Community-based Social Marketing Research Articles

“We know what we should be eating, but we don’t always do that.” How and why people eat the way they do: a qualitative study with rural australians

BackgroundThere is evidence that most people are aware of the importance of healthy eating and have a broad understanding regarding types of food that enhance or detract from health. However, greater health literacy does not always result in healthier eating. Andreasen’s Social Marketing Model and Community-Based Social Marketing both posit that, in order to change health behaviours, it is crucial to understand reasons for current behaviours and perceived barriers and benefits to improved behaviours. Limited research has been conducted, however, that explores these issues with general populations. This study aimed to help address this gap in the evidence using a qualitative methodology.MethodsThree group discussions were conducted with a total of 23 participants: (1) young women aged 18–24 with no children; (2) women aged 35–45 with primary school aged children; and (3) men aged 35–50 living with a partner and with pre- or primary school aged children. The discussions took place in a regional centre of Victoria, Australia. Transcriptions were thematically analysed using an inductive descriptive approach and with reference to a recent integrated framework of food choice that identified five key interrelated determinants: food– internal factors; food– external factors; personal-state factors; cognitive factors; and sociocultural factors.ResultsWe found that food choice was complex, with all five determinants evident from the discussions. However, the “Social environment” sub-category of “Food-external factors”, which included family, work, and social structures, and expectations (or perceived expectations) of family members, colleagues, friends, and others, was particularly prominent. Knowledge that one should practice healthy eating, which falls under the “Cognitive factor” category, while seen as an aspiration by most participants, was often viewed as unrealistic, trumped by the need and/or desire for convenience, a combination of Food-external factor: Social environment and Personal-state factor: Psychological components.ConclusionsWe found that decisions regarding what, when, and how much to eat are seen as heavily influenced by factors outside the control of the individual. It appears, therefore, that a key to improving people’s eating behaviours is to make it easy to eat more healthfully, or at least not much harder than eating poorly.

Barriers and Motivators of Household Water-Conservation Behavior: A Bibliometric and Systematic Literature Review

Water scarcity, aggravated by growing demands, represents a significant challenge for humanity. Promoting household sustainable water-consumption behaviors has become vital. The Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) framework stands out among many strategies to promote water conservation. However, many interventions in this domain often neglect significant theoretical insights, leading to gaps in addressing key social and contextual drivers of behavior. This study conducts a systematic and bibliometric literature review aimed at identifying determinants underlying household water-conservation behaviors. This review encompasses 155 papers published from 1984 to early 2023. Our findings show that this is a highly multidisciplinary field of study with a marked increase in research attention discerned post-2010, particularly from water-stressed regions. Furthermore, our findings also reveal an often-overlooked integration of guiding theories and an over-reliance on self-reported measures in prior research. Factors such as attitude, perceived efficacy, emotions, and habits emerge as pivotal in understanding water conservation. However, while attitudes have been extensively analyzed in previous research, the other factors deserve greater attention from researchers. Inconsistencies in demographic predictors further hint at potential moderating roles. This paper offers valuable insights for designing effective household water-conservation interventions through a social marketing lens.

Beach recreationists perceive a lack of knowledge about shorebirds’ needs as a constraint to walking around shorebird flocks

Abstract Walking through shorebird flocks can have negative impacts on shorebird populations. Understanding human behavior is essential for minimizing disturbance. As such, we used a mixed methods approach consisting of phone interviews and a survey to explore (1) recreationists’ perceived benefits and constraints to voluntarily walk around shorebird flocks, (2) recreationists’ intentions to walk around shorebird flocks, (3) differences in behavioral intention by sociodemographic variables, and (4) differences in norms, benefits, and constraints among recreationists who intend to walk around flocks and recreationists who do not intend to walk around flocks. We found that perceived benefits to walking around flocks were maintaining undisturbed conditions for shorebirds and reducing harm to people and their dogs, whereas perceived constraints related to a lack of knowledge about shorebirds’ needs. The majority of recreationists were willing to walk around flocks, rather than through them. Intention to walk around flocks can vary by sociodemographic groups. Recreationists who intended to walk around flocks had stronger personal and social norms than recreationists who did not intend to walk around flocks. Recreationists who intended to walk around flocks generally agreed more strongly that maintaining undisturbed conditions for shorebirds and reduced harm to people and their dogs were benefits, compared to participants who did not intend to walk around flocks. Recreationists who did not intend to walk around flocks agreed more strongly that a lack of knowledge about shorebirds’ needs was a constraint compared to participants who intended to walk around flocks. Our findings could be used in the strategy development phase of a community-based social marketing campaign (CBSM) aimed at encouraging recreationists to voluntarily walk around shorebird flocks. Using behavior change techniques, benefits uncovered in this study can be emphasized and constraints uncovered in this study can be reduced for the purpose of promoting less disturbance to shorebirds.

