Social Marketing Interventions Research Articles

Effects of loving-kindness meditation on prosocial behavior: empirical and meta-analytic evidence

PurposeBrief loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is introduced here as a valid social marketing intervention. LKM positively influences prosocial cognitions and affects. However, it remains unclear whether brief meditation interventions can influence prosocial behavior. This study aims to provide evidence of the effects of short LKM on prosocial behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports the results of three experiments examining the effects of brief LKM on donations to unknown others. The results are then integrated with the results of seven other studies testing the effects of brief LKM on prosocial behavior using a meta-analysis (n = 683).FindingsLKM increased love more than the control group (focused breathing) in the three experiments; however, its effects on donations were mixed. The meta-analysis shows that LKM has a small-to-medium significant effect compared to active control groups (d = 0.303); moreover, age and type of prosocial measure used moderate the effects.Originality/valueResults suggest that LKM can nurture prosocial emotions such as love and lead young individuals to donate. However, these emotions may not be sufficient to lead adult meditators to share their resources with unknown others. This study presents the first meta-analysis of brief LKM and provides insights into the use of meditation in social marketing programs.

Imagine it happening to my classmates: using video testimonials as a social marketing intervention in adolescent smoking cessation programs

Imagine it happening to my classmates: using video testimonials as a social marketing intervention in adolescent smoking cessation programs

Social marketing and mass media interventions to increase sexually transmissible infections (STIs) testing among young people: social marketing and visual design component analysis

IntroductionGlobally, sexually transmissible infections (STIs) continue to disproportionately affect young people. Regular STI testing is an important public health strategy but remains low among this age group. Raising awareness of testing is an essential step and requires effective interventions designed for young people. To inform the development of effective interventions that promote STI testing among young people, we conducted a systematic literature review to describe the social marketing and visual design components commonly found in STI testing interventions and explore associations of these components with intervention effectiveness.MethodsWe used a systemic review methodology to identify peer-reviewed articles that met pre-defined inclusion criteria. Social marketing and visual component analyses were conducted using structured data extraction tools and coding schemes, based on the eight key social marketing principles and 28 descriptive dimensions for visual analysis.Results18 studies focusing on 13 separate interventions met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions used photograph-based images, using conventionally attractive actors, positioned centrally and making direct eye contact to engage the viewer. The majority of interventions featured text sparingly and drew on a range of tones (e.g. serious, humorous, positive, reassuring, empowering and informative) and three interventions used sexualised content. Four articles explicitly stated that the interventions was informed by social marketing principles, with two explicitly referencing all eight principles. Around half of the articles reported using a formal theoretical framework, but most were considered to have theoretical constructs implicit in interventions materials. Four articles provided detailed information regarding developmental consumer research or pre-testing. All articles suggested segmentation and development of materials specifically for young people. Explicit consideration of motivation and competition was lacking across all articles. This study found that there were some design elements common to interventions which were considered more effective. High social marketing complexity (where interventions met at least seven of the 11 criteria for complexity) seemed to be associated with more effective interventions.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the incorporation of social marketing principles, could be more important for intervention effectiveness than specific elements of visual design. Effective and systematic use of social marketing principles may help to inform future evidence-informed and theoretically based interventions and should be employed within sexual health improvement efforts.

Increasing physical activity among Indonesian adolescents: a social marketing intervention reflection

Purpose This paper aims to provide an overview of a social marketing intervention that aimed to increase physical activity (aligned to UN SDG 3) among adolescents in Bali, Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach Three sequential phases were followed to deliver the social marketing intervention. Phrase 1 (formative research) gained insights that guided a subsequent social marketing intervention. Phase 2 (pilot intervention) gathered preliminary results, to support the development of the final intervention. Phase 3 (intervention) evaluated the effectiveness of the two-month social marketing intervention. Findings The results from the intervention tested in this paper identified significant behaviour change in physical activity, demonstrating the effectiveness of the intervention. Furthermore, the paper identifies which intervention inputs contribute to behaviour change and which do not. Research limitations/implications This paper describes the outcomes from an eight-week pilot programme that aimed to increase rates of physical activity for Indonesian adolescents and provides early evidence of impact. Practical implications This study found that providing adolescents with the opportunity to play team sports increases physical activity behaviour. Originality/value There is a lot of ground that needs to be made in terms of designing programs capable of achieving impact in the Global South. The approach reported in this paper can serve as a best-practice model for researchers wanting to drive lasting behaviour change to overcome known inequities in the Global South.

