Advertising agencies, Public

Relations Firms, Marketing Research Firms, Marketing Consulting Firms, etc.

Other ways to impact Social Issues

Technology

i. Seat Belts
ii. Jaipur Foot
iii. Low Flow Taps
iv. Web sites for reporting the observation of domestic violence

Science

In 2006 researchers at the Mayo Clinic announced they felt they were close to discovering
a shot that could be given that would help a smoker to quit.

Legal/Political/Policy making

In 2007 Mumbai police increased their implementation of traffic laws related to driving
after drinking to improve road safety and punish those who violated those rules.

Change in policies by influential organizations

Mahindra which otherwise sells gas guzzling utility and passenger vehicles entered a new
category by acquiring the business of the Reva Electric Car in 2010.

Some schools have started offering healthier options in school cafeteria.

Analyzing the Social Marketing Environment

Describing the Background, Purpose, and Focus of the Plan

Background

Identifying the social issue

a. Public Health Problem
b. Safety Concern
c. Environmental Threat
d. Community Need

Information and Facts that led the Organization to take on the development of the plan.
a. Whats the problem?
b. How bad is it?
c. What happened?
d. What is contributing to the problem?
e. How do you know?

Above description may include research data from credible sources- data that substantiate
and quantify the problem.

Purpose

It entails crafting a broad purpose statement for the campaign. It answers the questions,
What is the potential impact of a successful campaigns? and what difference will it
make?

Purpose Vs Objective or Goal Statements

An Objective in a social marketing campaign is what we want our target audience to do

(behavior objective) and what they may need to know (knowledge objective) or believe
(belief objective) to be persuaded.

Goals establish a desired level of behavior change as a result of program and campaign
efforts. They are quantifiable and measurable.

The campaign purpose is the ultimate impact (benefit) that will be realized if your target
audience performs the desired behaviors at the intended levels

Focus
To narrow the scope of the plan a focus is selected from a vast number of potential options
contributing to the plans purpose.
Social Issue Campaign Purpose Options for campaign
focus

Traffic Injuries Decrease drinking and Underage drinking and

driving driving
Advocating tougher new
laws with policy makers
Repeat offenders

Air Pollution Reduce fuel emissions Car pooling

Mass transit
Walking to work

Senior Wellness Increase opportunities for Laughter Yoga clubs in

community senior parks
gatherings Walking groups in parks
Yoga classes

Criteria for choosing the most appropriate focus from initial list of options

Behavior change potential: Is there a clear behavior within this area of focus that can
be promoted to address the issue?
Market Supply: Is this area of focus already being addressed adequately in this way by
other organizations and campaigns?
Organizational match: Is this a good match for sponsoring organization? Is it consistent
with its mission and culture? Can the organizations infrastructure support promoting and
accommodating the behavior change? Does it have staff expertise to develop and manage
the effort?
Funding sources and appeal: Which focus area has the greatest funding potential?
Impact: Which area has the greatest potential to contribute to the social issue?

Situational Analysis
This entails conducting a quick audit of organizational strengths and weaknesses and
environmental opportunities and threats that are anticipated to have some impact on or
relevance for subsequent planning decisions.
It is critical that we select a purpose and focus for our plan first, as they provide the
context for this exercise. Without it, we would be scanning all aspects of the environment
versus just the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) relevant to our
specific plan. It would be too overwhelming to handle.

The Microenvironment: Organizational Strengths and

Weaknesses
Resources: Level of Funding, Staff Adequacy, and Access to expertise related to the social
issue or target population.
Service Delivery Capabilities: Assessing the distribution channels available and any
concerns with present or potential quality of this service delivery.
Management Support: If the management has been briefed properly on this?
Issue Priority: Is the social issue the plan is addressing a priority for the organization?
Other issues it would be competing with for resources and support?
Internal Publics: Who is likely to support this effort? Who might not? Are there groups or
individuals whose buy in will be needed?
Current Alliances and Partners: What alliances and partners are there to support?
Past Performance: Organizations reputation in regard to similar projects. Relevant
success and failures.

Strengths

Make a list of major organizational strengths relative to this plan, based on an audit of
these seven internal factors. These points will be ones your plan would want to maximize.
This list will guide you in many subsequent decisions, such as which target audiences you
can best reach and serve, what products(programs and services) you have the resources
and support to develop, prices you will need to charge, incentives you will be able to
afford to offer, and existing alliances you might be able to tap for delivery of products,
services, promotional materials, and messages.

Weaknesses

Similar list is made of factors that do not look as positive for your effort- ones you may
need a few action items, even strategies, to minimize. This is constructed by reviewing
each of the same seven internal factors, noting ones that stand out as potential concerns.
Most frequently for governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations, concerns involve
resource availability and issue priority.

The Macroenvironment: Environmental Opportunities and

Threats
The macroenvironment is the set of forces typically outside the influence of the social
marketer that must be taken into account, as they either currently have an impact on your
target audience or are likely to in the near future. You are interested in those related to the
purpose and focus of your plan.

Cultural Forces: Trends and happenings related to values, lifestyles, preferences, and
behaviours often influenced by factors such as advertising, entertainment, media,
consumer goods, corporate policies, fashion, religious movements, health concerns,
environmental concerns, and racial issues.
Technological Forces: Introduction of potential introduction of new technologies and
products that may support or hinder your effort.
Demographic Forces: Trends and changes in population characteristics, including age,
ethnicity, geographical residence, household consumption, employment status,
occupation, income, and education.
Natural forces: Forces of nature, including famine, earthquakes, fires, drought, hurricane,
energy supply, water supply, endangered species, and floods.
Economic forces: Trends affecting buying power, spending, and perceptions of economic
well-being.
Political/Legal forces: Potential or new laws and actions of governmental agencies that
could affect campaign efforts or your target audience.
External Publics: Groups outside the organization other than current partners and
alliances, including potential new partners that could have some impact on your efforts
and/or your target audience.

Opportunities
A major purpose for scanning the external environment is to discover opportunities that
you can take advantage of and build into your plan.

Threats
Some of these forces will represent potential threats to your project, and you will want to
plan to address or prepare for them.

Steps involved in Selecting Target Audiences

1. Segment the Market: Most relevant population for the campaign is divided into
smaller groups who will likely require unique but similar strategies in order to be
persuaded to change their behavior. The groups you end up with should have
something in common (needs, wants, barriers, motivations, values, behavior, lifestyles,
etc.) something that makes them likely to respond similarly to your offer. Based on
background information about attitudes towards composting indicating that avid
gardeners are the most interested in composting, this city utility might identify four
market segments to consider:

a. Avid gardeners putting most of their food waste in their yard waste container.
b. Avid gardeners putting most of their food waste in the garbage or down the drain
c. Remaining households who are not avid gardeners.

2. Evaluate Segments

For the food waste composting scenario, planners should be very eager to know more
about each of these segments, beginning with size(number of households in the
group), as a way to understand the impact the segment is having on the solid waste
system. They should also consider their ability to reach each identified segment and
how receptive they might be to the idea of composting food waste in their
apartments. Avid gardeners for example are likely to be the most interested in taking
on this new practice as they will likely see the value in the compost for their gardens.

3. Choose One or More Segments to Target

A campaign to influence avid gardeners who are currently putting their food waste with
their yard waste to instead put it in a composter would have different incentives and
messages, perhaps even communication channels, than one intending to persuade
those who are not avid gardeners to start composting their food waste. In fact, it is
likely the nonprofit would make the latter segment its last priority given the challenges
they would face in creating and delivering value to this segment in exchange for their
effort.

Benefits:

1. Increased Effectiveness: As you have designed strategies that address your target
audiences unique wants and preferences and therefore work.
2. Increase Efficiency: As a result of targeting your efforts and resources to market
segments with a higher likelihood of responding to your offer.
3. Input for resource allocation: As a result of having evaluated each segment you
have the objective information that will assist you in distributing your resources and
providing this rationale to others.
4. Input for developing strategies: This process will leave you with detailed profiles of a
segment that will then provide critical insights into what will influence an audience
to buy your behavior.

