Social Marketing Principles Research Articles

Consumer Insights into Changing Water Consumption Behavior: A Social Marketing Formative Study

Background and Situation Analysis The United Nations has announced serious global water crises at the beginning of the 21st century. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the problem of water shortage is more significant than in other parts of the world, due to lack of the natural freshwater resources and extremely harsh weather. All of this compounded with the highest individual water consumption in the world; the average consumption per capita is 500 L a day, around 82% above the global average. Focus of the Article The main objectives of this study were to gain insights about factors that might impact residents water consumption behavior and open more avenues for using social marketing to influence residents’ behaviors. Research question The research questions are: RQ1: What beliefs are held about the UAEs current water situation? RQ2: What are the current water consumption behaviors of UoS residents? RQ3: What would facilitate lower water consumption? Importance to the Social Marketing Field The importance of this study is to develop a model which may be employed to change individual water consumption behavior using social marketing principles Method A case study methodology was applied to collect data from the University of Sharjah for this study, using the focus groups method. A convenience sample of six focus groups with a total of 39 participants of students, faculty members, administrative staff, and other stakeholders formed the basis of the current study. Results This study revealed that the residents lacked accurate knowledge about the water situation inside the country. In addition, consumers showed mismatch between their religious beliefs and actual consumption behaviors. Recommendations for research/or practice More studies and research should take place in this field, especially in connection with personal behavior issues where individuals need encouragement and incentives to change underlying habits, such as over-consumption of water, obesity, and road accidents.

When Less is More: A Short-form Tool to Increase Segmentation Implementation

Background Segmentation remains underutilised in social marketing research and practice. Simple segmentation tools that are easy to administer and simple for audience members to complete may increase the use of segmentation across the social marketing process. Focus of the Article Segmentation is a foundational marketing principle which allows marketers to tailor marketing activity to the needs of specific groups (segments). Evidence shows that behaviour change is more likely when more principles are used, yet segmentation remains underutilised. Data-driven methods are used to identify segments based on several variables collected via surveys, but they take time, require large sample sizes and technical analyses; and can be costly and time consuming. Importance to the Field Simple diagnostic tools are needed to simplify data collection and increase the use of key social marketing principles such as segmentation. Methods Three studies were conducted to create and verify a short diagnostic segmentation tool and later refine a tool that reflects contemporary social marketing practice. The first employed multiple linear regression to predict segment membership based on previously performed two-step cluster analysis. The second applied the tool to another data set to verify whether the tool could predict segment membership accurately. The final study delivers a short diagnostic tool following the same development approach to a data set drawn from a larger sample that included objective measures ensuring focus moved beyond how individuals think and feel. Results Segments in the first study had been defined by five variables (derived from 16 survey questions). The tool was able to predict segment membership to a high level of accuracy from five questions. In the second study the tool was used to predict segments, which had high correspondence to the segments identified in that analysis, which was also based on five variables (16 questions). The third study extended development to an analysis using 16 defining variables, based on 40 survey questions. The final tool predicted segment membership to a high degree of accuracy based on five survey questions. Recommendations for Research or Practice Segmentation is important for developing understanding that enables social marketers to design social change programs to meet the needs of more people. This simple tool developed and verified within and across samples has potential to simplify data collection enabling greater uptake of segmentation in social marketing practice. The final tool incorporated objective measures to ensure segmentation moves beyond the myopic consumer focus that has dominated social marketing. Future research could use the approach in this paper to derive short diagnostic tools with a broader range of behavioural contexts and with more diverse populations. Limitations The behavioural measures used in these studies were self-report measures, and the use of a more objective measure would further strengthen both the segmentation analysis and short diagnostic tool.

Social Marketing Plan to Decrease the COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Senior Citizens in Rural India

Social marketing is a set of activities aimed at changing people’s behavior for good. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a significant concern in rural India. This article introduces a comprehensive social marketing plan to address this social issue among senior citizens of rural India. The model described in the study uses social marketing principles and practices such as environmental analysis, STP strategies, strategies for formulating behavioral objectives and goals, examining the barriers, benefits, competitions, and influential others, strategies for integrated marketing mix, evaluation and monitoring strategies, strategies for establishing budgets, raising funds and implementation plan. The plan’s objective may help the professionals to develop an action plan to counter vaccine hesitancy.

