Enhancing the Capacity to Create Behavior Change: Extension Key Leaders’ Opinions about Social Marketing and Evaluation

Abstract

Extension educators endeavor to create and measure outcomes beyond knowledge gain. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of social marketing as a method for creating behavior change within the University of Florida Extension system through key leader opinions. Additionally, the study sought to identify perceptions about program evaluation and training needs related to this area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key leaders at the local, regional, and state levels within Florida Extension. Overall, the participants saw great potential in applying social marketing to Extension programming, and identified knowledge, resources, and terminology as key barriers to Extension agents’ adoption of this approach. In discussing program evaluation related to behavior change, the key leaders expressed strong interest in the creation of standardized evaluation tools and the provision of professional development training to support social marketing and evaluation competencies. The interviews revealed substantial confusion between the terms social marketing and social media. A recommendation is made to revisit the term social marketing within Extension, and for educators to consider alternate terminology to eliminate confusion. Implications of the study point to the development of training opportunities that empower Extension professionals to encourage and evaluate behavior change. It is suggested that Extension professionals are already employing many elements of social marketing. Finally, a blending of the Conceptual Programming model with the social marketing process is discussed as a means of structuring Extension program planning when using social marketing.