Alleviating Help-Seeking Stigma Among Depressed College Students Through Shadow Social Marketing: A Meso-Level Intervention to a Wicked Problem

Background The current study addresses the issue of societal stigma attached to mental health issues of college students, which strongly suppress their attempts at help-seeking. Focus of the Article ✓We design a meso-level midstream intervention to effect a behavior change of mentally depressed students, who, due to internalized societal stigma attached to mental health issues, strongly evade help-seeking. ✓We use theoretical arguments and formative research to design a shadow social marketing (SSM) meso-intervention to normalize help-seeking behavior of individuals suffering from mental health issues. ✓We perform field-testing of our intervention to ascertain its comparative efficacy against two competing micro-interventions. Research Question To address a complex problem that does not have a direct, clear-cut solution at either the micro or the macro level, we investigate, in this study, whether an SSM meso-intervention performs better than micro-interventions in alleviating social stigma attached to mental health issues. Its primary benefit is to establish a connection between the micro and the macro levels. Importance to the Social Marketing Field Social marketing scholarship underscores a number of undesirable consequences of micro-level social marketing interventions that directly target individuals who suffer from mental depression, because their attempts at help-seeking are grossly suppressed by societal stigma attached to mental health issues. Our study contributes to the understanding of how the SSM meso-intervention could serve as a better alternative to direct interventions in normalizing help-seeking behaviour of affected individuals. We hope that changes of social norms at the community level can eventually lead to societal macro-level changes with modification and enhancement of institutional norms. Methods We use an SSM approach to design a meso-level, midstream intervention to alleviate societal stigma that deters help-seeking of mentally depressed students in an educational institution. We use survey methods for data collection and Tobit regression for data analysis to empirically test our meso-intervention against two other micro-level interventions. Results Our hypothesis that stigmatized individuals are more likely to avail of wellbeing-related services offered by a platform based on an SSM, meso-intervention rather than by one that does not adopt such a strategy is empirically supported strongly ([Formula: see text]). Recommendations for Research or Practice A meso-level intervention is an essential prerequisite to bring about macro-level changes to address stigma attached to mental health issues. As a practical matter, changes of social norms at the community level have a strong potential for bringing about societal macro-level changes with modifications and enhancements of institutional norms and eventual micro-level help-seeking behavior.

Transitioning beyond single-use plastic drinks cups: an emergent social marketing case study in Scotland

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether consumers and small businesses can transition from disposable to reusable coffee cups, using a community social marketing intervention, led by a Social Purpose Organisation. Design/methodology/approach An emergent case study approach using multiple sources of data developed an in-depth, multifaceted, real-world context evaluation of the intervention. The methodology draws on citizen science “messy” data collection involving multiple, fragmented sources. Findings Moving from single-use cups to reusables requires collective commitment by retailers, consumers and policymakers, despite the many incentives and penalties applied to incentivise behaviour change. Difficult post-COVID economics, austerity and infrastructure gaps are undermining both reusable acceptance and interim solutions to our dependence upon disposables. Research limitations/implications Although the non-traditional methodology rendered gaps and omissions in the data, the citizen science was democratising and inclusive for the community. Practical implications Our practical contribution evaluates a whole community intervention setting to encourage reusable cups, integrating multiple stakeholders, in a non-controllable, non-experimental environment in contrast to previous research. This paper demonstrates how small community grants can foster impactful collaborative partnerships between an SPO and researchers, facilitate knowledge-exchange beyond the initial remit and provide a catalyst for possible future impact and outcomes. Originality/value To assess the impact at both the outcome and the process level of the intervention, we use Pawson and Tilley’s realist evaluation theory – the Context Mechanism Outcome framework. The methodological contribution demonstrates the process of citizen science “messy” data collection, likely to feature more frequently in future social science research addressing climate change and sustainability challenges.