Increasing Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among University Students: A Systematic Review of Programs Using a Social Marketing Perspective.

The health and economic consequences of seasonal influenza present great costs to communities. Promoting voluntary uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine among university students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, can deliver protective effects for both individuals and the wider community. Vaccine uptake will be greatest when more of the social marketing benchmarks are applied. This systematic review summarizes evidence from programs aiming to increase seasonal influenza vaccination among university students. Six major electronic databases for health promotion studies (PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, Ovid, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect) were searched in November 2021 to capture peer-reviewed studies reporting field trials that have sought to increase seasonal influenza vaccination in university student populations, without any restrictions regarding the publication period. Following PRISMA guidelines, this paper identified 12 peer-reviewed studies that were conducted in the field in the United States, Australia, and Spain. Three studies were targeted at healthcare students and the rest focused on wider university student populations. Studies were narratively summarized, evidence of social marketing principles were identified, and quantitative outcomes were meta-analyzed. The findings indicate that none of the field studies, even a self-classified social marketing study, had adopted all eight of the social marketing benchmarks in program design and implementation. The two studies that only used promotion, but not other marketing-mix and social marketing principles, reported increases in students’ intention to be vaccinated but not actual behavior. Given that change is more likely when more social benchmarks are applied, this paper identifies activities that can be included in flu vaccine programs to improve flu vaccine uptake rates. The analysis highlights a lack of field studies focusing on increasing rates of vaccination behavior as research outcomes in countries beyond the United States.

SOCIAL MARKETING AS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR SHAPING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE (THEORETICAL ASPECT)

The formation of a healthy lifestyle of youth is one of the main objectives of Ukraine's youth policy. The strategy of forming the population's attitude to a healthy way of life is an important aspect of social prevention. The use of social marketing as an approach to the formation and implementation of social prevention strategies significantly increases the effectiveness of preventive measures. Social marketing focuses on the social context of decision-making and the use of theoretical methods to analyse the mechanisms of interaction in the public space. Current theoretical approaches to the explanation of human behaviour are the basis for the development of strategies aimed at the formation of a healthy way of life. These strategies are based on theories that explain changes in human behaviour, such as theories of deliberate action, planned behaviour, the theory of social learning, and others. Applying social marketing strategies involves the social environment and consumers' orientations analysis, the audience analysis and audience segmentation strategy, etc. Relevant theoretical concepts provide interpretation on behavioural decisions and behavioural patterns changes. Correspondingly social marketing utilizes variety of research approaches into the programs’ efficiency and their advanced testing, analysis of channels for developing distribution systems and advertising campaigns. Some commercial marketing techniques are applicable for the social marketing purpose. Among others are analysis of the target audience, identifying goals of desired behavioural changes, adaptation of messages and adaptation of strategies such as branding to facilitate the adoption and maintenance of safe behaviour in the health sector. The basic principles of social marketing can be seen as the messages targeted on the behaviour relevant to a healthy lifestyle should be different at different stages of program’ planning and implementation. Social marketing is used for the development and implementation of programs that contribute to a change in behaviour to socially beneficial, especially in the area of public health.

SOCIAL MARKETING AS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR SHAPING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE (THEORETICAL ASPECT)

