Chapter Two

Planning Social Marketing Programs and Designing the Social Product

Planning social marketing programs involves developing a comprehensive strategy to address a
specific social issue or cause. Developing a marketing plan explicitly, and implicitly, captures
many of the core assumptions and understandings of social marketing. This process typically
includes the following steps:
1. Conducting Research: Identify the social issue or behavior that needs to be addressed.
-Conduct research to understand the target audience, their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related
to the issue.
-Analyze existing data, trends, and insights to inform the development of the social marketing
program.
2. Setting Objectives: Define clear and measurable objectives that outline what the social
marketing program aims to achieve.
- Ensure that objectives are specific, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
3. Identifying Target Audience: Segment the target audience based on demographic,
psychographic, and behavioral characteristics.
- Develop audience personas to better understand their needs, motivations, and barriers to
behavior change.
4. Developing Strategies: Design strategies that leverage the social marketing mix (4Ps:
product, price, place, promotion) to influence behavior change.
- Determine the most effective channels, messages, and interventions to reach and engage the
target audience.
5. Designing the Social Product: Define the social product or behavior change solution that
promotes through the campaign.
- Develop a value proposition that highlights the benefits of adopting the desired behavior or
action.
- Ensure that the social product is appealing, relevant, and feasible for the target audience.
6. Creating a Communication Plan: Develop a communication plan that outlines how key
messages will be delivered to the target audience.
- Select appropriate communication channels (e.g., social media, traditional media, community
outreach) to reach different segments of the target audience.
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7. Implementing Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms to track the progress and impact of the social marketing program.
- Collect data to assess the effectiveness of the campaign.
- Use insights from monitoring and evaluation to make informed decisions and optimize program
outcomes.
2.1 Planning Social Marketing Programs
Social marketing planning program is a “process that applies marketing principles and
techniques to create, communicate and deliver value in order to influence target audience
behaviors that benefit society (public health, safety, the environment, and communities) as well
as the target audience”.
The social marketing planning process is a structured approach to developing and implementing
a program or intervention for voluntary behavior change. The planning process used in this
training consists of six phases. These are:
Phase 1: Problem description.
Phase 2: Formative research.
Phase 3: Strategy development.
Phase 4: Intervention design.
Phase 5: Evaluation.
Phase 6: Implementation.
The first five phases of the social marketing planning process take you through the design and
creation of a plan for an intervention or program and its evaluation. The sixth phase describes the
plan's execution and the implementation of the intervention.
Expectations for Planning
Because social marketing is shown in numbered phases, it may seem like a straightforward and
linear process. In practice, however, the process is more circular and iterative. At times you may
need to revisit an earlier step, or jump ahead to complete the step that you are on. You may have
to revise or modify your plans based on information you've gathered. It's easy to get discouraged;
but, this revision of plans happens to everyone and is a sign that you are keeping your audience
at the center of your decisions. Revising and refining your decisions is completely normal.

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Steps in Social Marketing Plan

Step 1 – Define the Problem

• Review data sources, literature

• Determine campaign purpose

– What actions/behavior change could reduce the problem)

– Who must act to solve the problem?

• SWOT analysis

• Review current and past efforts

Step 2 – Select/Analyze target audience

• Formative research

• Collect and analyze demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral data on target

audience

• Segment audience

• Select target audience(s) - size, reach ability, readiness

• Competition
– Current knowledge, beliefs and behaviors
– Perceived benefits and barriers to action