Connecting People with Science: A Proof-of-Concept Study to Evaluate Action-Based Storytelling for Science Communication

Many of the major environmental problems facing society remain intractable because members of the public neither perceive the relevance to them nor how their individual actions might help the situation. Post-consumer textile waste is one such disregarded problem, whereby disposal of waste from the fashion industry, especially the discarding of functional but out-of-fashion garments, releases significant greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Here, we used action-based storytelling as proof-of-concept of an innovative way to promote agency for climate action by showcasing pro-environmental behaviour through social modelling within stories. We evaluated the effectiveness of action-based storytelling in evoking agency, self-efficacy, and intention to increase second-hand clothing consumption. This research sought to identify if the choices faced by the story’s hero impacted these variables. The research is innovative in its use of a mixed-methods research methodology and community-based social marketing approach. Two focus groups identified consumer barriers to, and motivations for, second-hand clothing consumption in order to inform the development of three action-based storytelling videos (each with a different hero character: (i) a scientist, (ii) an influencer and (iii) students). A quasi-experimental survey evaluated how action-based storytelling and the different story heroes impacted participants’ levels of agency, self-efficacy, and intention. Results showed that participants’ levels of agency, self-efficacy, and intention significantly increased after watching the videos. Furthermore, the influencer hero was found to have the greatest effect on these variables. This research concludes that action-based storytelling can be an effective communication approach which demonstrates promising results in evoking agency and self-efficacy and increasing the likelihood that consumers will adopt pro-environmental behaviours.

Using community-based social marketing to identify promising behavioral targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions among college students

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to recommend behavioral targets for future interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at college campuses and to advise interventionists on how to choose between many potential behavioral targets.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the community-based social marketing (CBSM) methodology over two studies. In Study 1, the authors assessed adoption rates (i.e. penetration) and likelihood of adoption (i.e. probability) for 16 potential behavioral targets. In Study 2, the authors used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the barriers and benefits of engagement in five of the top-performing behaviors from Study 1.FindingsThe findings suggest that an intervention to promote purchasing green energy credits (GECs) has a high potential to reduce emissions. Purchasing GECs has a small penetration (<7%) and a large impact (1,405 kgCO2e/person/year). Compared to the other four behaviors the authors examined in Study 2, purchasing GECs is also more convenient and requires very little time. Thus, the behavior should be appealing to many individuals interested in reducing emissions or protecting the environment.Originality/valueThe authors performed a holistic evaluation of potential behavioral targets that included a barrier and benefit analysis, in addition to the traditional CBSM method of combining impact, probability and penetration.

A Systematic Review of Social Marketing Interventions to Promote Pro-Environmental Behavior Using CBSM Benchmark Criteria

Keywords: systematic review community-based social marketing behavior change intervention pro-environmental behavior benchmark criteria

Various ways towards animal product limiting – Practical and social engagements in initial phase of dietary change

Reducing one's consumption of foods containing animal products, or avoiding such foods altogether, has become part of everyday life for many people in the Western world. People's motivations for such “animal product limiting” are well-established, but the ways in which individuals enact and experience dietary change in the initial phase are not well understood. Nor is it clear whether, and how, these people present their dietary changes to others. Through the analysis of interviews with 28 people residing in Denmark who had recently (<9 months) embarked on flexitarian, pescetarian, vegetarian or vegan diets, this paper explores how people, in the initial phase of trying to consume fewer, or no, foods with animal products, (i) engage in the practicalities of daily food activities and (ii) communicate their experiences with, and opinions about, the dietary changes they are making in interpersonal interactions. The findings reveal two very different ways of organising the daily food activities: Foodism and Convenience. They also disclose three different ways of communicating in interpersonal interactions: Ethical advocacy, Plant food demonstration and Anonymisation of diet. The paper offers insights into the variation in practices underlying animal product limiting. It suggests that the plant food sector should cater for people relying on convenient food practices as well as those engaged in more advanced (“foodie”) practices. Further, in discussing interpersonal communication in the light of community-based social marketing, we argue that the findings highlight how animal product limiters, in everyday social life, may be able to encourage more people to embark on animal product limiting.