Variables used to Segment Markets

Traditional Variables

Geographic Segmentation divides a market according to geographic areas, such as

urban, rural, districts, and states as well as related elements, such as commute
patterns, places of work, and proximity to relevant landmarks.
Example: An organization focused on reducing the number of employees driving to
work in single occupant vehicles might find it most useful to develop strategies based
on where employees live relative to worksite, current van pools, current car pools, and
each other. The planner might then decide that the first four groups represent the
greatest opportunity for hooking up employees with attractive alternative and/or
existing forms of transportation:
Employees living on current van pool routes (10%)
Employees living within 5 kms of current car pools (5%)
Employees living within 5 kms of each other (15%)
Employees living within walking or biking distance of the workplace (2%)
All the employees (68%)

Demographic Segmentation divides the market into groups on the basis of a variety
of variables like age, gender, marital status, family size, income, occupation (including
the media, legislators, physicians, etc) education, religion, and ethnicity, although
socio-economic classification (SEC), based on the chief wage earners education level
and family ownership of consumer durables is the most popular basis for grouping
markets, for several reasons. First, SEC is one of best predictors of needs, wants,
barriers, benefits, and behaviors. Second, this type of information about a market is
more readily available than information about other variables, such as personality
characteristics or attitudes. Finally, this is often the easiest way to describe and find a
targeted segment and to share with others working to develop and implement program
strategies
Example: A demographic basis for segmentation could be quite appropriate in
planning a campaign promoting consumption of a healthy diet, because diets vary
considerably according to SEC.
Psychographic segmentation divides the market into different groups on the basis
of social class, lifestyle, values, or personality characteristics.
Example: A campaign to reduce domestic violence might find it most important to
develop campaign programs based on levels of self esteem among potential victims:

Higher Self Esteem (20%)

Moderate Self Esteem (50%)
Low Self Esteem (30%)

Behavior Segmentation: divides the market on the basis of knowledge, attitudes, and
behaviors relative to product being sold. The variables considered are:

Occasion: when the product is used or decided on

Benefit sought: what the segment wants from using the product
Usage level: frequency of use
Readiness Stage: relative to buying
Attitude: towards the product/offering

Example: A blood donation centre might increase efficiency by prioritizing resource

allocation according to donation history, allocating the most resources to loyal
donors(those who have given in the past):

Gave more than 10 times in the past 5 years (10%)

Gave 2 to 10 times in the past 5 years (10%)
Gave only once, less than 5 years ago (5%)
Gave only once, more than 5 years ago (5%)
Never gave at this blood center (70%)

Criteria for Evaluating Segments

Andreasen cites nine factors for evaluating segments relative to each other. To further
illustrate each factor, a situation is described in which a state health agency is deciding
whether middle school students would be the most attractive segment for promoting
benefits of non smoking. This segment would then be compared to a similar evaluation
of high school students.

1. Segment Size: How many people are there in this segment? What percentage of the
population do they represent? (How many 13-15 year olds feel peer pressure to
smoke?)
2. Problem incidence: What percentage of 13-15 year olds smoke?
3. Problem severity: What is the incidence of smoking related issues among 13-15 year
olds?
4. Defenselessness: What percentage of 13-15 year olds can access smoking cessation
aids?
5. Reachability: Are there media channels and other venues that we can use for anti-
smoking messages specifically targeting 13-15 year olds?
 6. General Responsiveness: How do they compare with college students in this regard?

7. Incremental costs: Are there free or inexpensive distribution channels for smoking
cessation aids for 13-15 year olds?
8. Responsiveness to marketing mix
9. Organisational capabilities: Is our experience and expertise with 13-15 year olds as
strong as it is with college students?

How Target Audiences are selected

Most organizations involved in social marketing are faced with limited budgets.
Segments will need to be prioritized, with a disproportionate amount of resources
allocated to the most effective segments. Some segments will need to be
eliminated from the plan.
Target audiences (markets of greatest opportunity) emerge as those with the
greatest need and are the most ready for action, easiest to reach, and best match
for the organization. Measures used to assess each of these are as follows:

1. Greatest need: size, incidence, severity, and defenselessness.

2. Most ready for action: ready, willing, and able to respond.
3. Easiest to reach: identifiable, venues for distribution channels and
communications.
4. Best match: organizational mission, expertise, and resources.

Setting Behavior Objectives and Goals

There are three types of objectives associated with a social marketing campaign:

1. Behavior Objectives (What you want your audience to do)

2. Knowledge Objectives (What you want your audience to know)

3. Belief Objectives (What you want your audience to believe or feel)

A Social Marketing campaign always has a behavior objective. When and if you determine there
is something your audience needs to know or believe in order to act, that objective is identified
and incorporated as well.

After determining campaign objectives, campaign target goals are established that are Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time sensitive (SMART). Ideally, they specify the targeted
rates of change in behaviors, such as the increase in numbers of those in the target audience
who will be performing the desired behavior at some future date. They may also establish
desired changes in knowledge and belief, especially in cases where behavior change may be a
long term effort.

Behavior Objectives

As you develop and consider potential behavior objectives for your efforts, the following five
criteria should help you choose ones with the greatest potential for meaningful change, or at
least assist you in prioritizing them:
1. Impact: If your audience adopts the behavior, will it make a difference relative to the
purpose of your campaign.

2. Willingness: Has your target audience heard of doing this behavior before? How willing or
interested are they in doing this behavior? Do they perceive it will solve some problem or
concern they have, or will it satisfy some unfulfilled need?

3. Measurability: Can the behavior be measured either through observation, record keeping,
or self reporting?

4. Market Opportunity: How many in the target audience are not currently doing the
behavior? What, in other terminology, is the current penetration of this behavior? A
behavior that few have adopted would garner a high score in terms of market opportunity.

5. Market Supply: Does the behavior need more support? If some other organization is
already doing all that can be done to influence this behavior, perhaps a different
behavior would be more beneficial to the social issue.

Knowledge and Belief Objectives

When gathering background data and conducting the SWOT, you probably learned from
existing secondary research or from prior similar campaigns that typical audiences need a
little help before they are willing, sometimes even able, to act. They may need to have
some knowledge (information or facts) and/or belief (values, opinions, or attitude)
before they are convinced that the action is doable and/or worth the effort. Those in the
precontemplation stage, for example, typically do not believe they have a problem.
Those in the contemplation stage may not have made their mind that the effort (cost) is
worth the gain (benefit). Even those in the action stage may not be aware of their
accomplishments and therefore be vulnerable to relapses.

Knowledge objectives are those relating to statistics, facts, and other information and
skills your target audience would find motivating or important. Typically, the information
has simply been unavailable to the audience or unnoticed. Here are examples:

1. Statistics on risks associated with current behavior( eg. Percentage of obese women
who have heart attacks versus those not medically obese)

2. Facts on attractive alternatives (e.g., lists of plants that reduce indoor pollution)

3. Facts that correct misconceptions (e.g., cigarette butts are not biodegradable and can
take more than 10 years to disintegrate completely)

4. Facts that might be motivating (e.g., moderate physical activity has been proven to
have some of the same important medical benefits as vigorous physical activity)

Belief Objectives are those relating to attitudes, opinions, feelings, or values held by
the target audience. The target audience may have current beliefs that the marketer
may need to alter in order for them to act, or you may find that an important belief is
missing, such as one of the following:
 1. That they are at risk (e.g., they currently believe they are capable of driving safely
with a blood alcohol level of over 0.03)

2. That they will be able to successfully perform the desired behavior ( e.g., talk to
their teenager about thoughts of suicide)

3. That there will be minimal negative consequences from the desired behavior (e.g.,
worrying that blood donation would be painful)

Target Goals
Ideally, target goals establish a desired level of behavior change as a result of program
efforts (e.g. from 10% of homeowners who check for leaky taps on an annual basis to
20% in a year). To establish this target for the amount or percentage of change, you
will, of course need to know current levels of behavior amongst your target audiences.

Consider how the specificity and time bound nature of the following goals would inspire
and guide your planning and eventually help justify your resource expenditures:

1. Increase the percentage of people in the state wearing seatbelts at checkpoints

from 30% in 2012 to 50% by 2014.

2. Increase the number of adults who open their current accounts in organized banks
from 60% in 2012 to 70% by 2014.

In reality this process is difficult or impractical for many social marketing programs.
Base line data on current levels of behavior for a target audience may not be known or
may not be available in a timely or economically feasible way. Projecting future desired
levels (goal setting) often depends on data and experience from years of tracking and
analyzing the impact of prior efforts. Many social marketing efforts are conducted for the
first time and historical data may not have been recorded or retained.

There are several excellent resources in the public health, environmental, and
educational arenas as well as resources specific to certain audience groups (e.g., women)
that you can explore. They may provide data that guide efforts to establish baselines as
well as goals.

Identifying Target Audience Barriers, Benefits, The Competition, and the

Influential Others

The Exchange Theory

The traditional economic exchange theory postulates that, for and exchange to take
place, target audiences must perceive benefits equal to or greater than perceived costs. In
other words they must believe they will get as much or more than they give. It is essential
to understand the target audiences real and perceived barriers, benefits, competitors, and
influential others relative to your desired behavior.
1. Barriers: What do they think they will have to give up in order to perform the
behavior? What concerns do they have regarding this behavior? Do they think they
can do it? Why havent they done it in the past, or on a regular basis? Why perhaps
did they quit doing it? These could also be thought of as the costs the target
audience perceives.

2. Benefits: What do they think they will get if they perform the behavior as suggested?
How likely do they think it is that they will get this? What do they really want to get?
These are also sometimes referred to as potential motivators for the target
audience.

3. Competition: What behaviors are they doing instead? Why? What benefits do they
perceive in this competing offer? What does that cost and how does that compare
with your offer?

4. Influential others: Relative to your desired behavior, who does your target audience
listen to most? Are these influential others engaged in desired behavior? What are
they saying, or likely to say, to your target audience about this behavior?