The formation of a healthy lifestyle of youth is one of the main objectives of Ukraine’s youth policy. The strategy of forming the population’s attitude to a healthy way of life is an important aspect of social prevention. The use of social marketing as an approach to the formation and implementation of social prevention strategies significantly increases the effectiveness of preventive measures. Social marketing focuses on the social context of decision-making and the use of theoretical methods to analyse the mechanisms of interaction in the public space. Current theoretical approaches to the explanation of human behaviour are the basis for the development of strategies aimed at the formation of a healthy way of life. These strategies are based on theories that explain changes in human behaviour, such as theories of deliberate action, planned behaviour, the theory of social learning, and others. Applying social marketing strategies involves the social environment and consumers’ orientations analysis, the audience analysis and audience segmentation strategy, etc. Relevant theoretical concepts provide interpretation on behavioural decisions and behavioural patterns changes. Correspondingly social marketing utilizes variety of research approaches into the programs’ efficiency and their advanced testing, analysis of channels for developing distribution systems and advertising campaigns. Some commercial marketing techniques are applicable for the social marketing purpose. Among others are analysis of the target audience, identifying goals of desired behavioural changes, adaptation of messages and adaptation of strategies such as branding to facilitate the adoption and maintenance of safe behaviour in the health sector. The basic principles of social marketing can be seen as the messages targeted on the behaviour relevant to healthy lifestyle should be different at different stages of program’ planning and implementation. Social marketing is used for the development and implementation of programs that contribute to a change in behaviour to socially beneficial, especially in the area of public health.

Development and testing of a framework for defining a strategy to address medication adherence during patient encounters in community pharmacies

BackgroundCounseling patients on medication adherence could be ameliorated in pharmacy practice. There is a lack of simple and practical strategies to address medication adherence with patients in daily practice. The goal was to develop and test a framework that allows pharmacy teams to define and apply a strategy to address medication adherence in community pharmacies. MethodsA framework based on the principles of social marketing was developed. It consisted of 3 items: the target patient (“Who”), the target plan (“How”), and the target goal (“How many”). To test the framework, each participating pharmacy team developed their strategy by defining the 3 items and applied them during one pilot day. A master student observed the encounters between patients and pharmacy team members and used a structured checklist to document the patient's characteristics, counseling content, and strategy use. Pharmacy teams answered a feedback questionnaire at the end of the pilot day. ResultsTen pharmacy teams were included. During a brainstorming session that lasted on average 31 ± 8 min, unique strategies comprised 18 different target patients and 20 different target plans. The planned target goal was a mean of 31 patients (range: 1 to “all”). A total of 325 encounters were observed, of which 208 patients (64%) corresponded to the predefined target patients. Medication adherence was addressed with 73 patients (22.5%), and adherence counseling was performed with 50 patients (15%). The pharmacy teams accepted the framework and judged it feasible and adaptable to their needs. ConclusionThe proposed framework represents a simple tool that enables pharmacy teams to develop a strategy for addressing medication adherence in community pharmacies. Its adoption by pharmacy teams occurred without additional training and its integration into daily practice without difficulties. A further study is now needed to investigate if pharmacy teams can successfully engage patients in discussion on medication adherence and ultimately propose targeted adherence interventions.

Effect of social marketing on the knowledge, attitude, and uptake of pap smear among women residing in an urban slum in Lagos, Nigeria

IntroductionNigeria has a low uptake of cervical cancer screening and is one of the five countries that represent over half of the global burden of deaths from cervical cancer. Social marketing principles can be used to design and implement interventions to increase uptake of cervical cancer screening. This study assessed the effect of a social marketing intervention on the knowledge, attitude, and uptake of pap smear among women residing in an urban slum in Lagos State, Nigeria.Materials and methodsThis was a quasi-experimental study. The intervention arm consisted of 140 women recruited from Ago-Egun Bariga community and the control arm consisted of 175 women recruited from Oto-Ilogbo extension community. Social marketing intervention was instituted in the intervention group. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 and Stata version 16.0. Between groups comparisons and within groups comparisons were done using bivariate analysis with Chisquare, Students t test and Paired t test as appropriate.ResultsIn both the intervention and control groups, the mean knowledge score of cervical cancer was low at baseline (0.0 ± 0.3 and 0.1 ± 0.9 respectively). In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in mean knowledge score to 15.1 ± 3.7, post-intervention (p < 0.001). In both groups, the mean attitude score of cervical cancer was low at baseline (27.1 ± 0.8 in the intervention group and 27.2 ± 1.4 in the control group). In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in mean attitude score to 36.5 ± 4.8, post-intervention (p < 0.001). In both the intervention and control groups, uptake of pap smear was low at baseline (0.0% and 0.6%, respectively). In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in uptake of pap smear to 84.3%, post-intervention (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant change in knowledge, attitude or uptake of pap smear in the control group, post-intervention.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that social marketing intervention can be successful in improving knowledge, attitude, and also the uptake of pap smear, even in settings where these are abysmally low. It is recommended that social marketing intervention be employed as a strategy for improving cervical cancer screening among women residing in slums.