Community-Based Social Marketing: A Supplemental Approach to Improve Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Health in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This article argues that a community-based social marketing (CBSM) framework can support an environmental health communication and advocacy campaign in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. First, the personal and group environmental attitudes and behavior in the region are identified. Next, a summary is provided of the underlying sources, types, and magnitude of the region’s environmental challenges from oil production agriculture, and illegal logging. Using grounded theory, a CBSM strategy is proposed for enhancing environmental attitudes and behavior for promoting environmental health in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The analysis identified specific behavior change necessary to improve environmental conditions, themes and resources, including groups and institutions that could be considered as assets, as well as potential barriers to implementing CBSM in the Niger Delta. It also identified the need to combine the CBSM with the social ecological model to make it effective for framing appropriately targeted pro-environmental communication addressing complex socio-political problems.

Rural Redemption: A Model to Help Understand the Perspectives of Rural Americans Related to Vaccine Science

Rural communities are vital to the foundation of American agriculture and are currently disproportionately affected by health and environmental challenges that will require broad scientific solutions. Cooperative Extension professionals and agricultural communicators are increasingly tasked with communicating about the science surrounding these topics and need effective tools for determining strategic communication tactics to influence personal behaviors. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of community-based social marketing (CBSM) concepts and trust in science on rural Americans’ intentions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. A hypothesized model was developed that included concepts of CBSM, trust in science, intentions, and attitudes all related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Results showed that CBSM principles had significant explanatory power for predicting intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. CBSM and trust in science were also significant predictors of rural Americans attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Implications for this study reveal a need for future research and practice related to communicating about science and vaccines to rural Americans while building community-based principles for increasing trust and advancing perceptions of science. Future research should determine the impact of CBSM and trust in science on the end-state behavior of receiving the vaccine. Additionally, Extension professionals and agricultural communicators should prioritize CBSM concepts when developing programming and messages related to health behaviors.

Community based social marketing for greenhouse gas emission reduction in households

Abstract The European Union (EU) has set an ambitious goal to achieve a carbon neutral society by 2050. In response, several EU member states, including Lithuania, pledged to achieve 100% renewables in the final energy consumption. The main ways of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the energy sector are (1) the energy efficiency improvement and (2) the use of renewable energy sources (RES). Although many policies and measures were implemented to promote a fast penetration of renewables, especially in the supply sector, there is a massive GHG emissions reduction potential in households. However, there are several social and behavioral barriers hampering a fast penetration of renewables into households. Therefore, new well-targeted policies are necessary to overcome these barriers. The community based social marketing (CBSM) can be applied to promote GHG emissions reduction in households through behavioral changes. This paper evaluates the carbon emissions reduction potential at the household level driven by CBSM. The research is conducted in the Kaunas district municipality in Lithuania, having quantitative and qualitative components. The results show that ~20% energy could be saved in households through behavioral changes initiated by CBSM; and that it is possible to achieve significant GHG emissions reduction, save energy and money without making any major investments in households. The average realistically achievable GHG emissions reduction potential for one Lithuanian household is ~500 kg CO2 equivalent per year. These results can be used to roughly assess the energy saving and GHG emissions reduction potential of all Lithuanian households due to behavioral changes. This study also shows that the main obstacles to behavioral changes in households (after the implementation of intervention measures) are: lack of knowledge, lack of trust in information sources, inertia, values, etc.

Bottled vs tap water perceptions, choices and recommendations in a US Midwest university community

PurposeThis study aims to determine preference and concerns regarding tap vs bottled water and recommendations to increase tap water use in a US Midwest university. The authors propose interventions to increase tap water use based on survey results.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted an online survey of the community of a regional comprehensive university in the St. Louis metro-east region (Illinois, USA). They analyzed 781 responses using mixed methods, and developed recommendations based on community-based social marketing principles.FindingsBlack respondents reported higher bottled water use than White respondents. Undergraduate students reported higher bottled water use than faculty or staff. Most respondents were concerned about cost and environmental impact for bottled water and taste and water quality for tap water. Chemical and safety concerns were specific and location-focused for tap water only. Concerns were similar to Safe Drinking Water Act mandated public information, such as prior reports of lead (Pb) in campus drinking water. Tap water taste concerns may relate to proximity to the water treatment plant, resulting in high residual chlorine levels. To increase tap water use in this community, the authors recommend persuasive information campaigns, improvements to infrastructure and distribution that increase tap water convenience, more transparent public reporting on tap water lead levels, management of residual chlorine levels, and establishment of institutional norms favoring tap water over bottled water.Originality/valueThe authors evaluate barriers to drinking tap water across multiple environmental and social systems. The methods used in this study combine mixed methods analysis and community-based social marketing. The findings integrate respondent demographics and concerns, local water quality, local and national contamination events, campus-specific sustainability initiatives and barriers, and national drinking water regulations.

