Government “demarketing” as viewed by its target audience

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to assess the strategic rationale and the effectiveness of government “demarketing” campaigns in the areas of smoking, binge drinking and private car usage.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 257 young people in Northern Ireland was carried out, seeking their opinions on the effectiveness of current demarketing campaigns.FindingsGovernment demarketing initiatives are generally seen as ineffective, except for the banning of smoking in enclosed public places. Punishing disorderly behaviour caused by excess alcohol and making private driving more expensive are thought to achieve a certain degree of effectiveness.Practical implicationsThe UK Government has put considerable effort into demarketing campaigns of this kind, with limited success. The need to rethink strategy and implementation is particularly urgent with regard to drinking behaviour and its consequences, because the government appears to be sending out mixed messages through its communications and its actions. Although continued pressure on smokers appears to be bringing results, the effectiveness of individual initiatives is variable. Lessons may be transferable to other areas of demarketing specifically and social marketing in general.Originality/valueThe paper reports the views of young people, who are the main targets of most campaigns of this nature, and are future smokers, drinkers and drivers if they have not established those behaviour patterns already.