What are societal marketing concepts?

Societal marketing concepts aim to influence consumer behavior for social good. Rather than coercing people into changing their behaviors, they try to inspire voluntary changes.

There are four keen areas societal marketing targets:

• Improving health problems
• Preventing injuries and promoting safety
• Tackling environmental issues
• Making a contribution to the community

Like other marketing practices, societal marketing uses research to promote a concept. It aims to enhance social and economical conditions. In addition, it analyzes the social consequences of actions and marketing policies, as well as consumer decisions and activities. Sometimes it involves analyzing the way commercial activities influence society.

When engaging in social marketing campaigns, experts usually:

• Identify the area of a consumer's life they wish to change, such as the way they eat.
• Determine the target audience and identify barriers to change.
• Find ways to break down barriers to change. For example, if people are not eating healthily because they cannot cook, societal marketing aims to find ways to help people learn how to cook.
• After finding a resolution, marketing teams then pre-test it on a small group of individuals. This helps them find out whether their approach is effective.
• Once a successful approach is available, marketers then publicize it and make the benefits of changing clear.
• After initiating the campaign, marketers analyze it to see if it has the desired effect.