Designing a Social Marketing-Based Intervention to Promote Sun-protective Behaviors among Urban Adolescent Boys: A Study Protocol.

ABSTRACTBackground: Skin cancer is one of the most preventable diseases. The purpose of this study is to describe a social marketing-based intervention design protocol to promote sun-protective behaviors among adolescent boys living in urban areas in Yasuj, south west of Iran.Methods: This study will be conducted based on six specific steps including a qualitative study, a systematic review, development of appropriate tools, a cross-sectional study, intervention designing, and a feasibility study. The main objective of the qualitative study is to elicit the views and opinions of adolescent boys, their parents, and teachers about sun-protective behaviors. In the second step, factors affecting sun-protective behaviors will be reviewed systematically. Based on the findings of the first and second steps, an appropriate model/theory of behavior change will be selected, and a standardized questionnaire will then be developed. In the fourth step, a cross-sectional survey will be conducted using the developed questionnaire to assess current sun-protective behavior practices.Results: Findings of the first to fourth stages will provide a comprehensive picture of the issue and the affecting factors. During the fifth step, the structure and the content of the intervention package, as well as educational and promotional materials, will be developed and pre-tested. Finally, in the sixth step, a feasibility study will be conducted.Conclusion: This study will provide practical information on the achieving of content and construct of a community-based social marketing intervention. This protocol reports on how to achieve audience-oriented insights for designing a tailored intervention aimed at promoting sun-protective behaviors among adolescent boys using social marketing.

'Walking the talk': Applying community-based social marketing to a pilot food waste programme at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Zoos and aquariums are uniquely situated to encourage the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours by the public at large. While the activation of conservation behaviours in a visitor base is necessary, there is an equally essential call to 'walk the talk' by aligning organizational missions and identity with internal practice. This study evaluated an adapted community-based social marketing (CBSM) model to foster food waste-related behaviour change in a unique audience of zoo staff and volunteers. This paper describes an innovative, real-world example of how conservation institutions can modify conservation psychology theories and the CBSM framework for the practical application of mission-aligned pro-environmental behaviour change campaigns. While audience engagement fluctuated throughout the campaign, we observed an attitudinal and/or behavioural shift in our target audience as a result of the campaign, indicating some success in achieving positive outcomes. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations are made about how to sustain momentum and participation in campaigns, including the utility of a scale for engagement approaches relative to organizational capacity and resources available.

Using Community-Based Social Marketing to Reduce Pet Waste Bacteria in Streams

Background and Situation Analysis Baltimore County waterways are impaired by pollution from pet waste. Baltimore County engaged in a campaign to reduce bacteria in waterways caused by dog waste. This paper explores modalities to effectuate change in pet owner behavior which will ameliorate the negative effects of dog waste on the environment. Priority Audience Dog owners living within Baltimore County who are not picking up dog waste in their backyards. Behavioral Objective The behavioral objective was to encourage people who were not currently picking up dog waste in their yards to start doing so. Strategy/Intervention Planning and Development The study examined the effectiveness of using a community-based social marketing (CBSM) campaign to reduce bacteria in streams by encouraging dog owners to clean up properly after their pets. Our approach included all elements of the four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion). The study included formative research to understand barriers and motivators of the audience and to test messages. The campaign was implemented in four targeted areas and then bacteria in waterways was measured to evaluate behavior change. Community-based social marketing strategies included interpersonal communication, securing commitments, promoting social norms, using prompts and increasing knowledge of pet waste pollution in waterways. Evaluation Methods and Results The pilot compared three different delivery methods: (A) direct to household (HH) using door-to-door outreach, (B) outreach at pet-related location(s) and (C) a combination of (A) and (B) in order to determine the best use of resources for future campaigns. Results from four implementation areas were compared to two non-treatment control areas; over 12,000 HHs combined. We measured the effect of the campaign by analyzing the change in the Most Probable Number (MPN) of fecal indicator bacteria ( E. coli) per 100 mL of stream water in both implementation and control areas before the campaign as compared to post-campaign. We then compared results from our campaign to any changes that may have also occurred in those same time periods in 2018 (the year prior to our campaign). Comparing 2019 changes to any changes in 2018 helped to determine whether variations in measured bacteria may have been due to seasonal fluctuations. Results showed a measured decrease in bacteria levels in 3 out of 4 targeted areas from pre-implementation to post-implementation. Our research findings suggested that CBSM contributed to decreased bacteria levels in streams. Recommendations for Social Marketing Practice During this study, we learned the importance of interpersonal communication and partnerships to help promote the product. Partnerships included places where our primary audience trusted information received and places where we could reach a high concentration of our target audience. Results indicate that interpersonal communication at partner locations seemed just as effective as door-to-door outreach. A recommendation for future efforts is that human resources needed for CBSM can be concentrated in partner locations. Door-to-door efforts are still valuable and can be reserved for hot spot areas and potentially supported by volunteers.