Step 3 – Set goals and objectives

• What do you want audience to do

– Will achieving this goal impact the problem?
• Behavioral objectives, quantifiable
– Feasible?
Step 4 – Apply Marketing Principles
• Product: Behavior, service being exchanged with audience for a price and benefit
– Must compete successfully against benefit of current behavior
– Fun, easy, popular
• Price: Cost to the target audience of changing (financial, time, effort, lifestyle, etc.)
• Place: Channels where products, programs are available
– Make accessible, move programs/products to places audience frequents
• Promotion: Communication with audience about product/program, price and place
– Advertising, media relations, events, direct mail, entertainment, personal selling
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Step 5 – Evaluation Plan
• Based on goals and objectives
• What will be measured
– Process (assessment of campaign elements and execution)
– Outcome (impact)
• How it will be measured
• When will it be measured
• How results will be reported
Step 6 – Implementation Plan
2.2 Social-Marketing-Mix Programs
The marketing mix is the core framework of marketing management that has been adopted
across all areas of marketing practice. The mix represents those elements of marketing
management that are able to be controlled and manipulated by marketing managers to ensure the
maximum appeal of their campaign. The difficulty for social marketing is that it involves
intangible products, often supported by other institutions, which differ significantly from the
services or physical goods of commercial marketing. Consequently, is not possible to simply
transfer the commercial marketing mix to the social sector without making conceptual
modifications to the strategies, and practical modifications to the tactics of the mix. The
following section will examine the seven elements of the social marketing mix.
Like commercial marketing, the primary focus is on the consumer--on learning what people want
and need rather than trying to persuade them to buy what we happen to be producing. Marketing
talks to the consumer, not about the product. The planning process takes this consumer focus into
account by addressing the elements of the "marketing mix." This refers to decisions about 1) the
conception of a Product, 2) Price, 3) distribution (Place), and 4) Promotion. These are often
called the "Four Ps" of marketing. Social marketing also adds a few more "P's."
Social marketing mix programs refer to the combination of strategies and tactics used by
organizations to promote their products or services on different media platforms.
1. Product
This involves creating and offering products or services that meet the needs and preferences of
the target audience. The social marketing "product" is not necessarily a physical offering. A
continuum of products exists, ranging from tangible, physical products (e.g., condoms), to
services (e.g., medical exams), practices (e.g., breastfeeding, ORT or eating a heart-healthy diet)
and finally, more intangible ideas (e.g., environmental protection). In order to have a viable
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product, people must first perceive that they have a genuine problem, and that the product
offering is a good solution for that problem.
2. The Branding and Packaging Program
The branding and packaging program in social marketing refers to the strategies and tactics used
by organizations to establish and promote their brand identity and packaging design.
a. Brand Identity: Defining the brand identity is essential for creating a cohesive and
consistent brand image across different channels. This includes elements such as brand
values, mission, voice, tone, and visual identity (logo, colors, and typography).
b. Content Strategy: Developing a content strategy that aligns with the brand identity and
resonates with the target audience is crucial for building brand awareness and engagement
on media.
c. Visual Branding: Creating visually appealing and consistent graphics, images, and videos
that reflect the brand's personality and values helps to strengthen the brand identity.
d. Packaging Design: Ensuring that the packaging design aligns with the brand identity and
communicates the brand message effectively is essential for creating a memorable and
recognizable product experience for customers.
e. Influencer Partnerships: Collaborating with influencers who align with the brand values to
reach a wider audience and enhance brand credibility through authentic endorsements.
f. Community Engagement: Building a community of loyal followers and brand advocates
by engaging with users, responding to comments, and fostering conversations around the
brand can help strengthen brand loyalty and drive word-of-mouth marketing.
3. The Advertising (Promotion) Program
Promotion consists of the integrated use of advertising, public relations, promotions, media
advocacy, personal selling and entertainment vehicles. The focus is on creating and sustaining
demand for the product. Public service announcements or paid ads are one way, but there are
other methods such as coupons, media events, editorials, "Tupperware"-style parties or in-store
displays.

The advertising program of social marketing refers to the specific strategies and tactics used by
organizations to promote their products or services through paid advertising on different media
platforms.