The application of social marketing principles in health care campaigns

Social Marketing offers new insight into the design of health care programs that focus on the comprehensive vision of understanding the target audience. As there have been several confusions between the Health Care Social Marketing and education or preventive health care programs, the characteristics refer to the social good and behavior change on voluntary grounds. This paper aimed to elaborate some guidelines for Health Care Social Marketing campaigns to increase the chances of success and trigger the expected behavioral change in the target audience. To ensure the successful implementation of a Social Marketing campaign in health care, a plan that describes the necessary steps to respond in terms of efficiency and effectiveness to the public health campaign outcomes needs to be elaborated. The proposed model has three levels of intervention, as found in the scientific literature: Diagnosis of social problems, Benefits, and social change, and Social Marketing Mix.

Social marketing applications in public policy programs: key learnings and applications

PurposeMarketing tools used in public policy may not be purely commercial but based on non-commercial marketing exchanges also. This paper aims to make a case for the practice of social marketing principles to aid the context of public policy.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to draw out the key implementable learnings (KILs) from the analysis of the five public policy initiatives in the USA, India and Sri Lanka. A case situation with the context of child labour policy in India is proposed to use these KILs.FindingsThis paper concludes that the implementation of any policy is a challenging exercise and dependent on a large number of factors. However, KILs derived from successful social marketing programs deal with umbrella campaigns, prevailing socio-cultural environment, bottom-up communication, upstream approach to engage with stakeholders and targeted media advocacy could prove useful when the objective is to induce behaviour change as a part of the policy execution.Originality/valueThis paper evaluates the learnings from social marketing campaigns and their relevance to public policy programs. It also considers a case to demonstrate the application of the concept.

Evaluation of the Lifejackets for Lobstermen program: A social marketing initiative to increase lifejacket use in the Northeast lobster fishing industry

BackgroundFatality data from the U.S. commercial fishing industry indicates workers in this industry suffer from comparatively high rates of work-related death, in relation to other U.S. industries. Falls overboard are the most frequent cause of death among Northeast lobster fishermen, who make up a large proportion of the commercial fishing industry in this region. PFDs can be an effective solution for preventing fatalities due to falls overboard and vessel sinkings. This study describes the implementation and impact of an intervention focused on increasing PFD use among lobster fishermen in MA and ME. MethodsThe intervention, entitled “Lifejackets for Lobstermen”, utilized social marketing principles to make PFDs an appealing and accessible option for lobster fishermen. This included offering a variety of fishermen-approved PFDs, as well as making access to these PFDs easy and affordable by bringing them to ports and offering 50% discounts. The program was also promoted widely using slogans and pictures that connected PFD use to fishermens’ values and interests. Intervention impact was measured using pre and post intervention surveys measuring changes in fishermens’ readiness to wear PFDs and through intervention PFD sales. ResultsSurvey data indicate a significant shift in readiness to wear PFDs in the ME and MA lobster fishing industry in both the treatment and control regions of the study. The largest shifts occurred among fishermen who had not considered wearing PFDs previously. However, during the study assessment period, 88% of intervention PFD sales came from fishermen in the treatment region. ConclusionsThe application of social marketing principles to increase the use of PFDs among lobster fishermen in MA and ME successfully increased fishermen’s willingness to consider and purchase PFDs on fishing vessels.