Cultural Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Children Aged 0-6 Months in Tamale Metropolitan Area of Ghana

Background: The World Health Organization recommends exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) for 6-months commencing at birth, with early breastfeeding commencing within 30 minutes of delivery. Cultural factors have been discovered to influence women's choice to EBF. The research was to determine the cultural influences on EBF and its implications on the nutritional status of infants 0-6 months. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The study included 300 women of reproductive age (18-45 years old) who had infants of 0-6 months and were accessing services at child welfare clinics in Tamale, Ghana. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire between mid-July to mid-August 2021. Results: Most of the mothers (54%) had poor knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding. More than half (72%) did not practice exclusive breastfeeding. Most mothers (57%) did not offer colostrum to their newborns. Mothers-in-law influenced their daughters-in-laws breastfeeding behaviours. Over 50% of those who did not practice EBF said it was taboo to indulge in sex while EBF, to EBF when pregnant, to EBF when there was insufficient breast milk for infants signified by their frequent crying, and to EBF when mothers are likely to face challenges introducing complementary foods after 6 months. Most of the newborns had indications of underweight (69%), stunting (68%), and wasting (66%). Conclusion: There are greater needs to develop health teaching, health education, and counselling strategies to change knowledge, attitude, and practices. Again, negative attitudes and behaviours of mothers and the community as whole regarding EBF could also be addressed using community-based social marketing approach.

Using Community-Based Social Marketing to Improve Energy Equity Programs

This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication is part of a series that will help Extension agents, nonprofits, agency personnel and all types of community development practitioners to better understand the issue of high utility bills among low-income residents, the “energy equity gap” and what they can do to help. This document provides a description of how the CWC used Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) research to increase the impact of their program through a form of “action research” to guide practical changes. Their experience can provide useful lessons for Extension agents and all types of community development practitioners who are seeking to improve the impacts of their programs. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc407

Abstract PO-022: Community-driven recommendations for a culturally and contextually tailored HPV campaign for Arab and Mexican communities in Brooklyn