More Information about Target Audience

Barriers

Doug McKenzie-Mohr notes that barriers may be internal to the individual, such as lack
of knowledge or skill needed to carry out an activity, or external, as in structural
changes that need to be made in order for the behavior to be more convenient.

Barriers may be related to a variety of factors, including knowledge, beliefs, skills,

abilities, infrastructures, technology, economic status, or cultural influences. They may
be real(e.g. taking the bus will take longer than driving alone to work) or perceived (e.g.
people who take the bus cannot really afford any other mode of transportation). In
either case, they are always from the target audiences perspective and often
something you can address.

Benefits

Benefits are something your target audience wants or needs and therefore values that
the behavior you are promoting has the potential to provide. They are what will
motivate your target audience to act. Again, these will be benefits in the eyes of the
customer-not necessarily the same as yours.

The whole world uses health as a benefit and yet health, as we think of it in public
health isnt as important to consumers. What people care about is looking good. Thats
why gym advertising increases before bathing suit time. There is not more disease when
the weather heats up, just more personal exposure.

The competition
The social marketers have tough competitors for we define competition as follows:

Behaviors our target audience would prefer over the ones we are promoting (e.g.
smoking cigarettes).

Behaviors they have been doing forever such as a habit that they would have to give up
(e.g., driving alone to work or having a cigarette with a morning cup of coffee).

Organizations or individuals who send messages that counter or oppose the desired
behavior (e.g., prominent Four Square cigarette ad from yesteryear: Live Life King
Size).

What and Who You may be Competing With

Behavior Competing Behaviors Competing messages

Objective and messengers

Drink less than 5 Getting really, buzzed Ula La La La Le yo

drinks at one sitting slogan in a King fisher
Beer ad

Spit in a spittoon Spitting in public places Movie images in which

heroes spit in open
places

Identifying Perceived Barriers and Benefits of the Competition

Audience Desired Behavior: Use Competing behavior:

Perceptions a trash bag in the car Tossing food bags out of
the window

Perceived It is good role modeling It is easier.

Benfits/Motivato for my kids. I avoid the smell of old
rs I am doing my part food in my car.
for the environment. I avoid the trash all over
I do not feel as guilty. my car.
It gives poor people a job
to do.
Everyone does it in India
Perceived Having to find one and I am contributing to the
Barriers/Costs remember to put it in litter on the roadways that
the car. will spread disease, looks
 Having liquid spill out bad, and will have to be
of it. picked up.

Looking like a crazy

family with a plastic
bag in our nice car.

Influential Others

The fourth area to consider at this point is those your target audience listens to,
watches and/or looks up to, especially related to the desired behavior you have in mind.
We think of them as midstream audiences, and they include social groups your target
audience belongs to (e.g., professional groups) as well as co-workers, classmates,
neighbors, family members, doctors, postmen, paanwallas, barbers, and pharmacists. In
some cases, it may be individuals the target audience finds trustworthy, credible, and
likable (e.g., a highly regarded scientist, cricketer, or movie star). Knowing what these
groups and individuals are saying and doing ( or might say and do) regarding the
desired behavior will have significant implications especially for promotional strategies,
perhaps warranting an additional target audience for your plan.

DEVELOPING SOCIAL MARKETING STATEGIES

Crafting a Desired Positioning

Positioning is the act of designing the organizations actual and perceived offering in
such a way that it lands on and occupies a distinctive place in the mind of the target
audience where you want it to be.

Develop a Positioning Statement

One way to develop a positing statement is to fill in the blanks to this phrase, or one
similar to it:

We want [TARGET AUDIENCE] to see [DESIRED BEHAVIOR] as [SET OF

BENEFITS] and as more important and beneficial than [COMPETITION].

Keep in mind that this positioning statement is for internal use only. It is not your
ultimate message to your target audiences. It will, however, be shared with others
working with you on your effort to develop your marketing mix strategy, helping to unify
and strengthen decision making. Consider how agreement on the following statements
would guide these teams:

We want people to see purchasing products made from synthetic materials and
perceive them to be as a less expensive and more humane option than purchasing
products made from animal body parts.
Inspiration for your descriptive phase will come from the lists of barriers and benefits
identified in your research. As you may recall, the ideal research will have included a
prioritization of barriers and benefits, giving you a sense of what factors would be most
important to highlight. You are searching for the higher value, the key benefits to be
gained or costs that will be avoided by adopting the desired behavior.

To leverage prior steps in the planning model, you may find it advantageous to consider
a focus for your positioning statements, choosing from among those that drive home
specific behaviors, highlight benefits, overcome barriers, upstage the competition,
or reposition an old brand.

Behavior Focused Positioning

For some social marketing programs, especially those with a new and very specific
desired behavior in mind, you may benefit from a behavior focused positioning. In these
cases, a description of your behavior will be highlighted:

Heads Up is a helmet promotion campaign launched by the Indian Head Injury

Foundation to target two wheeler drivers.

Barriers Focused Positioning

With this type of focus, you want your offers positioning to help overcome or at least
minimize perceived barriers, such as concern about self-efficacy, fear, or perceived high
costs associated with performing the behavior.

Looking like a crazy family with a plastic bag in our nice car. This mental barrier as
discussed in an earlier example ought to be removed if the campaign has to be
successful.

Benefits-Focused Positioning

When the best hook seems to be related to the WIFM (Whats In It for me) factor,
perceived benefits become the focus of the positioning.

It is good role modeling for my kids. This perceived benefit as discussed in an earlier
example ought to be removed if the campaign has to be successful.

Competition Focused Positioning

A fourth option for focus is the competition, one quite appropriate when the target
audience finds their offer quite appealing and your offer a pain.
In 1996, Childline India Foundation launched Indias first toll-free 24x7x365 helpline
Childline 1098 for street children facing danger at a time when calling the police was
the only option. While the police force is perceived as a distant fearful elder, Childline is
positioned as a helpful elder sister (didi) or elder brother (bhaiya) from whom children
can seek immediate help.
Repositioning

What happens when your program has a current positioning that you feel is in the way
of your achieving your behavior change goals? Several factors may have contributed to
this wakeup call and sense that you need to relocate:
You might need to attract new audiences to sustain your growth, and these new markets
may not find your current positioning appealing. For examples adults over 50 not
engaged in regular physical activity may have tuned out messages regarding exercises
long ago, as they could hear only the vigorous running recommendation. Planners
turned to moderate physical activity.
You may be suffering from an image problem. When bike helmets were first promoted to
the youth, they balked. Making the behavior fun, easy, and popular for the audience
could well describe the strategy. These three words focus program managers on how to
change behavior by giving people what they want along with what they need.
Fun in this context means to provide your audience with perceived benefits they care
about.
Easy means to remove all barriers to action and make the behavior as simple and
accessible as possible.
Popular means to help the audience feel that this is something others are doing,
particularly others the audience believes are important to them.

How Positioning relates to Branding

Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol and/or design that identifies the seller or maker of
a product.
Brand identity is how you the maker want your target audience to think, feel, and act
with respect to your brand.
Brand image is how your target audience actually ends up thinking, feeling, and
acting relative to your brand.
Branding is the process of developing an intended brand identity.
Your positioning statement is something you and others can count on to provide
parameters and inspiration for developing your desired brand identity-how you want the
desired behavior to be seen by the target audience. It will provide strong and steady
guidance for your decision making regarding your marketing mix, as it the 4Ps that
will determine where your offer lands in the minds of your target audience. And
when your brand image does not align with your desired positioning(brand identity),
you will look to your 4Ps for help in repositioning the brand.

PRODUCT

A product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or a need. In

social marketing, product elements include: a) the benefit the target audience wants in
exchange for performing the behavior, b) any goods or services you will be promoting
to your target audience, and c) any additional product elements you will include to
assist your target audience in performing the behavior. In a Peruvian campaign
addressing tuberculosis, the product benefit to patients for completing their drug
regimen was getting well; the good were the drugs and the services were direct
observations of the patients as they took the drugs; and an additional product element
to assist patients was a support group.

Developing the social marketing product platform

Traditional marketing theory propounds that from the customers perspective, a product
is more than its features, quality, name, and style and identifies three product levels
you should consider when developing your product: core product, actual product, and
augmented product.

EXAMPLE OF THREE PRODUCT LEVELS

Behaviour Core Actual Augmented
Objective Product(benefit Product(goods product
from performing and services and (additional
the behavior) any special product
product features) elements to
assist in
performing the
behavior)
Do not text Preventing Thumb socks Special
while driving injuries and that make it attachments for
death difficult to text, keeping the
given to teens thumb socks on
when they get the rear view
their drivers mirror when not
licenses. driving.
Wear Bike Preventing head Bike helmets Special
Helmets injuries and lockboxes for
deaths helmets in office
bike parking
areas.