Social marketing: advancing a new planning framework to guide programmes

Purpose This paper aims to develop and present a new planning framework of social marketing, known as consumer research, segmentation, design of the social programme, implementation, evaluation and sustainability (CSD-IES). Design/methodology/approach The proposed framework is based on recent theoretical developments in social marketing and is informed by the key strengths of existing social marketing planning approaches. Findings The CSD-IES planning framework incorporates emerging principles of social marketing. For example, sustainability in changed behaviour, ethical considerations in designing social marketing programmes, the need for continuous research to understand the changing needs of the priority audience during the programme and the need for explicit feedback mechanisms. Research limitations/implications The CSD-IES framework is a dynamic and flexible framework that guides social marketers, other practitioners and researchers to develop, implement and evaluate effective and sustainable social marketing programmes to influence or change specific behaviours based on available resources. Originality/value This paper makes an important contribution to social marketing theory and practice by integrating elements of behaviour maintenance, consideration of ethical perspectives and continuous feedback mechanisms in developing the CSD-IES framework, bringing it in line with the global consensus definition of social marketing.

A review of social marketing interventions in low- and middle-income countries (2010–2019)

PurposeThis study aims to review social marketing interventions reported in peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to 2019 that were conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper seeks to further contribute to understanding on the health of the social marketing field, synthesising studies to examine the extent of use of social marketing’s core principles.Design/methodology/approachA total of 17 interventions, discussed in 31 papers, were identified in the review. Social marketing interventions were assessed against eight elements (social marketing benchmark criteria): behavioural objectives, customer orientation, theory, insight, exchange, competition, segmentation and methods mix.FindingsEvidence in this review found that most interventions yielded positive outcomes. This supports social marketing’s efficacy in addressing the United Nations sustainable development goals within LMIC contexts. None of the social marketing interventions used all eight benchmark criteria. The study found that there was limited use of insight, competition and segmentation principles followed in social marketing interventions in LMICs. Finally, although present in a number of studies, theory and customer orientation were not applied to the full extent needed.Research limitations/implicationsFindings indicate the social marketing field will greatly benefit from capacity building and training. Too few interventions labelled as social marketing are able to clearly apply and report application of social marketing’s fundamental principles, which is limiting programme effectiveness.Originality/valueTo date evidence reviews draw on interventions applied in high-income countries demonstrating extent of application of fundamental social marketing principles positively linked to behaviour change. This study extends the assessment of social marketing principles, delivering assessment of eight benchmarks encompassing insight and theory in an LMIC setting, demonstrating gaps in application and clear examples of application across all benchmarks to deliver a guide that people new to the social marketing field can follow.

Systematic Review of Social and Digital Marketing Effectiveness

To review the effectiveness of social marketing interventions in influencing individual behaviour and bringing about environmental and policy-level changes in relation to alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and physical activity. Social marketing is the use of marketing concepts in programmes designed to influence the voluntary behaviour of target audiences in order to improve health and society. Methodology/Approach: Review of systematic reviews and primary studies using prespecified search and inclusion criteria. Social marketing interventions were defined as those which adopted specified social marketing principles in their development and implementation. Findings: A total of 54 interventions met the inclusion criteria. There was evidence that interventions adopting social marketing principles could be effective across a range of behaviours, with a range of target groups, in different settings, and can influence policy and professional practice as well as individuals. Research limitations/implications: As this was a systematic review, the quality of included studies was reasonable and many were RCTs. However, many of the multi-component studies reported overall results only and research designs did not allow for the efficacy of different components to be compared. When reviewing social marketing effectiveness it is important not to rely solely on the ‘label’ as social marketing is often misrepresented; there is a need for social marketers to clearly define their approach. Practical implications: The review shows that social marketing can form an effective framework for behaviour change interventions and can provide a useful ‘toolkit’ for organisations that are trying to change health behaviours.

Process Evaluation of the 'No Money No Time' Healthy Eating Website Promoted Using Social Marketing Principles. A Case Study.