A Systematic Review of Social Marketing Interventions Promoting Occupational Health and Safety

Background Unintentional and preventable workplace injuries are a common occurrence across employment contexts. Campaign and intervention initiatives are often implemented to promote health and safety in the workplace. However, to date, scarce research has reviewed the manner in which social marketing principles have been used to inform these efforts. Focus of Article The current review seeks to address this gap by completing a systematic review of occupational health and safety interventions that utilize social marketing approaches. Research Question This review sought to identify key trends and characteristics across occupational health and safety social marketing efforts such as what topics, theories, and design characteristics are most often used to inform these initiatives. The review also sought to determine how effective social marketing tactics were in promoting behavior change. Method In total, 4,354 article titles and abstracts were reviewed across four databases. Ultimately, 11 articles reviewed met the set inclusion criteria, were reviewed, and subsequently analyzed. Results Results indicated that social marketing interventions typically addressed behaviors related to construction safety, agricultural safety, and safety within healthcare environments. While little continuity existed among information dissemination approaches specified, it was clear that many interventions used some form of traditional media (e.g., print, radio, etc.) as a mainstay of their approach. Further, most were effective in promoting behavior change. Importance to the Social Marketing Field While this review identified vital information relating to the development and implementation of occupational health and safety initiatives, clear gaps exist in how key campaign elements, messaging approaches, and strategies are documented in the literature. Recommendations for Research and Practice Practitioners can and should use information identified from this review to guide the development of social marketing interventions. Further, this work also provides important guidance on best practices for documenting features and outcomes of future social marketing efforts.

The use of social marketing approach in adolescent sexual health promotion

Abstract Background To tackle adolescent sexual health challenges, sexual health promotion must be versatile and originate from adolescents’ needs. Social marketing, an audience-centered approach that aims at changing people's behavior, can be used in adolescent sexual health promotion. This scoping review researched the content and delivery methods of social marketing interventions in adolescent sexual health. To our knowledge, these objects have not been previously reviewed. Methods Six databases were searched to capture the peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods articles without time restrictions that provided evidence of sexual health-related social marketing interventions targeting adolescents aged 11-25. An inductive-deductive content analysis was performed. Nineteen studies were included in the data. Results The content of interventions included sexual risks, risk prevention, morals of sexual relationships, and changes in the body. Risks and risk prevention dominated the data, and they focused on sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and sexual violence. Morals of sexual relationships included values such as fidelity toward one's partner, whereas changes in the body were observed from a reproductive perspective. Delivery of interventions occurred through various media channels, events, and activities. Conclusions The interventions were mostly preventive and concentrated on the risks, whereas the delivery methods were diverse and creative, combining modern and already well-established channels. Sexuality should be seen comprehensively, and interventions should respond to the full range of adolescents’ needs in a way that also positive aspects, such as love and relationships, respect, and equality are included. Key messages • The study improves public understanding of the phenomena by summarizing the existing knowledge. • The results are beneficial in planning social marketing interventions and other sexual health programs.

Perceptions underlying road safety behaviours of drivers in urban Ghana – a health-belief and planned behaviour perspective

PurposeThe study aims to examine social-psychological beliefs and personality traits and their linkage with driver predispositions and road safety behaviour grounded on notions derived from an integration of the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in social marketing.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a cross-sectional survey to gather data from 587 licenced drivers in 3 major urban settlements in Ghana. The theoretical model was tested by using covariance-based structural equation modelling.FindingsThe study finds that the effects of perceived benefits, perceived behavioural control, social norms and cues to action on road safety behaviour are direct; the effects of perceived susceptibility, severity and barriers on road safety behaviour are fully mediated by driver attitude towards safe driving. Some of these effects were moderated by conscientiousness and neuroticism.Practical implicationsThe findings offer empirical grounds for the development of evidence-based social marketing interventions that leverage efficacy-centred messages, social influence through community-based approaches, informational cues with consistent education and are tailored to the personality traits of drivers with the aim of inducing wilful on-road safety behaviour towards achieving sustainable road safety culture.Originality/valueThis study extends the integrative applicability of the HBM and TPB in understanding road safety behaviour and establishes attitude as a vital facilitator, and personality traits as moderators of the belief-preventive behaviour linkage within a developing country context. It contributes towards the use of theory-based outcomes to enhance the efficacy of social marketing road safety campaigns.