Core Product
The Core product, the center of product platform, answers the following questions:
What is in it for the customer to buy your product? What benefits will customers
receive? What needs will the desired behavior satisfy? What problems will it solve? The
core product is not the behaviours or accompanying goods and services you will be
developing, providing, and/or promoting. It is the benefits your audience wants and
expects to experience whe they perform the behavior- benfits they say are the most
valuable to them ( e.g., moderate physical activity will make me feel better, look
better, and live longer). Decisions about the core product focus primarily on what
potential benfits should be stressed . this process will include reviewing audience
perceptions of a) benefits from the desired behavior and b) perceived costs of the
competing behaviours that the desired behavior can help the target audience avoid.
Decisions are then made regarding which of these should be emphasized in a campaign.
And keep in mind, the key benefit you should highlight is the benefit the target
audience perceives for performing the behavior not the benefit to your organization
or agency.
Actual Product
Surrounding the core product are the specific goods or services you want your target
audience to acquire, utilize, or consume those related to the desired behavior. As
noted earlier, it may be existing goods or services offered by a for profit company (e.g.
fruits and vegetables), a nonprofit organization (e.g. rapid HIV/AIDS test), or a govt.
agency (e.g. community swimming pool). Or it may goods or services your
organization develops or advocates for development (e.g. workshops for parents on
how to informally teach your child).
Actual Product Management Decisions
You will face several decisions in regard to developing or enhancing physical goods that
your campaign will encourage audiences to acquire, utilize, or consume. Is there a need
for new physical goods that would greatly support the behavior change? For example,
many adults with diabetes conduct finger prick blood tests to monitor their blood sugar
levels. A painless, needle-free mechanism that would provide reliable readings would
be a welcome innovation and might result in more regular monitoring of blood sugar
levels. The effectiveness of social marketing efforts was greatly enhanced when
following products were first introduced in our society: seat belts and bike helmets to
promote driver safety, beginner books to eradicate illiteracy, and solar lanterns to
improve the lives of villagers. When current offerings present formidable barriers, social
marketers should introduce new products that enhance benefits and reduce barriers.
Do current goods need to be improved or enhanced? Car drivers refuse to wear seat
belts because they leave marks on shirts or blouses. Two factors are responsible for
this; first, car seats accumulate dirt particles from the roads, and second, drivers sweat
makes their clothes wet in hot weather and in turn makes the seat belts sticky. New and
improved belts suited to Indian conditions need to be introduced if we want increased
adherence to safety behaviors.
There are several entrepreneurs in the country who are working tirelessly to enhance
existing products and better solve social problems.
Originally from Bihar, Arshad Mohsin has come up with a more stylish, portable, and
versatile mosquito bet net(branded as Sam Bed Net) to prevent malaria, dengue, and
kala azhar.
Kerala based K. Matthew has come up with his own mosquito killer product, Hawker
Solar Mosquito Destroyer which is eco friendly, easy to carry around, and easy to use
and maintain. Mr. Mathew promotes his product through a web site and media publicly.
Is there a need or opportunity for a substitute product? A Substitute product is one that
offers a target audience a healthier and safer way to satisfy a want, fulfill a need, or
solve a problem. The key is to understand the real benefit (core product) of the
competing behavior and to then develop or promote products offering the same or at
least some of the same benefits. These include for example food and beverages such
as non alcoholic beer, garden burgers, fat free dairy products, nicotine free cigarettes,
and decaffeinated coffee; natural fertilizers, natural pesticides, and ground covers to
replace lawns, and a package containing a can of chicken soup, tissues, and aspirin
prescribed to patients suffering from colds, in an effort to reduce the overuse of
antibiotics.
The security officials of 2010 Commonwealth Games hired the services of men took
care of langurs, since langurs were considered more effective in controlling smaller
monkeys (which are found by the thousands in the city and create nuisance by stealing
food, attacking, and interrupting events) than human security.
Services are often distinguished as offerings that are intangible and do not result in
ownership of anything. In the social marketing environment, examples of services that
support the desired behavior change might include personal services (eg individuals
accompanying women employees who return home late at night from work), counseling
services (e.g. a crisis line for people considering suicide), clinical services (e.g.
community clinics for free immunization), and community services (e.g. collection of
recyclable materials)

Branding

Branding in the commercial sector is pervasive and fairly easy to understand and
recognize. A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design ( or a combination of these)
that identifies the maker or seller of a product.
Branding in social marketing is not so common although we would like to encourage
more of it as it helps create visibility and ensure memorability. The following includes a
few of the stronger brands. In these cases brand names that have been used to identify
programs and products are used consistently in an integrated way. Additional brand
elements include graphics and taglines:
1. Family planning: Hum do. Hamare do
2. Polio Immunization: Do Boond Zindagi Ke
3. Respect for international tourists: Atithi Devo Bhavah; as part of Incredible India
campaign
4. Combating domestic violence: Bell Bajao
5. River pollution: Swatch Ganga Abhiyan
6. Wildlife protection: For When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too.

PRICE
Price is the cost that target audience associates with adopting the desired behavior.
The amount of money charged for a product or service or the sum of the values that
consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service.
Adoption costs may be monetary or nonmonetary in nature. Monetary costs in a social
marketing environment are most often related to goods and services associated with
adopting the behavior(e.g. buying an infant car seat). Nonmonetary costs are more
intangible but are just as real for your audience and often even more significant for
social marketing products. They include costs associated with time, effort, and energy
required to perform the behavior, psychological risks and losses that might be perceived
or experienced, and any physical discomforts that may be related to the behavior.
Determining Monetary and Non Monetary Incentives and Disincentives
Your objective and opportunity with this second marketing tool is to develop and provide
incentives that will increase benefits or decrease costs.
1. Increase Monetary Benfits for the Desired Behavior
Monetary rewards and incentives can take many forms familiar to you as a consumer
and includes rebates, allowances, cash incentives, and price adjustments that
reward customers for adopting the proposed behavior. For e.g., over the years,
 several state govt. have initiated financial incentives to encourage behaviours to
promote girls welfare, such as allowing the birth of girl children, delaying marriage,
and allowing girls to get an education. Monetary benefits can be categorized by
audience, number of incidents, length of time, and probability of receipt.
2. Increase Non Monetary Benefis for the Desired Behaviour
There are also ways to encourage changes in behavior that do not involve cash or
free goods and services with significant monetary value. Instead, they provide a
different type of value. In the social marketing environment, you can often deliver
some form of pledge, recognition, and appreciation acknowledging the adoption of
desired behavior. In most cases, the benefit is psychological and personal in nature.
It can be as simple as an email from a supervisor thanking an employee for signing
up for a car pool, or as formal and public as an annual awards program recognizing
the dry cleaner who has adopted the most significant green behavior in the past
year. In one instance blood donating students received attendance marks for up to
10 lectures to make up for short attendance.
3. Decrease Monetary Costs for the Desired Behaviour
Methods to decrease monetary costs are also familiar to most consumers: discount
coupons, cash discounts, quantity discounts, seasonal discounts, promotional
pricing (e.g. a temporary price reduction) and segment pricing (e.g. price based on
geographic locations). Many of these tactics are also available to social marketers.
You may have used a discount coupon from a utility to purchase energy efficient
bulbs, taken advantage of weekend sales event on motorcycle helmets, or received
on parking at a mall because you are part of a car pool.
4. Decrease Non Monetary Costs for the Desired Behaviour
Tactics are also available for decreasing time, effort, physical, or psychological
costs. For e.g., The people might be encouraged to floss their teeth while they
watch television.
5. Increase Monetary Costs for the Competing Behavior
In the social marketing environment, this tactic is likely to involve influencing policy
makers as the most effective monetary strategies against the competition often
require increasing taxes eg on gas guzzling cars, imposing fines e.g. a Rs. 100 fine
for parking in a no parking area, a Rs 100,000 fine and jail time for using
nonbiodegradable bags, and decreasing funding e.g. if a school does not offer an
hour of physical education classes.
6. Increase Non Monetary costs for the Competing Behaviour
Non Monetary tactics can also be used to increase actual or perceived non monetary
costs associating with choosing the competing behavior. In this case you may be
highlighting the downsides of the competition and creating or emphasizing negative
public recognition. For e.g. the traffic police in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Ranchi
garlanded the violators of traffic laws on assigned days. The violaters reported they
would have preferred to pay fines over being publicly shamed by the police.