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a) Target Audience: Identifying the target audience is crucial for any advertising program
based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more, allowing organizations to reach their
ideal customers effectively.
b) Ad Formats: various ad formats such as image ads, video ads, carousel ads, story ads, and
organizations need to choose the right ad format that aligns with their goals.
c) Budgeting and Bidding: Setting a budget and determining the bidding strategy is essential
for managing advertising costs. Organizations can choose different bidding options like cost
per click (CPC), cost per thousand impressions (CPM), or cost per acquisition (CPA) based
on their objectives.
d) Ad Creative: capturing the attention of users. This includes attention-grabbing visuals,
engaging copy, and a clear call-to-action to encourage users to action.
4. The Distribution and Selling Program
The distribution and selling program refer to the strategies and tactics used by organizations to
effectively distribute their products or services by different media platforms and drive sales.
"Place" describes the way that the product reaches the consumer. For a tangible product, this
refers to the distribution system--including the warehouse, trucks, sales force, retail outlets where
it is sold, or places where it is given out for free. For an intangible product, place is less clear-
cut, but refers to decisions about the channels through which consumers are reached with
information or training. This may include doctors' offices, shopping malls, mass media vehicles
or in-home demonstrations.
a) E-commerce Integration: allows organizations to showcase products directly to their
audience and facilitate seamless transactions within e-media environment.
b) Social Selling: Leveraging social selling techniques, such as creating shoppable posts,
running limited-time promotions, and offering exclusive deals to followers, can help
organizations to drive sales directly.
c) Paid Advertising: targeted advertising campaigns on social media platforms can help
organizations to reach specific audience segments and drive traffic to their e-commerce
website or social media shop for increased sales.
d) Customer Service: responding to inquiries promptly, addressing customer feedback and
concerns, and providing personalized assistance, helps to build trust that drives repeated
purchases.

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e) Partnerships and Collaborations: Partnering with other brands or influencers for co-
branded campaigns, collaborations, or cross-promotions can help organizations expand their
reach and attract new customers through shared audiences.
5. The Pricing Program
This involves determining the pricing strategy for products or services offered, taking into
account factors such as competition, target audience, and value proposition.
"Price" refers to what the consumer must do in order to obtain the social marketing product. This
cost may be monetary, or it may instead require the consumer to give up intangibles, such as
time or effort, or to risk embarrassment and disapproval. If the costs outweigh the benefits for an
individual, the perceived value of the offering will be low and it will be unlikely to be adopted.
However, if the benefits are perceived as greater than their costs, chances of trial and adoption of
the product is much greater.
In setting the price, particularly for a physical product, such as contraceptives, there are many
issues to consider. If the product is priced too low, or provided free of charge, the consumer may
perceive it as being low in quality. On the other hand, if the price is too high, some will not be
able to afford it. Social marketers must balance these considerations, and often end up charging
at least a nominal fee to increase perceptions of quality and to confer a sense of "dignity" to the
transaction.
Additional Social Marketing "P's"
Publics: Social marketers often have many different audiences that their program has to address
in order to be successful. "Publics" refers to both the external and internal groups involved in the
program. External publics include the target audience, secondary audiences, policymakers, and
gatekeepers, while the internal publics are those who are involved in some way with either
approval or implementation of the program.
Partnership: Social and health issues are often so complex that one agency can't make a dent by
itself. You need to team up with other organizations in the community to really be effective. You
need to figure out which organizations have similar goals to yours--not necessarily the same
goals--and identify ways you can work together.
Policy: Social marketing programs can do well in motivating individual behavior change, but
that is difficult to sustain unless the environment they're in supports that change for the long run.

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 Often, policy change is needed, and media advocacy programs can be an effective complement
to a social marketing program.
Purse Strings: Most organizations that develop social marketing programs operate through
funds provided by sources such as foundations, governmental grants or donations. This adds
another dimension to the strategy development-namely, where will you get the money to create
your program?
2.3 DESIGNING THE SOCIAL PRODUCT
Designing a social product involves creating a product that is not only functional and
aesthetically appealing but also optimized for social engagement and sharing.
Key considerations when designing a social product:
a) Social Integration: designed to include features that make it easy for users to share their
experiences with the products built-in customization.
b) Personalization: Provide users with opportunities to personalize the product or customize it
according to their preferences.
c) Influencer Collaboration: Consider collaborating with influencers or brand ambassadors to
promote the product on social media.
d) Social Proof: such as customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials, prominently in the
product design. Social proof can help build trust with potential customers and encourage
them to share their positive experiences with the product.
e) Social Listening: conversations about the product on media platforms. Gather feedback
from users, address any concerns or issues promptly, and leverage insights to continuously
improve the product design based on user preferences and trends.
2.3.1 The Concept of Social Product
In social marketing, the product usually refers to the desired behavior and all of the benefits,
services, and tangible items that lead the target audience to adopt the desired behavior. Kotler
and Lee speak of three levels of a social marketing product. The "core product" or innermost
level is made up of the benefits of the desired behavior, the "actual product" is the behavior
itself, and the "augmented product" contains any objects or services created to support behavior
change. For example, the behavior of eating fruits and vegetables would be the actual product,
the fruits and vegetables themselves and a new farmer's market that sells fruits and vegetables

