Social Marketing CS1 - Essay Example

Social Marketing s Introduction The social marketing theory combines various theories with an aim of influencing attitudes and behavior. Social marketing is the use of concepts along with techniques adopted from the commercial sector to enhance changes in the diverse social behaviors. This marketing approach has a significant potential to influence major changes in social problems. In this perspective, the paper will discuss the four main principles of the social marketing theory, how the theory can be applied to influence behavior in a healthy way and an unhealthy way, and the responsibilities and competencies of a health education specialist that the social marketing theory is applicable to.

Discussion There are four main principles of social marketing. The first principle is product. In the social marketing plan products can be sub-divided into tangible and intangible products. Tangible products comprise of vaccines, condoms, and oral contraceptives among others. Contrarily, non-tangible products include addictions, behavior, and attitudes. The second principle is place. The products need a platform where they can be located or distributed to reach the consumers. Place is the environmental and societal context in which health behaviors and decisions are carried out.

The place is supposed to be visible to the consumer, such as, public places, shopping malls, and media. Third, price refers to the consumers’ investment. The price may be in non-monetary form such as time. The product needs to be sold at lower cost. Lastly, promotion determines the quantity of the products that will be sold. Promotion entails creating visibility of the product. Promotion can be done through print media (newspapers, coupons) and electronic media (Internet, e-mail, TV, and radio) (Patane, 2011).

Social marketing provides a model which systematizes organizational responses to address public health challenges. Social marketers are now using commercial techniques , for instance, tailoring messages, analyzing the target audiences, establishing the objectives of the targeted behavior, and using strategies like branding to promote the adoption as well as maintenance of health behaviors. To promote healthy behavior, the social marketer can use mass media with the target audience in minds such as a HIV prevention campaign for high risk, sexually active African-American adolescents.

This helps to reduce HIV incidences in the target group (Daniel, Bernhardt, & Eroğlu, 2009). The segmentation strategy purposely addresses social norms in addition to the desires of the cultural subgroup (Andreasen, 2010).On the other hand, as cited by Evans (2006), competition of health messages among product marketers promotes unhealthy behavior. For example, since social marketing is aimed at altering the health behavior through promotions; however, digital communications provide numerous unhealthy eating messages together with seductive lifestyle images.

While one product marketer is relaying information on dangerous habits, such as, effects of smoking and eating junk foods, other product marketers are promoting the reduced risk of cigarettes as well as the obscure benefits of foods high in saturated fat. There are various responsibilities and competencies of a certified health education specialist that are aimed at changing social health behavior. One such responsibility is to communicate and advocate for health along with health education. A health education specialist promotes health education program by making use of social marketing theories.

They use a multimodal communication approach so as to reach wider audiences in relation to health issues. Second, assessing the community as well as individual needs for health education. The health education specialist is an advocate of for environmental, behavioral, and policy change, skilled in directing community health initiatives. Having an understanding of the communal needs means that the health education specialist chooses communication materials and channels based on the knowledge and required behavioral change of the target audience.

Most of them spread information about health behavior through community level outreach. The individual needs of health education can be determined through interpersonal communication. The third responsibility is to plan effectively health education programs (National Commission for Health Education Credentials, 2010). They are able to develop plans and strategies based on the behavioral theory. Lastly, conduct an evaluation and research about health education. By collecting and analyzing research data and interpret results from the research, the health education specialists can make assessments of the effectiveness in relation to the reaction of messages, behavioral outcomes, and awareness of the audience.

ConclusionIn summary, it has been found out that social marketing uses commercial marketing strategies to promote public health. The social marketing theory has been used widely in public health to influence both unhealthy and healthy behavior. The social marketing theory relies on four major principles including place, promotion, product, and price. Based on the social marketing theory, the responsibilities and competencies of a health education specialist are communicate and advocate for health along with health education, assessing the community as well as individual needs for health education, plan effectively health education programs, and conduct an evaluation and research about health education.

ReferencesAndreasen, A. 2010. Marketing social change, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Daniel, K. L., Bernhardt, J. M., & Eroğlu, D. (2009). “Social Marketing and Health Communication: From People to Places,” American Journal of Public Health , 99 (12), 2120-2122.Evans, D. (2006). “How social marketing works in health care,” British Medical Journal , 332 (7551), 1207-1210.National Commission for Health Education Credentials. (2010). Areas of Responsibilities, Competencies, and Sub-competencies for Health Education Specialists 2010.

New York: National Commission for Health Education Credentials.Patane, D. (2011, March 10). Social Marketing Theory, Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/social-marketing-theory.html