PLACE
Place is where and when the target audience will perform the desired behavior,
acquire any related goods, and receive any associated services.
Developing the Place Strategy
Your objective with the place marketing tool is to develop strategies that will make it
as pleasant and convenient as possible for your target audience to perform the
behavior, acquire any goods, and receive any services. You will also want to do
anything possible and within reason to make the competing behavior seem less
convenient.
1. Make the location closer
Examples illustrating ways to save your target audience a little time and travel
include the following:
Exercise facilities at work sites
Flu shots at shopping malls
Dental floss kept in the TV room or attached to the remote control
2. Extend Hours
24 hours help lines for counseling and information on child abuse or help
for migrant labor.
Solar cooker training classes offered on Sundays.
3. Be there at the point of Decision Making
Creative solutions to influence just in time decision making include the
following:
Place a glass bowl of fruits and vegetables on the dining table versus in
closed drawers.
Place large, regularly emptied dustbins next to each paan shop and street
vendor shop.
Ensure that toilets are equipped with ante bacterial hand sanitizers.
Offer classes on scientific temper at locations near prominent religious
centers.
Offer a specific section in fish markets to fish vendors who sell
sustainable sea food.
4. Make the location more appealing
Examples of enhanced locations include the following:
Stairways in offices and residential buildings that employees and residents
would want to take- ones that are well lit, with music, and have art
exhibits on the walls that get changed out once a month.
Organised laughter yoga sessions for seniors in nice parks
5. Overcome Psychological barriers associated with Place
Offering a web site to help youth quit smoking, with an option to email a
counselor instead of calling- an option some research with youth indicates just is
not going to happen.
6. Be more accessible than Competition

Home delivery of freshly cooked nutritious food with the same time as it would
take to deliver a pizza
 Paintings of Gods and Goddesses plastered on several public walls, accompanied
by spittoons and dustbins next to these paintings, to discourage spitting on the
walls.

7. Make access to the Competition more Difficult or Unpleasant

Banning spitting and littering in public places

Banning oily and salty foods in restaurants and on streets
Restricting use of public audio system after midnight
Restricting use of fire crackers to specific religious festivals and from 6pm
to 9pm in the evening
Pruning bushes in city parks so that youth are not able to gather in
private and share their cigarettes, beers, or drugs
8. Be Where your Target Audience Shops
Sell heart healthy snacks in the clinic of a heart specialist
Sell tobacco- cessation aids in paan shops
9. Be Where your Target Audience Hangs Out
Similar to shops, identifying locations your target audience frequents and making
your products available at those locations also improves your attempt to change
audience behavior. To further explore this strategy imagine places where these
target audience hangs out that you might consider a distribution channel for your
services or tangible objects associated with your campaign:
Where could you find groups of seniors so you can provide sessions on
financial management during post retirement days?
Where could you efficiently provide classes to the fishing community on
sustainable fishing practices?
10.Work with Existing Distribution Channels
Working with existing channels to distribute your products will enhance efficiency
and effectiveness of your program.

PROMOTION
Promotions are persuasive communications designed and delivered to inspire your
target audience to action.
You will be highlighting your products benefits, features, and any associated
tangible goods and services. You will be touting any monetary and nonmonetary
incentives. And you will be letting target adopters know where and when they can
access any tangible goods and services included in your program effort. You create
the voice of your brand and decide how you will establish a dialogue and build
relationships with your customers. Your planning process includes four major
decisions:
Message Strategy
At this point, you are focused on the content of your communications, not the
ultimate slogans, scripts, or headlines. That comes later. What those developing
your creative strategies need to know first is what responses you want from your
target audience.
What do you want your target audience to do? What specific desired behavior is your
campaign focused on.
What do you want them to know? Select key facts and information regarding your
offer that should be included in the campaign messages. If you are offering tangible
goods or services related to your campaign (e.g. air conditioned bus rides from
residential areas to office areas), you will want messages that inform target
audiences where and when they can be accessed. There may be key points you
want to make on how to perform the behavior (e.g. the time needed to take various
bus routes). To highlight the benefits of your offer, you may decide that a key point
you want your audience to know relates to costs associated with competing
behaviors (e.g. the monthly monetary costs of maintaining a car and hiring a
chauffeur) and benefits you promise (e.g. the convenience of sleeping, reading a
novel, or working on an i-pad)
What you want them to believe? This is about what you want your target audience to
believe and feel as a result of your key messages. What did they say when asked
why they werent planning to vote (e.g. My vote wont make a difference)? Why
do they think they are safe to drive home after drinking (e.g. Ive done it before and
was perfectly fine)? These are the points you will want your communications to
counter. And what was their response when you asked what would motivate them to
exercise five days a week (e.g. believing I would sleep better), fix a leaky toilet (e.g.
saving 757 litres of water a day), or take the bus to work ( e.g. catching up on
sleep)? These are the points youll want to put front and center.

Messages Relative to Stages of Change

Messages will be guided by your target audiences current state of change.

Marketers role is to move target adopters to the next change, influencing
precontemplators to become contemplators, contemplators to take action, and
those in action to make is a habit (maintenance).
For Precontemplators, your major emphasis is on making sure your target audience
is aware of the costs of competing behaviors and benefits of the new one. These are
often stated using statistics and facts.
For Contemplators, your message options include encouraging them to at least try
the new behavior. You will want to dispels any myths (e.g. airbags are as good as
sealt belts) and potentially address any barriers.
For those in action, youll want them to start to see the benefits of having gotten out
of bed. For e.g. that they reached targeted milestones (e.g. 30 days without a
cigarette). Your messages will target a tendency to return to old habits.
For those in maintenance, you want to be sure they are realizing the promised
benefits and you may occasionally want to remind them of the long term gains they
are bound to receive or contribute to (e.g. a statement message on a utility bill that
selectively thanks residents for helping to reduce peak hour electrical consumption
by 60%).

Messenger Strategy
Who your target audience perceives to be delivering the message and what they
think of this particular messenger can make or break the deal. You have six major
messenger options (sole sponsor, partners, spokespersons, endorsements,
midstream audiences, mascot)
Sole Sponsor: The sponsoring organization can be the sole sponsor, with campaign
communications highlighting the organizations name . A quick audit of social
marketing campaigns is likely to indicate a public sector agency sponsor (e.g. the
National Rural Health Mission promoting healthy behaviours) or a nonprofit
organization (e.g. the CPAA urging cessation of tobacco consumption). Although it is
not as common, the sole sponsor might be a for profit organization ( e.g. P&G asking
parents to send their child to school).
Partners: For many efforts there will be partners involved from the beginning in
developing, implementing, and perhaps funding the campaign. In this scenario
target audiences may not be certain of the main or actual sponsors. These partners
may form a coalition or just a project, one where the target audience may or may not
be aware or clear what organizations are sponsoring the effort (e.g. water quality
consortium that includes utilities, departments of health, and an environmental
advocacy group)
Some organizations and campaigns make effective use of spokespersons to deliver
the messages, often achieving higher attention and recall as well as increased
credibility. E.g. Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao for Childline Helpline and Swayam
Siddha for a school in Aurangabad for specially abled children.
You may want to include endorsements from outside organizations which are often
then seen as one of the messangers. These can range from simply including an
organisations name or logo in your communications to displaying more formal
testimonials in support of your campaigns facts and recommendations (e.g. in India,
World Health Organisation ORS is considered to be the gold standard for quality in
addressing diarrhea episodes)
It may be very advantageous to engage midstream audiences who typically have a
closer relationship with your target, to be your messengers. In the USA, Soul Sense
of Beauty, for e.g., is an outreach program that trains hairstylists, considered
confidante by many, to talk to their clients about health issues.
Finally there is always the option of creating a mascot to represent the brand. E.g.
Pappu Zebra for road safety.

Creative Strategy
Your creative strategy will translate the content of your desired messages to
specific communications. This will include everything from logos, typeface, taglines,
headlines, copy, visuals, and colors in printed materials to script, actors, scenes, and
sounds in broadcast media. You will be faced with choosing between informational
appeals that elaborate on behaviours and their benefits and emotional appeals
using fear, guilt, shame, love, or surprise. Your goal is to develop or approve
communications that will capture the attention of your target audience and persuade
them to adopt the desired behavior.
Creative Tip 1 : Keep it Simple and Clear
Assume for an instance that your target audience is interested, even eager, to adopt
the behavior. Perhaps it was something you said or something they were already
inclined to do and they are just waiting for clear instructions, such as Eat five or
more fruits and vegetables a day, Wash your hands long enough to sing the
Happy Birthday song twice,.
Tip 2: Focus on Audience Benefits
Since people do not buy products but instead buy expectations of benefits, creative
strategies should highlight benefits your target audience wants most and expects in
return for costs associated with performing the behavior. This will be especially
effective when the perceived benefits already outweigh perceived costs. The target
audience just needs to be prompted and reminded of this.
Tip 3: When using fear, Follow up with Solutions and Use Credible Sources
Social Marketers frequently debate whether or not to use fear appeals. Following
should be taken into account:
A strong fear based appeals works best when it is accompanied by solutions which
are both effective and easy to perform.
A strong fear based appeal may be most persuasive to those who have previously
been unconcerned about a particular problem.
An appeal to fear may work better when it is directed towards someone who is close
to a potential target adopter rather than to a target adopter.
The more credible the source, the more persuasive the fear base appeal.
Tip 4: Try for messages that are Vivid, Concrete, and Personal
Vivid information increases the likelihood that a message will stand out against all
the information competing for our attention.
Information that is personalized uniquely addresses your target audience
preferences, wants, and needs, fully informed by their perceived barriers to and
benefits of doing the behavior.
Tip 5: Make Messages Easy to Remember
Try rhyming techniques such as Sab Padhe, Sab Badhe
Those that surprise you, such as Women feel safe with men who smoke. Smoking
causes impotency.
Create a short, simple and memorable feeling such as Jago Grahak Jago
Connect the timing to some other familiar event, such as Donate Blood every
birthday.
Tip 6: Have a Little Fun Sometimes
In 2010, as part of Saaku (Enough in Kannada) campaign, a group in Bengaluru
took to the streets to protest corruption and distributed fake zero rupee notes to
ask the public to pledge against bribery and corruption in Karnataka and support the
Lokpal Bill. On the other hand, humorous messages are not as effective for complex
messages.
Tip 7: Try for a Big Idea
The hygiene promotion campaign by UNICEF and the Ministry of Rural Development
with the tag line, Safai mein Bhalai is a good example of a big idea, allowing the
team to promote multiple behaviours across multiple audience groups in diverse
cultures of India by employing multiple creatives.
Tip 8: Consider a Question Instead of a Nag
Are you going to drink 8 glasses of water today? Are you going to vote tomorrow?
Some believe the very act of asking these questions can be a force for positive
change, a technique referred to as the self prophecy effect.
However for the above to be successful the target audience must see the behavior
as a social norm and be predisposed to the behavior, or at least not have strong
commitments to the competing one. For e.g. asking a group of drug users, Are you
going to stop using today?is probably not going to work.
Tip 9: Make Norms (More) Visible
If the people believe that the majority of their peers smoke, then they are more
likely to smoke. Using social norms marketing to inform people that the majority of
their peers do not smoke can potentially lead them to avoid smoking.
Tip 10: Tell Real Stories about Real People
Perhaps one of the reason that real stories told by real people is such a great
creative strategy is that they embody many of the message and messenger best
practices. The messenger, because he or she is a real person telling his or her own
story, is viewed as credible and usually likable. And the messages, when they are
true stories have more possibility for providing concrete examples and creating
emotion.