Conceptualizing an Omnichannel Approach for Social Marketing Under the Assumptions of the Transtheoretical Model of Change

Background Digital technologies are important touchpoints to stimulate marketing audiences. In the field of social marketing, digital marketing is considered important, but has been mainly used to raise awareness of social causes. Focus of the Article This paper considers the conceptualization of a model to conduct the conversion of behavior change, using both offline and digital marketing techniques. Research Question The paper seeks to investigate existing research on how digital marketing concepts can be integrated into a social marketing strategy. Approach The proposed conceptual model follows the process of the stages of change and considers the theoretical social marketing frameworks, applying the assumptions of citizens’ journey and the use of adequate digital and physical touchpoints to convert behavior. Importance to the Social Marketing Field The model offers theoretical advances for social marketing, going beyond the stage of raising awareness of social causes in social networks, and integrates the assumptions of an omnichannel strategy for social marketing interventions focused on behavior change conversion. Methods The paper follows the benchmark method of theories to build a conceptual model. Results The Omnichannel Social Marketing Model Through Stages of Change presents adequate digital and physical marketing techniques for the different stages of the social change process. Recommendations for Research or Practice The model can be used in future research to measure the effectiveness of social marketing, considering the inclusion of digital technologies and marketing techniques in social marketing strategy. The model also guides social marketing managers in using both digital and offline marketing techniques in an integrated and strategic manner for effective and long-term conversion of change. Future research can apply the model to social marketing cases to generalize its application. Limitations The conceptual model is designed in a bottom-up approach, based on the literature review.

Potential social marketing applications for knowledge translation in healthcare: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionKnowledge translation has emerged as a practice and a science to bridge the gap between evidence and practice in healthcare. While the field has appropriately borrowed from other related fields...

Social Marketing and the Sustainable Development Goals: Scoping Review (2013–2021)

As social marketing interventions are effective in solving social problems and the deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is coming closer, it is vital to see to what extent the field of social marketing is contributing to achieving the SDGs by 2030. Therefore, this scoping review mapped the social marketing literature from 2013 to 2021 while also aligning the SDGs and looking at the topical evolution. The results first show the topical dominance of public health and ‘SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing’, although its share has decreased over the years. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the increasing share of environmental issues in social marketing research, which is something that the field has long called for. However, the number of articles on energy and mobility has decreased over the last eight years. Then, the study highlights which SDGs need increasing attention in social marketing research. The study found four SDGs which were barely studied. Most of these are poverty-related SDGs: ‘SDG 1: No poverty’, ‘SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure’, ‘SDG 4: Quality education’ and ‘SDG 14: Life below water’. Furthermore, the results highlighted that the share of ‘SDG 10: Reduced inequalities’, ‘SDG 5: Gender equality’, and mostly ‘SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy’ has decreased, which is troublesome amid an energy crisis. This study is relevant to social marketers because it is the first scoping review to map social marketing and the SDGs (2013–2021). It will guide future research and interventions to help achieve the SDGs on time.

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

A downstream social norms approach for curtailing e-cigarette waste: Promising social marketing interventions from consumer interactions.