Background: Reaching and engaging individuals, especially young adults, in web-based prevention programs is challenging. ‘No Money No Time’ (NMNT) is a purpose built, healthy eating website with content and a social marketing strategy designed to reach and engage a young adult (18–34 year olds) target group. The aim of the current study was to conduct a process evaluation of the 12-month social marketing strategy to acquire and engage NMNT users, particularly young adults. Methods: a process evaluation framework for complex interventions was applied to investigate the implementation of the social marketing strategy component, mechanisms of impact and contextual factors. Google Analytics data for the first 12 months of operation (17 July 2019 to 17 July 2020) was evaluated. Results: in year one, 42,413 users from 150+ countries accessed NMNT, with 47.6% aged 18–34 years. The most successful channel for acquiring total users, young adults and return users was via organic search, demonstrating success of our marketing strategies that included a Search Engine Optimisation audit, a content strategy, a backlink strategy and regular promotional activities. For engagement, there was a mean of 4.46 pages viewed per session and mean session duration of 3 min, 35 s. Users clicked a ‘call-to-action’ button to commence the embedded diet quality tool in 25.1% of sessions. The most common device used to access NMNT (63.9%) was smartphone/mobile. Engagement with ‘quick, cheap and healthy recipes’ had the highest page views. Conclusions: findings can inform online nutrition programs, particularly for young adults, and can apply to other digital health programs.

Shared Decision-Making for Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Rationale and Design of a Nationwide Dissemination and Implementation Project.

Background The left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has become a common medical option for patients with end-stage heart failure. Although patients' chances of survival may increase with an LVAD compared with medical therapy, the LVAD poses many risks and requires major lifestyle changes, thus making it a complex medical decision. Our prior work found that a decision aid for LVADs significantly increased decision quality for both patients and caregivers and was successfully implemented at 6 LVAD programs. Methods In follow-up, we are conducting a nationwide dissemination and implementation project, with the goal of implementing the decision aid at as many of the 176 LVAD programs in the United States as possible. Guided by the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations, the project consists of 4 phases: (1) building a network; (2) promoting adoption; (3) supporting implementation; and (4) encouraging maintenance. Developing an LVAD network of contacts occurs by using a national baseline survey of LVAD clinicians, existing professional relationships, and an internet-based strategy. A suite of resources targeted to promote adoption and support implementation of the decision aid into standard LVAD education processes are provided to the network. Evaluation is guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework, where clinician and patient surveys and qualitative interviews determine the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance achieved. Conclusions This project is a true dissemination study in that it targets the entire population of LVAD programs in the United States and is unique in its use of social marketing principles to promote adoption and implementation. The implementation plan is intended to serve as a test case and model for dissemination and implementation of other evidence-based decision support aids and strategies.

Ecological Vector of Social Responsibility in Energy Companies

The article analyzes the relationship between the development of large energy business, and the concept of sustainable development in modern conditions. The main aspects of social and ethical marketing are discussed and its significance for modern business is revealed. The modern concepts of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility and their interdependence are analyzed, the characteristics of the fundamental international documents in this area are given. Socio-ethical marketing is becoming an essential tool of corporate social responsibility. In turn, corporate social responsibility is the main contribution of large business in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development, especially for companies in the oil and gas sector. A prerequisite for the sustainable development of a business is the adoption of targeted programs for its development, including plans for all divisions of the company to achieve target indicators (in the social, economic and ecological areas), ensuring the stability of the company's functioning, as well as continuous monitoring of their implementation. Special attention is paid to the problems of environmental pollution by energy companies, alternative electric power industry, as well as the analysis of non-financial reporting. In the conclusion, the participation of large Russian businesses in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development and the introduction of the basic principles of social marketing into their activities is discussed.