Pretesting

Appropriate Reasons for Testing

The primary purpose for pretesting potential messages and creative executions is
to assess their ability to deliver on the strategies and objectives. When faced with
several potential executions, the process can also help choose the most effective
options or eliminate the least effective. It provides the opportunity to refine
materials prior to production and distribution. In addition it helps to identify any red
flags something about the potential ad that might interfere with communications or
send the wrong message. For e.g. a potential tobacco prevention ad targeting teens
with the fact that all it takes is 100 cigarettes to get addictedraised a couple of
red flags when several youth commented, Well, then Ill just have 99,and others
expressed the idea that 100 cigarettes (to a nonsmoker) sounds like lot!.
Potential Pretesting Techniques
Techniques used for pretesting are typically qualitative in nature and most often
include focus groups or personal interviews and professional review of materials for
technical accuracy and readability (i.e. literacy levels). When a more quantitative,
controlled approach is required , methodologies may include theatre or natural
exposure testing (e.g. ads are embedded between other spots or in the middle of
programming) and a larger number of focus groups, intercept interviews, and self
administered surveys.
At early stages when concepts and draft executions are being tested, qualitative
instruments are usually most appropriate. After concepts have been refined,
quantitative techniques may be important to help you choose from several potential
executions.

SELECTING COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS

Communication Types
Communication channels, also referred to as media channels, can be categorized by
whether they are mass, selective, or personal. Each approach may be appropriate
depending upon the communication objectives. Many campaigns and programs may
warrant all three as they are mutually reinforcing.
Mass Media Channels: are called for when large groups of people need to be
quickly informed and persuaded regarding an issue or a desired behavior. Typical
mass media types for social marketers include advertising, publicity, popular and
entertaining media, and governmental signage.
Selective Media Channels: are used in cases where target audience can be
reached more cost effectively through targeted media channels and when they need
to know more than is available in mass media formats. Typical selective media types
include direct mail, flyers, brochures, posters, special events, telemarketing, and the
Internet.
Personal Media Channels: are sometimes important to attain behavior change
objectives and include social networking sites such as Facebook, face to face
meetings and presentations, telephone conversations, workshops, seminars, and
training sessions. This approach is most warranted when some form of personal
intervention and interaction is required in order to deliver detailed information,
address barriers and concerns, build trust, and gain commitment.

Communication Vehicles
Within each of the major communication channels there are specific vehicles to
select. Which TV stations, radio programs, magazines, Web sites, mobile
technologies, and bus routes should you choose? At what events should you sign up
for a booth? When are the roads sign warranted? Where should you put your fact
sheets?

Communication Timing
Timing elements include decisions regarding months, weeks, days, and hours when
campaign elements will be launched, distributed, implemented, and aired in the
media. Your decision would be guided by when your audience is most likely to be
reached or when you have your greatest window of opportunity for being heard.

TRADITIONAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Advertising and Public Service Announcements

Defined formally, advertising is any paid form of nonpersonal presentation of ideas,

goods, or services by an identified sponsor. More commonly, you probably think of
one or more of the popular, traditional mass media communication channels such as
television, radio, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, the Internet, and a variety of
outdoor channels such as billboards, transit signage, and kiosks. In the commercial
sector, these advertisements are most often bought by the organizations
advertising or media buying agency.
As a social marketer working for a public sector or nonprofit organization, you will
also have opportunities for unpaid advertising, something you know of as public
service announcements (PSAs). For instance, Majlis ran a PSA to inform neighbors to
call the right people when they witness domestic violence so that the victim gets
appropriate help.

Public Relations and Special Events

Public relations is distinguishable by its most favorable outcome- free visibility for
your campaign. Successful activities generate free, positive mentions of your
programs in the media, most commonly as news and special programming on radio
and televisions and as stories, articles, and editorial comments in newspapers and
magazines. Many refer to these accomplishments as earned media contrasting it to
paid media.
Special events can also generate visibility for your effort. The event may be a part of
a larger public gathering such as community jatra, or it might be something you
have organized just for your campaign.
It might include a demonstration (e.g. car safety checks) or it might be a
presentation at a location where your target audience shops, dines, or commutes.

Printed Materials
Brochures, newsletters, and flyers provide opportunities to present more detailed
information regarding the desired behavior and the social marketing program.

Special Promotional Items

Among the most familiar are messages on clothing (e.g. T-shirts, cricket caps, etc),
functional items (e.g. Key chains, water bottles, pens and pencils, notepads, etc)
and more temporary mechanisms (e.g. lapel buttons)
Signage and Displays

Examples of those more permanent include road signs warning against drinking and
driving and reminding people to use litterbag. Signs on government property and
establishments regulated by the government can be used to target messages, such
as signs in forests asking hikers to stay on the path, plaques in public hospitals
alerting people to maintain silence and hygiene, and signs at airports urging
travelers not to leave luggage unattended.

Personal Selling

The three distinctive qualities this tool provides:

1. Personal interaction- involving an immediate and interactive relationship
2. Cultivation- permitting relationships to grow
3. Response- making the buyer feel under some obligation for having listened to the
sales talk

NON TRADIONAL AND NEW MEDIA CHANNELS

1. Social Media
2. Web Sites
3. Popular Entertainment Media
 Factors Guiding Communication Channel Decisions

Factor 1: Your Campaign Objectives and Goals: If you want 500 homes in a village to
send children to school, you will have a very different outreach strategy than if you
want 5 million residents of a state to take steps to prevent an H1N1 outbreak.

Factor 2: Desired Reach and Frequency: A state health department may want radio
and television spots to reach 75% of youth ages 12 to 18 years living in major
metropolitan areas at least nine times during a two month campaign.

Factor3: Your Target Audience: The most important consideration when planning
media strategies will the target audiences profile (demographics, psychographics,
geographics, and behaviors) and their media habits.

Factor 4: Being There Just in Time: An ideal moment to speak to the target audience
is when they are about to choose between alternative, competing behaviours.
Tactics include, a message on the menu card reminding people to wash their hands
prior to consuming food; Stickers to be placed on car dashboards reminding drivers
to wear seatbelt.

Factor 5: Being There In the Event Of: For instance, the Eye Bank Association of
India promotes eye donation during Holi, using the idea that individuals with
impaired vision will be able to enjoy the beauty of colors once they receive eye
transplants.

Factor 6: Integrated Social Marketing Campaigns: A company carefully integrates

and coordinates its many communication channels to deliver a clear, consistent,
and compelling message about the organization and its products. It means that
statistics and facts used in press releases are the same as those in printed
materials. It means that television commercials have the same tone and style as
radio spots and that print ads have the same look and feel as the programs web
site.