Irresponsibly disposed electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) waste poses significant public health and environmental harm. This study explores downstream social marketing interventions that can be used to curtail the growth of e-cigarette waste in South Africa through the lenses of the social norms approach. This study harnesses the power of social marketing to identify downstream interventions that can be used by marketers to curb the problem of e-cigarette waste. An exploratory research design and a qualitative method were employed. Six virtual focus groups were conducted to collect cross-sectional data from South African electronic cigarette users. Reciprocal altruism, social orientation value, moral licensing and ecological beliefs were found to be the main normative influences that characterise e-cigarette waste. The results support the proposition that social marketers should employ a downstream approach to develop interventions to curtail the growth of e-cigarette waste. Such measures are envisaged to complement upstream initiatives. This study offers new insights on how to manage e-cigarette waste in the context of an emerging market.

Embedding Ecopreneurial Behaviour: Proposed Social Marketing Interventions From Value-In-Behaviour Perceptions of Plastic Waste Ecopreneurs

BackgroundPlastic waste is a growing social and environmental problem in developing economies due to poor waste management infrastructure and improper disposal behaviours. This study explores how ecopreneurship can be embedded as a long-term strategy for managing plastic waste in Zimbabwe.Focus of the ArticleThis study focuses on Zimbabwe, a developing country that is grappling with plastic waste. Value-in-behaviour perceptions of plastic waste ecopreneurs were explored.Research QuestionsThis study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What are the specific set of values that motivate ecopreneurs to start ecopreneurial ventures in Zimbabwe? (2) What are the challenges confronting ecopreneurs in Zimbabwe? (3) What is the potential role of social marketing as a strategy intervention to embed ecopreneurial behaviour in Zimbabwe?Importance to the Social Marketing FieldThis study extends the value-in-behaviour theory to deepen the current understanding of the relationship between ecopreneurship and social marketing in the context of a developing economy.MethodsA qualitative research method was employed. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with ecopreneurs in Zimbabwe involved in plastic waste collection, recycling and eco-innovations. Interview data was analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsEconomic value, social value and ecological value emerged as the major value perceptions that motivate ecopreneurs. Funding, limited availability of plastic waste management infrastructure, low market value affixed to eco-innovations, derogatory connotations associated with waste collection and lack of community based support in sorting plastic waste were identified as the major stumbling blocks.Recommendations for Research or PracticeSocial marketing interventions for embedding ecopreneurial behaviour in Zimbabwe are proposed. Ecopreneurship may be promoted by disseminating educational messages that emphasize on economic, social and ecological benefits. Challenges confronting ecopreneurs such as lack of funding and plastic waste management infrastructure need to be addressed.LimitationsThis study focused only on ecopreneurs in plastic waste management. Thus, the findings cannot be generalised to ecopreneurs involved in other forms of ecopreneurship. Secondly, the study was conducted in a developing economy where waste collection infrastructure is limited.

Anti-Racism and Social Marketing: Paths for Research and Intervention

Background This conceptual paper is an invitation to reflection and action, and is especially targeted to social marketing researchers and professionals to sensitize and engage in recent efforts to break with the limited and low coverage of investigations and interventions in the field on the topics of racism and anti-racism. Filling this gap is a challenge to be faced by academics and social marketers so that the area can properly connect, understand and contribute to contemporary movements that are challenging society for change. Focus of the Article This study aims to explicate and delineate conceptual approximations between the thinking and practices of social marketing and anti-racism to explore the observation of points of dialogue and potential, while the articulation of these approaches can accelerate and strengthen positive social changes. Research Questions What is anti-racism? What aspects and actions circumscribe and contribute to integrating anti-racism and social marketing knowledge? How can this articulation support the analysis and development of anti-racist social marketing strategies and interventions? Importance to the Social Marketing Field This paper contributes to encourage an expansion of mentality, knowledge and behavior related to racial issues and social marketing, and to stimulate ideas that, supported by anti-racism studies and interventions, provide paths that can be continuously adopted in the research, design and implementation of social marketing initiatives. Methods This conceptual article is organized by a literature survey, from sources such as recent meta-analyses, reviews and experimental studies from marketing, communication, education, and social and cognitive psychology, in order to understand the conceptual aspects of racism and anti-racism and their expressions in the contemporary world. Also, there are some case and practice suggestions on how anti-racism and social marketing can be aligned to address racism. The literature explored in this article is published in English and Portuguese. Results The anti-racism aspects presented in this text cover and provide paths that can be useful and explored in different directions in social marketing research and practice. From this perspective, the shared conceptual organization can also support academics and professionals in the area, unfamiliar with studies on racism and anti-racism expressions, to integrate these concepts in their research, plans and programs of intervention or review in these activities. Recommendations for Research or Practice The reported case and practice suggestions are not analyzed in depth. However, this is a task that should be developed critically and with more attention in future works, considering the developments, metrics, sustainability, backlash effects, and effectiveness or not of recent initiatives. More broadly, it is also pointed out that anti-racist commitments and initiatives of companies’ diversity and inclusion programs, such as those reviewed in the text, should be considered as relevant sources of analysis for social marketing studies.