Abstract Purpose. Uneven language access in policy implementation perpetuates health disparity for limited English proficient populations. This study engages Arab and Mexican communities in Brooklyn to identify individual, community, and health system-level determinants of HPV vaccine uptake and hesitancy and inform a multilevel and culturally tailored HPV campaign. Methods. Guided by an integrated framework of community-based participatory research and social marketing for behavior change, we are conducting semi-structured interviews with community stakeholders (target n=18; health care providers, community and faith-based leaders) and community members (target n=80; parents/caregivers and adolescents) from the Arab and Mexican American communities in Brooklyn to examine challenges and facilitators to HPV vaccination and garner recommendations for a HPV campaign. Results. To date, we interviewed 14 community stakeholders (9 Arab, 5 Mexican) and 14 parents (11 Arab, 3 Mexican); data collection is ongoing. Preliminary content analysis revealed an overall consensus that in-language HPV-related materials are lacking and translated education is needed in both communities. Both Arab and Mexican parents reported limited knowledge of HPV, including the vaccination status of their adolescents. Recommendations for a HPV campaign were organized around the 4 P's of the social marketing mix (Price, Product, Place, Promotion). For Price, the 2 communities shared restrictive norms about premarital sex, particularly for girls, and the perception that girls only should receive the HPV vaccine. For Product, they agreed that the HPV campaign should be available in-language and emphasize cancer prevention not sexually transmitted illness. Arab parents, in particular, preferred messaging that emphasizes risk reduction for their daughters after they get married and become sexually active. For Place, most participants cited doctors as ideal sources of information. They recommended different campaign dissemination strategies for parents and adolescents: virtual (e.g., Facebook) or in-person interactive workshops conducted in community-based organizations (CBOs) for parents, and social media (e.g., TikTok) for adolescents. For Promotion, all participants agreed that bilingual brochures should be available in doctors' offices and CBOs. Arab parents expressed interest in opportunities for interactive workshops to ask questions and Mexican parents suggested supplementing school-based PTA meetings with opportunities for HPV education. Social media was again mentioned by all as the ideal platform to reach adolescents. Conclusion. Preliminary findings identified low levels of knowledge on HPV and a lack of in-language education reaching these communities. To bridge these gaps and improve reach and vaccination rates, our participatory social marketing approach underscores the need for a multilevel in-language HPV campaign for Arab and Mexican communities that aligns with their cultural norms and leverages existing community assets such as CBOs, healthcare providers, and schools. Citation Format: Perla Chebli, Sonia Sifuentes, Victoria Foster, Yousra Yusuf, Abiha Kazmi, Sally Idris, Chau Trinh-Shevrin, Simona Kwon. Community-driven recommendations for a culturally and contextually tailored HPV campaign for Arab and Mexican communities in Brooklyn [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-022.

Plastic pollution: why is it a public health problem?

Plastic pollution: why is it a public health problem?

Social-marketing as a Tool of Behavioral Change in Youths’ Personal Development

This paper aims to study the link between the concept of social marketing and personal development of the youth. More specifically, it aims to identify the internal/external determinants of youth development and design, implement and evaluate the impact of community-based social marketing intervention program upon youth. A mixed methods research design with an overarching participatory paradigm is implemented, which includes a purposive sample of youth between the ages of 18-29. Qualitative methods include focus groups and face-to-face interviews. Quantitative methods included a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design used to determine whether there is a difference in the personal development of youth. The findings conclude that there is a significant difference in the before and after experimental group when subjects are exposed to social marketing concepts as compared to the control group receiving no such exposure over a two-month time frame. However, there is no difference in the personal development within the experimental group on the basis of gender.

Addressing Marine Wildlife Entanglement in Derelict Fishing Nets Using Community-Based Social Marketing: Case Study and Lessons Learnt

Background Entanglement of marine species, particularly endangered sea turtles and cetaceans, in abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is a major conservation concern. Focus of the Article This case study applies Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) to reduce marine wildlife net entanglement in the waters surrounding Masirah Island, a marine biodiversity hotspot in Oman. Importance to the Social Marketing Field The study demonstrates the use of social marketing tools in biodiversity conservation, bringing new knowledge to the cross-application of these two fields. Methods The CBSM methodology was applied to select behaviours, identify barriers and benefits, develop strategies and design a pilot study. The responsible disposal of derelict nets in skip bins was selected as the target behaviour, and a mix of behavioural change tools was applied to achieve change: convenience (installation of three skip bins), education (installation of informative signs, distribution of awareness posters, one-to-one engagement with fishers on the beaches), prompts (installation of signs and posters on vessels) and social norms (one-to-one engagement with key influencers and decision makers). The monitoring of behaviour change took place through structured observations over 23 weeks, focussing on the number of nets disposed of in the allocated skip bins. Results Results showed a low level of behaviour adoption rate by skiff and launch vessel fisheries, respectively, 5.36% and 2.58%. Positive results were observed for a short time but did not reach the estimated target value throughout the study period. Recommendations for Research Our pilot study did not lead to broad-scale implementation and we recommend further awareness and engagement with the target audience, trials of various behaviour change tools and increase field monitoring time. We further recommend the application and funding of behaviour change methods applied to fishers with the incorporation of conventional financial, conservation and regulatory tools to support resource management. Limitations Our results show that focussing on specific behaviours with appropriate measurement is both resource and time demanding to solve pressing conservation problems, particularly ones generated by complex industries such as fishing. Various lessons, useful for other social marketers, have been drawn from our evaluation of the overall study.