Factor 7: Knowing Advantages and Disadvantages of Media Type

Factor 8: Your Budget: You will need to prioritize and allocate funding to media types
and vehicles judged to be most efficient and effective. In some cases it may then be
necessary and appropriate to reduce campaign goals ( eg reaching 50% instead of
75% of youth at least nine times) and create a phased approach to campaign
implementation ( eg achieve the reach and frequency goals in half the state)

MANAGING SOCIAL MARKETING PROGRAMS

Develop a Plan for Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring refers to measurements conducted sometime after you launch your social
marketing effort but before it is completed. Its purpose is to help you determine whether you
need to make midcourse corrections that will ensure that you reach your ultimate marketing
goals.
Evaluation on the other hand is a measurement and final report on what happened, answering
the bottom line question: Did you reach your goals for changes in behaviors, knowledge, and
attitudes? Additional questions are also likely to be addressed in the evaluation. Were the
activities implemented on time and on budget? Where there any unintended consequences that
will need to be addressed now or in future similar projects? Which program elements worked well
to support outcomes? Which ones did not? Was there anything missing? What will you do
differently next time, if there is a next time?

Why are you conducting this measurement?

To fulfill a grant requirement.

To do better next time.
To get support for continued funding.
To help determine resource allocation.
To decide if course corrections are needed.

What will you measure?

Input Measures

The easiest and most straightforward measures are those itemizing resources used to develop,
implement, and evaluate the campaign. The most common elements include money spent and
staff time allocated. In many cases there will be additional contributions to the effort to report
on, including any volunteer hours, existing materials, distribution channels utilized, and partner
contributions.

Output/Process Measures

The next easiest measures are those describing your campaigns outputs, sometimes referred
to as process measures, which focus on quantifying your marketing activities as much as
possible.

Number of materials distributed and media channels utilized: this measure refers to the number
of mailings, brochure, flyers, key chains, book marks, booklets, posters, or coupons put forth. It
also includes calls made, events held, Web sites created, and social media tactics employed.
Note that this does not indicate whether posters were noticed, brochures were read, events
were attended, You Tube videos were viewed only the numbers put out there.

Reach and Frequency: Reach refers to the number of different people or households exposed to a
particular image of message during a specified period. Frequency is the number of times within
this time frame, on average, that the target audience is exposed to the communication.

Media Coverage: It includes reporting on numbers of column inches in newspapers and

magazines, minutes on television and radio news and special programs.
Outcome Measures:

Changes in Behavior: These may be measured and stated in terms of a change in percentage
(e.g. adult binge drinking decreased from 17% to 6%), or a change in numbers ( e.g. 40000 new
households signed up for community garden practices, increasing the total number of
households participating from 60000 to 100000)

Changes in behavior intent: It may be the most appropriate measure for campaigns targeting
those in the precontemplation stage, when the social marketers goal is to move them to
contemplation and then eventually to the action stage.

Change in awareness and knowledge: Measures of awareness of campaign elements provide

some feedback to the extent to which the campaign was noticed and recalled e.g. what have you
seen or heard lately in the news about our states new drinking age. On the knowledge front it
may include changes in knowledge of important facts e.g. an estimated 75000 people are on
waiting lists for organ transplants.

Changes in belief: Typical indicators include attitudes (e.g. my vote does not count), opinions
(e.g. solar cooked food takes a long time to prepare) and values ( e.g. eating tobacco is worth the
risk)

Responses to campaign elements: Here you may be counting hits to your Web Site, the number
of times your SMS message was shared, the number of times a video was shared, the number of
comments on the blog, coupon redemptions(e.g. for a bike helmet)

Customer Satisfaction Levels: e.g. ratings on levels of satisfaction with services provided by
social franchising health clinics or with Janani Suraksha Yojna.

Parternships and contributions created: These may include numbers of hours spent by
volunteers, partners, and coalition members participating in the campaign as well as amounts of
cash and in kind contributions received from foundations, media and business.

Policy Changes: In the interest of oral health for children for example efforts to persuade grocery
stores to remove chocolates and chewing gums from cashier lanes have paid off in some
communities in the western countries.

Impact Measures

This measure is the most rigorous, costly, and controversial of all measurement types. In this
category, you are attempting to measure the impact that the changes in behavior you achieved
(e.g. more residents saving water) have had on the social issue your plan is addressing ( e.g.
availability of water). It would be indeed great to be able to report on the following types of
impact measures in addition to outputs and outcomes:

Diseases prevented (e.g. from increased physical activity)

Injuries avoided (e.g. from safer workplace practices)

Air quality improved ( e.g. decreased use of single occupancy vehicles)

Return on Investment
Determining and reporting on ROI has several benefits. It can provide a solid rationale for
continued funding for successful programs, fundings that might be cut if it is perceived that the
program is too costly or is large budget item. This will help agency directors address tough
budget questions from policymakers, peers, even the media. Second, findings can help
administrators allocate resources providing a disproportionate share to programs with the
highest ROI.

Most ROIs can be determined with five simple steps:

1. Money spent: Calculate total input costs.

2. Behaviors influenced: this was determined when conducting outcome research.

3. Cost per behavior influenced: this is Step 1 divided by Step 2

4. Benefit per behavior: this step answers the question, What is the economic value of this
changed behavior?

5. ROI: This takes three calculations:

Number of behaviors influenced (from step 2) times economic benefit per behavior
(from step 4) equals the gross economic benefit (#2 X #4 = gross economic
benefit).

The gross economic benefit minus the amount spent (step 1) equals the net benefit.

The net benefit divided by the investment costs (step 1) times 100 equals rate of
return on the investment.

HOW WILL YOU MEASURE

In general, audience surveys will be the primary technique used in measuring outcomes.
Records will provide information for determining inputs; outputs will rely on records as
well. Outcome measures usually require quantitative surveys, whereas impact measures
may require more scientific or technical surveys.

Quantitative Surveys: are needed when reliable data are key to evaluation ( e.g.
percentage increase in levels of physical activity) and are most commonly conducted
using telephone surveys, online surveys, self administered questionnaires, and in person
interviews.

Qualitative Surveys: should be considered when evaluation requirements are less stringent
or more subjective in nature and include methodologies such as focus groups, informal
interviews, and capturing anecdotal comments.

Observation Research: is often more reliable than self reported data and when possible the
most appropriate technique. It can be used for evaluating behaviours such as wearing a
life vest, washing hands before returning to work , or urinating inside the urinals rather
than in the public.
Scientific or Technical Survey: if you are charged with reporting back on the difference your
efforts made in reducing diseases, saving lives, improving water quality, etc you need this
survey.

Records and Databases: Keeping accurate track of number of visits to a web site and
length of time spent, number of calls (e.g. to tobacco quitline), comments on Facebook
( e.g. tips to avoid flu), views of You Tube video (e.g. of a PSA persuading viewers to wear
seatbelts), number of visits (e.g. to a teen clinic). This effort may also involved working
with suppliers and partners to provide similar information from their records and
databases)

WHEN WILL YOU MEASURE?

Time for measurement efforts is likely to happen as follows:

1. Prior to campaign launch

2. During campaign implementation, thought of as tracking and monitoring surveys

3. Post campaign taken when all campaign elements are completed, providing data on
short term outcomes and long term impact.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Cost for recommended monitoring and evaluation activities will vary from minimal costs
for those that simply involve checking records and databases or gathering anecdotal
comments, to moderate costs for those involving citizen surveys or observation research,
to potentially significant costs for those needing scientific or technical surveys. Ideally
decisions to fund these activities will be based on the value they will contribute to your
program. If such an activity will assist you in getting support and continued funding for
your program, it may be a wise investment. If it helps you refine and improve your effort
going forward, payback is likely in terms of return on your investment.

ESTABLISHING BUDGETS AND FINDING FUNDING

ESTABLISH BUDGETS

Determining Budgets

The following three have the most relevance for social marketing:

1. The affordable method: Budgets are based on what the organization has available in
the yearly budget or on what has been spent in prior years.

2. The competitive parity method: In this situation, budgets are set or considered on the
basis of what competitors are spending.

3. The objective and task method: Budgets are established by a) reviewing specific
objectives and quantifiable goals, b) identifying the tasks that must be performed to
achieve these objectives, and c) estimating the costs associated with performing these
tasks.
The most logical of these approaches and one consistent with our planning process is the
objective and task method. In this scenario you will identify costs related to your
marketing mix strategy as well as evaluation and monitoring efforts.

More detailed descriptions of typical costs associated with implementing the marketing
plan follow:

Product related costs: are most often associated with producing or purchasing any
accompanying tangible goods and developing or enhancing associated services needed to
support behavior change. Costs may include direct costs for providing these goods and
services or they may be indirect costs, such as staff time.

Price related costs: include those associated incentives, recognition programs, and
rewards. In some cases, they include net losses from sales of any goods and services
associated with the marketing effort.

Place related costs: involve providing new or enhanced access or delivery channels, such
as telephone centres, online purchasing, extended hours, and new or improved locations.

Promotion related costs: are the costs associated with developing, producing, and
disseminating communications.

Evaluation related costs: include any planned measurement and tracking surveys.

JUSTIFYING THE BUDGET

Theoretically you want to calculate your costs for the targeted levels of behavior change
and then compare them with the potential economic value of the behaviours influenced.