The Marketing Mix and Hygienic Barbershop Use: A Formative Study

Background: Previous public health research has demonstrated that barbershop services in Sub-Saharan Africa involve close-shaving styles that may irritate the skin or cause injuries particularly among clients with razor bumps. Barbershop services may also facilitate client-to-client transmission of pathogens because they involve reuse of sharp implements (e.g., clippers) and other tools (e.g., brushes, towels and combs). The above concerns are compounded by limited access to adequate sanitization products in reasonably-priced barbershops. Focus of the Article: The goal of this formative research was therefore to identify and assess the structure of hygiene and hair care beliefs to be targeted by a social marketing intervention by integrating elements of the marketing mix and fundamental assumptions of the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model. Research Questions: To elicit hygiene and hair care beliefs, respondents were asked to state up to 9 beliefs specific to hygiene and safety information, perceived consequences of raising hygiene and safety concerns in barbershops (motivational beliefs) and efficacy skills in practicing hygiene and safety behaviors. To assess structural adequacy of the proposed IMB model, beliefs underlying information and motivation were hypothesized to be positively associated with beliefs underlying hygiene and safety negotiation skills as well as frequency of close-shave practices. To determine whether parameters of IMB model might differ across rural and urban settings, the following research question was considered: do individual paths and mediating mechanisms operate differently across rural and urban IMB models? Importance to the Social Marketing Field: This research provides empirical evidence for the integration of social marketing principles within the IMB framework and the potential of such integration in developing formative propositions for social marketing interventions in low-income contexts. Methods: This research was conducted in two phases. In phase one, data from a semi-structured survey ( N = 65) were analyzed to identify modal salient beliefs and set up subsequent survey research. Phase two consisted in collecting cross-sectional survey data ( N = 622) and using exploratory and structural equation modeling to assess the proposed model. Results: Together, identified beliefs and statically significant associations between IMB variables suggest that barbershop clients experience ambivalence toward risks associated with barbershop use, the relative benefits of alternative behaviors (e.g., use of personal shaving kits) and what it would cost them to receive the benefits. Recommendations for Research or Practice: Results in this study call attention to various ways in which the marketing mix can be used—to not only provide ecologically relevant information and increase motivation but also sell the benefits of hygienic barbershop use, offset prices of safer practices and draw attention of policy makers. There was no evidence of moderated mediation or moderation across individual paths to support significant differences between respondents in urban and rural settings, suggesting that a single-group model can be used to design interventions in both settings. Limitations: Future research should pre-test specific intervention features to identify audience reactions to preliminary propositions discussed in the current study.

"Follow the Whistle: Physical Activity Is Calling You": Evaluation of Implementation and Impact of a Portuguese Nationwide Mass Media Campaign to Promote Physical Activity.

To raise perceived capability (C), opportunity (O) and motivation (M) for physical activity (PA) behaviour (B) among adults, the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health developed a mass media campaign named “Follow the Whistle”, based on behaviour change theory and social marketing principles. Comprehensive formative and process evaluation suggests this media-led campaign used best-practice principles. The campaign adopted a population-wide approach, had clear behavioural goals, and clear multi-strategy implementation. We assessed campaign awareness and initial impact using pre (n = 878, 57% women) and post-campaign (n = 1319, 58% women) independent adult population samples via an online questionnaire, comprising socio-demographic factors, campaign awareness and recall, and psychosocial and behavioural measures linked to the COM-B model. PA was assessed with IPAQ and the Activity Choice Index. The post-campaign recall was typical of levels following national campaigns (24%). Post-campaign measures were higher for key theory-based targets (all p < 0.05), namely self-efficacy, perceived opportunities to be more active and intrinsic motivation. The impact on social norms and self-efficacy was moderated by campaign awareness. Concerning PA, effects were found for vigorous activity (p < 0.01), but not for incidental activity. Overall the campaign impacted key theory-based intermediate outcomes, but did not influence incidental activity, which highlights the need for sustained and repeated campaign efforts.

Applying social marketing to evaluate current security education training and awareness programs in organisations

The effectiveness of cybersecurity management programs is contingent on improving employee security behaviour. Security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs aim to drive positive behaviour change in support of cybersecurity objectives. In this paper, we argue that existing SETA programs are suboptimal as they aim to improve employee knowledge acquisition rather than behaviour and belief. We apply social marketing principles to examine SETA practices across six organisations. We find that SETA programs fail to implement the key principles and concepts of social marketing that are essential for positive behaviour change. We therefore propose a novel development process for SETA based on a social marketing approach. We explain how the new approach can be used to develop SETA programs that are focused on behaviour change.