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 would be augmented products. Social Product planners need to think about products on three levels
that adds customer value.
N.B: Core Benefit (what is the buyer really buying? and core problem solving consumers seek.)
→ Actual Product (around the core product and consist of 5 characteristics: quality, features,
design, brand name and packaging) → Augmented Product (around the core and actual
products that offer additional customer service and benefits. delivery and credit, after sale
service, warranty and installation.)
Kotler’s concept of societal marketing suggested that for the well-being of society, the deficient
products should be eliminated from the market, pleasing and salutary products should go through
a product modification process to reach the fourth category, by incorporating missing short term
benefits into salutary products and long term benefits into pleasing products, and the companies’
ultimate goal should be to develop desirable products. This way, rather than focusing on selling a
products, which can be good or bad for the consumers, the main focus is on consumer and
society well-being.
2.3.2 Types of Social Products
There are various types of social products that cater to different needs and interests of users. The
types of social marketing products; adapted from Kotler and Reberto, 1989.
i. Public health products: promote the healthy behaviors and prevent diseases, such as
vaccines, condoms, and smoking cessation aids.
ii. Environmental products: helps to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability,
such as reusable bags, energy-efficient appliances, and eco-friendly cleaning products.
iii. Social justice products: products that support social causes and advocate for equality and
human rights, such as fair-trade goods, gender equality products, and anti-racism resources.
iv. Community development products: They support local communities and economic
development, such as locally sourced goods, community-based services, and affordable
housing initiatives.
v. Education products: it promotes learning and skill development, such as educational apps,
tutoring services, and online courses.
vi. Advocacy products: products that raise awareness and support for specific social issues,
such as campaign merchandise, protest materials, and advocacy tools.
2.3.3 Demands of Target Adopters and Marketing Tasks

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The demands of target adopters in social marketing refer to the needs, preferences, and behaviors of
the specific audience that a social marketing campaign is trying to reach and influence.
Understanding the demands of target adopters is crucial for developing effective strategies and
messages that sounds with them and drive desired behaviors or outcomes.
1. Latent (Hidden) demand: refer to needs, desires, or issues that are not currently being addressed
or recognized by the target audience but have the potential to influence their behaviors or attitudes.
Many consumers may share a strong need that cannot be satisfied by any existing products.
 Latent demand for harmless cigarettes.
 Safer neighborhood.
 More fuel-efficient cars.
The marketing task is to measure the size of the potential market and develop effective goods and
services that would satisfy the demand.
2. Under filled demand: refer to needs, desires, or issues that are inadequately addressed or met by
existing products, services, or campaigns. Which societies are highly seeking but it is not fulfilled or
its supply is at its lowest level of requirement. Example: The need for green environment.
To address underfilled demands in social marketing task, marketers can conduct needs assessments,
user testing, feedback surveys, and co-creation sessions with the target audience. By actively
listening to the needs and preferences of their customers and adapting their strategies accordingly.
3. Unwholesome Demand: Unwholesome products will attract organized effort to discourage their
consumption. Un-selling campaigns have been conducted against cigarettes, alcohols, hard drugs,
handguns and pirated movies.
4. Dual versus single demand: it is demand which is characterized by society’s intention to
consume one or two products comparatively. Example: the demand to own single or dual citizen, the
demand to own two or single child.
5. Abstract demand: the demand which is difficult to express its intention or difficult to express its
practicability. The demand to die or the demand to kill.

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By: G/Michael T. (MBA & MA) ………… 2016