Perceived determinants for modifying littering behavior – a study testing the influence of perceived behavioral control, environmental factors and intention

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to empirically examine the impact of environmental factors and perceived behavioral control (PBC) in addition to the intention on modified littering behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe present study followed a quantitative approach. The empirical data for the present study were drawn from 750 individuals across the states of Delhi and Punjab in India. The predictors of the antecedents of the modified behavior have been examined using confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS 21.0. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results of the current research found that the modified littering behavior was significantly influenced by intention, PBC and environmental factors. Among these predictor variables, environmental factors have been found influencing the modified littering behavior to the highest extent.Practical implicationsConsidering the highest influence of environmental factors, social marketing interventions need to focus on cleaning the already littered areas, convenient placement of trash bins, regular cleanliness, sanitization and emptying of trash bins.Originality/valueLooking at the uniqueness of the present study in the Indian context, this paper is the first to empirically examine the predictive ability of environmental factors and PBC in addition to the intention that may help close the intention–behavior gap.

The Application and Outcome Evaluation of a Social Marketing Intervention to Increase Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among University Students.

Seasonal flu vaccination rates among university students are exceedingly low and research focused on voluntarily influencing vaccination uptake is limited. This study outlines the development, implementation, and evaluation of a theory-driven social marketing vaccination intervention following the co-create-build-engage (CBE) framework. This study drew upon a pre-intervention segmentation study and co-created interventions targeted at receptive segments. The intervention delivered a significant 343% increase in vaccination rates using a difference-in-difference analysis. Online communication channels effectively engaged students to register for and receive their flu vaccine Almost 90% of students who received vaccinations signed up in the first two weeks of the intervention program indicating that those who can be motivated will act early in the flu season. Financial incentives, as found in previous studies, were confirmed as highly effective in increasing awareness and influencing vaccination uptake behaviours. Friend referral incentives were also found to be influential in motivating vaccination uptake. Suggestions are provided for future research and practical implementation of interventions on university campuses to motivate flu vaccination and other health behaviours.

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.

Have you met Angus? Development and evaluation of a social marketing intervention to improve personal flotation device use in commercial fishing

Introduction: Drowning is the leading cause of death among commercial fishermen in the United States. Approximately 30% of all commercial fishing fatalities are attributed to falls overboard. One of the simplest and most affordable ways to prevent these fatalities is for crewmembers to wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) while on deck. An examination of over 200 fatal falls overboard in the U.S. fishing industry revealed that none of the victims were wearing PFDs when they died. PFDs are not required to be worn by commercial fishermen in the United States, so this study was designed to encourage behavior change using targeted health communication and social marketing. Methods: This study developed, implemented, and evaluated a multi-media social marketing campaign featuring a fictitious, culturally-relevant spokesman designed to look, talk, and act like the target audience. The messages were crafted to address common barriers to PFD adoption and misconceptions about fleet-specific risks for fatalities from falls overboard. The campaign was evaluated over two seasons of fishing to look at message retention and intent toward action following exposure to the campaign materials. Results: Survey respondents indicated overall positive opinions about the spokesman and the messages. Results also show a reported change in behavior related to using PFDs while working on deck. Discussion: Targeted multi-media messaging can influence behavior of workers in high-risk occupations in remote locations. Safety message development should focus on occupational culture to create valid and authentic communication products for workers in high-risk industries.