Thinking Like a Social Marketer Jim Bender MHS

Thinking Like a (Social) Marketer Jim Bender, MHS, CHES Academy for Educational Development Kari Sapsis, MPH National Immunization Program, CDC

What is Social Marketing?

A Definition Combining a marketing mindset with behavioral science for a good cause.

What Social Marketing is NOT · Selling · Manipulation · Just advertising or mass media · Any single intervention

Social Marketing: Four Principles 1. Audience-centered 2. Focuses on behavior 3. Program maximizes meaningful benefits and minimizes barriers 4. Decisions are based on evidence

The BEHAVE Framework TARGET AUDIENCE ACTION BENEFITS & BARRIERS We will help a specific target audience. . …to take a specific action. To influence that action we will focus on these benefits and barriers. 1 2 3 ACTIVITIES We will address these benefits and barriers through these activities. 4 Base decisions on evidence and keep checking in

Challenges for Immunization Promotion Organizations · Identifying and prioritizing target audiences and their prevention needs · Designing interventions to meet those needs

Competition: What the Goal Behavior Must Beat Out · All other options, including the risk behavior that I’m doing right now!

Florida’s TRUTH Campaign Problem: How to stem the growing numbers of teen smokers? Challenge: What exchange can we offer teens to compete with smoking?

Florida’s TRUTH Campaign · What do teens really want? · What reward do they get out of smoking? · How can we offer a similar reward? · What do they really dislike? · How can we link that with tobacco?

Looking at Smoking from the Audience’s Point of View Allure of Smoking (competition) • Brand identity (cool, hip) • Independence (rebellion) • Individuality • Nicotine high • Relieves stress Allure of Not Smoking (benefits) • Health • Keeps some adults happy

Offering an Exchange • • • Allure of Smoking Allure of Not Smoking Brand identity (cool, hip) Independence (rebellion) Individuality Nicotine high Relieves stress • Health • Keeps some adults happy Undermine Benefits (overcome barriers to nonsmoking) Add Benefits

TRUTH Campaign • Benefits: Offer teens independence, a sense of self-control, a voice, and a connection to a group by joining the TRUTH campaign • Competition: Portray the competition as big tobacco that manipulates, lies, and makes teens look like ‘‘suckers”

Florida’s Big Idea Reposition the tobacco industry —and the anti-tobacco movement— by creating a hip, youth anti-tobacco brand.

Behavior Change • 19% decline in cigarette use among middle school youth • 8% decline in cigarette use among high school youth Source: FYTS, 1998 & 1999. (n=22, 000)

I know a lot about you. I understand you well. I understand your problems, frustrations, aspirations and needs.

Who are they? What do they want and need?

Social Marketing Principle #1 Know exactly who your audience is and look at everything from their point of view.

Traditional Public Health Education Mindset “What is the greatest need ? ” GREATER NEED GREATER PRIORITY

Less Need>>> More Need Targets of Opportunity Easy to Change>>>Hard to Change

Social Marketing Mindset “Where is the greatest opportunity for prevention of disease? ” GREATER OPPORTUNITY GREATER PRIORITY

Audience Segment: a definition · A group of people who are enough alike that a single intervention will be reasonably successful with everyone in the group

Why Audience Segmentation? · Allows you to reach the largest number of people possible, who have similar wants and needs · Enables you to reach them with greater efficiency and effectiveness

Segmentation Variables or Criteria · Demographics · Current behaviors · Stage of “readiness” for change · Benefits and barriers · What else? ?

Criteria for Deciding on a Target Audience · Where is the need? · How big is the audience segment? · How easy are they to reach? · How likely are they to take the necessary action? · How feasible is it for your organization to reach them?

Prevention Challenge · Identifying and prioritizing target audiences and their prevention needs

“My City” Priority Target Populations · Children with asthma · African American seniors · The general population · High risk adults

Example— Influenza vaccination: Seniors age 65 and over in “My Town” Females Males

Seniors Age 65 and Over Segmented by Previous Behavior and Intention: Influenza Vaccination Tried and do each year Tried, will never do again Never tried Tried and have not done consistentlyintend to do again

“All seniors, age 65 and over, who have gotten a flu shot in the past, and intend to get one again”

Target Audience— Let’s Think Broadly · Consumers · Influencers · Intermediaries · Providers

Social Marketing Summary · Audience-centered methodology; · Systematic way to segment audiences; find targets of opportunity · A focus on behavior; · Framework for targeting interventions to increase benefits and reduce barriers for target audience; and · Evidence-based decision making