What is it worth in terms of medical and other societal costs for a health department to
find 500 HIV positive men in one city as a result of their testing efforts in STI clinics? How
does that compare with the proposed marketing budget of Rs. 7500000 to support this
effort? Is each find worth at least Rs 15000?

What is the economic value of a 2% increase in seatbelt usage in a state? How many
injuries and deaths would be avoided, and how do savings in public emergency and health
care costs compare with a Rs 12500000 budget for promotional activities proposed to
achieve this increase?

FINDING SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING

Government Grants and Appropriations

Central, state, and district government agencies are important sources of funds and
grants for social marketing efforts. Potential sources, especially for nonprofit organizations,
include national, state, and local departments of helath, environment and forestry, rural
development, road transport, women and child development, and public works
department.

International Government Organizations

These include agencies related to the United Nations (e.g. UNICEF, the World Bank, and
the World Health Organisation) and international aid units of foreign governments (e.g.
USAID of US Govt. and DFID of the U.K. Govt. )

Nonprofit/Foundations

Family foundations, in which funds are derived from members of a single family (e.g. Azim
Premji Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation); General Foundations, usually run
by a professional staff awarding grants in many different fields of interest (e.g. Public
Health Foundation of India); Corporate Foundations, whose assets are derived primarily
from the contributions of a for profit business (e.g. Infosys Foundation)

Advertising and Media Partners

Advertising agencies often provide pro bono services to support social causes, with
contributions ranging from consulting or media buying and creative strategies to actually
developing and producing advertising campaigns. Television and radio stations are often
approached to provide free or discounted airtime for campaigns with good causes.

Corporations

These are good days for Corporate Social Responsibility as the Companies Bill passed in
2012 requires firms to spend 2% of their net profit on social welfare.

CREATING AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND SUSTAINING BEHAVIOR

CREATE AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

It functions as a concise working document to share and track planned efforts. It provides
a mechanism to ensure you and your team do what you said you wanted to do, on time
and within the budget.

Key components to a comprehensive implementation plan include addressing the classic

action planning elements of what will be done, by whom, when, and for how much.

What will we do? Key activities necessary to execute strategies identified in the marketing
mix and the evaluation plan are captured in this document.

Who will be responsible? In social marketing programs, typical key players include staff
(e.g. program coordinators), partners (e.g. coalition members or other agencies), sponsors
(e.g. a retail business or the media), suppliers ( e.g. manufacturers), vendors (e.g. an
advertising agency), consultants (e.g. for evaluation efforts) and other internal and
external publics, such as volunteers, citizens, and lawmakers.

When will it be done? Time frames are included for each major activity, typically noting
expected start and finish dates.

How much will it cost? Expenses identified in the budgeting process are then paired with
associated activities.
PHASING

When funding levels are inadequate to implement the desired plan, one tactic to consider
is spreading costs over a longer period of time, allowing more time to raise funds or use
future budget allocations. Natural options include creating phases that are organized by
some element of the marketing plan.

Phases Organized by the Target Audience

In a differentiated strategy in which several market segments are targets for the
campaign, each phase could concentrate on implementing strategies for a distinct
segment. For example, the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture based in Hyderabad could
work in following phases:

Phase 1: Influencing policymakers to reduce subsidies for farmers who use chemicals in
their agricultural practice.

Phase 2: Influencing small land holding farmers to employ simple and inexpensive tactics
to ward off pests such as yellow cards or light traps

Phase 3: Influencing large land holding farmers to employ simple and inexpensive tactics
that can work on larger areas.

Phase 4: Influencing city dwellers to purchase organic food.

Phases Organized by Geographic Area

By using this option you will also be implementing all of the strategic elements you chose
for the marketing mix. You will just be concentrating them in one or a few geographic
areas.

Phase 1: Program piloted in the Mustafabad area of North Delhi and in the Thane district
near Mumbai.

Phase 2: Program piloted in seven states

Phase 3: Program adopted by the rest of the country.

Phases Organized by Objective

The Centre for Science and Environments Clean Air Campaign in New Delhi used this
strategy allowing more time to gain the support of the public and policy makers:

Phase 1: Creating awareness of air pollution

Phase 2: Countering myths propagated by the Govt. and transport operators.

Phase 3: Influencing policymakers to pass laws that make it mandatory for operators of
buses, taxis, and rickshaws to switch to CNG.

Phases Organized by Goal

 The Govt. of Sikkim decided to make the state a completely organic food state. To achieve
this goal, they set forth the following interim goals to convert farmlands:

Phase 1: To 36% ( 18000 hectares) by 2011

Phase 2: To 72% (36000 hectares) by 2012

Phase 3: To 100% (50000 hectares) by 2013

Phases Organized by Stage of Change

In a campaign encouraging blood donation efforts may be made to involve individuals

with eager volunteers who can then be influenced and equipped to spread the word to
neighbor. In this case the phases may appear as follows:

Phase 1: Influence individuals who donate once every three months (maintenance segment)

Phase 2: Influence individuals who donate once every year ( in action segment)

Phase 3: Influence individuals who are thinking of donating blood (contemplator segment)

Phases Organized by Introduction or Enhancement of Services or Tangible goods

An HIV/AIDS prevention program might phase the introduction of various tangible goods and
intangible services by starting with those perceived to have the most potential impact on
increasing use and then move on to those providing added value:

Phase 1: Condom promotion

Phase 2: Promotion of STI prevention clinic services

Phase 3: Promotion of health franchise clinics that provide integrated HIV prevention services.

Phases organized by Pricing Strategies

In the case of utility promoting energy efficient appliances, pricing strategies might change over
time as follows:

Phase 1: Rebates for turning in old refrigerators

Phase 2: Discount coupons for energy efficient refrigerators

Phase 3: Pricing similar to competing appliances and increased emphasis on contribution to the
environment

Phases Organized by Distribution Channels

Launching a statewide generic prescription drug medications program might progress over time
as follows:

Phase 1: Pilot the program by distributing at public hospitals

Phase 2; Expand to private medical centers and hospitals

Phase 3: Expand to pharmacies

Phases Organized by Messages

In a potential obesity prevention campaign, Chennai based Obesity Foundation India could phase
its recommended actions in the following clustered way:

Phase 1: Steps at work: Walk during your lunch hour. Get off a stop early and walk. Walk to a co
workers desk instead of emailing or calling them.

Phase 2: Steps when shopping: Eat before grocery shopping. Make a grocery list before you shop.
Carry a grocery basket instead of pushing a cart.

Phase 3: Steps when eating: Eat off smaller plates. Stop eating when you are full. Snack on fruits
and vegetables.

SUSTAINABILITY

Are there other mechanisms you could include in the campaign that will help your target
audience sustain their behavior over the long term?

Involving Communities

For example, Gandhiji routinely involved entire communities to promote alcohol prohibition.
These attempts have continued to this day. Frequently one finds women getting around
and collectively driving alcoholics away from their habitats and banning alcohol from
villages.

Prompts

These are visual or auditory aids which remind us to carry out an activity what we might
otherwise forget.

There are four recommendations of McKenzie-Mohr and Smith for effective prompts:

1. Make the prompt noticeable, using eye catching graphics.

2. Make the prompt self explanatory, including all information needed to take the appropriate
action.

3. Place the prompt as close as possible to where and when the action is to be taken.

4. Use prompts to encourage positive behaviors rather than to avoid harmful ones.

Commitments and Pledges

Gaining commitments or pledges from target adopters has also proven surprisingly effective.
Examples include a request to exercise for 50 minutes during the first two weeks, 100
minutes for next two, and 150 minutes later on, or asking farmers to grow one crop a year
without pesticides and enventually go completely organic over a two year period. The
following four guidelines for designing effective commitments are among those emphasized:

1. Make commitments as public as possible (e.g. Jaago Re web site asks people to pledge
online to vote in the next elections.)

2. Seek commitments in groups (e.g. members of Patel community in Saurashtra pledge to

conserve energy)

3. Engage the audience in performing the activity initially to increase their perception of
commitment (e.g. having tobacco chewing individuals to reduce consumption by 5% in the
first week and then 10% every following week until they reach complete abstinence)

4. Use existing, related contact points to solicit commitments (e.g. when individuals purchase
plastic items, ask for a commitment to dispose of them with the appropriate authorities)

Plans for Social Diffusion

Before wrapping up the planning process also take time to consider additional tactics to
facilitate social diffusion the spread of the adoption of behavior from a few to many.
Guidelines for this are as follows:

1. Make support for behavior adoption visible (e.g. ask farmers to tell 10 other colleagues
that they have adopted rainwater harvesting techniques)

2. Use durable versus temporary indicators (e.g. a sign at every paan shop instructing zarda
and pan consumers to spit in the spittoon versus posters placed at railway station)

3. Engage well known and well respected people to make their support for a desired behavior
visible (e.g. a film star speaking frequently about the advantages she sees from driving a
hybrid car)

4. Make norms visible, especially when most of us are engaged in the behavior (e.g. a sign at
the entrance to a grocery store stating 60% of shoppers bring their own bags at least once
a month)