# Presentation: 119702

## Use of the Social Marketing Method to Prevent West Nile Virus Infection

***Presentation by Larry Bye, Senior Research Director/Vice President***
***- Field Research Corporation -***

**Presentation to the Sixth National Conference on ****West Nile Virus in the United States****San Jose, California****February 9, 2005**

## Objective

**Define basics of the marketing method and contrast****it with some other commonly used behavior-change approaches.  **

## Overview

**Define social marketing, how it differs from other behavior-change approaches**
**Review  key concepts: exchange relationship, consumer-orientation, focus on the competition, willingness to constantly modify the product, ****data-driven decision-making, the 4 P’s**

## Overview(Cont’d)

**Importance of segmenting target audiences**
**Thinking about community-level, not just ****individual level change**

## Definition of Social Marketing

**“****Social marketing is the application of marketing technologies and theory to the analysis, planning, execution and evaluation of programs designed to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences in order to improve their personal welfare and that ****of society.”**
***- Andreasen, 1995***

## Social Marketing: Key Concepts

**Use of commercial marketing methods**
**Influence, not coercion**
**Voluntary behavior change**
**Specific target audiences**

## What Social Marketing Isn’t

**Information dissemination****(knowledge = behavior change)**
**Education****(knowledge + skills = behavior change)**
**Advertising or communications****(persuasive message + right source + best ****channel = behavior change)**

## Key Features of the Marketing Method

**Exchange Theory**
**Consumer orientation**
**Minding the competition**
**Constant willingness to modify product**

## Key Features of the Marketing Method (Cont’d)

**Data-driven decision-making**
**Focusing on the 4 P’s: ****product, price, place and promotion**

## Exchange Theory: The Essence of the Marketing Method

**Individuals exchange something of value (e.g., money, time) in return for some benefit**
**To be successful, increase the perceived value of preferred behavior and/or decrease the perceived ****value of competing behaviors**
**The value of the preferred behavior must be greater than the value of competing behaviors**

## Product Benefits

**Better health and disease prevention are not always the most attractive benefits**
**Physical activity/5-A-Day: protect and take care ****of kids/family**
**Smoking cessation: smelling/looking better; anti-tobacco advocacy = cool among teens**

## Product Benefits(Cont’d)

**Clean needle use (HIV/AIDS): social faithfulness**
**Breast feeding: special loving bond between mother and child**

## Consumer Orientation

**It’s not about YOU, it’s about the consumer**
**Nobody does anything because someone with more intelligence, knowledge or compassion told them to ... and this includes parents, scientists ****and health educators!**

## Consumer Orientation(Cont’d)

**You cannot get people to do what YOU want; the offering must respond to some already-existing consumer want or need**
**“****You cannot sell a need that people do not have.”****- *****Bill Smith, 2003***

## Examples of Human Needs

**Self-esteem**
**Belonging / social acceptance**
**Contentment / freedom from fear or worry**
**Prestige**
**Helping others**

## The Competition: PAY ATTENTION!

**They can do something else!**
**Your offering must be viewed as more valuable than doing nothing or choosing the competition**
**“****Focus on the behavior, not the awareness that ****you think will lead to the behavior”****- *****Bill Smith, 2003***

## The Competition: PAY ATTENTION!(Cont’d)

**Is the competition offering something more easy****or fun?  If so, your work is cut out for you!**

## Willingness to Modify the Offer

**First, design products that respond to existing wants, needs and aspirations**
**Constantly monitor changes in consumer wants, needs and aspirations**
**Modify product as needed**
**Constantly monitor performance**

## Data Driven Decision Making

**Use research to identify what intended adopters want and need**
**Explore how your product can be positioned to meet an existing want or need**
**Understand how consumers perceive barriers ****and benefits associated with the recommended ****vs. competing behaviors**

## Data Driven Decision Making(Cont’d)

**Assess what promotional strategies and activities will induce target adopters to initiate new ****behaviors**

## Consumer Segmentation

**Traditional public health approach: greatest ****priority given to those in greatest need OR everyone served equally**
**Same products are offered to everyone; same benefits emphasized to everyone; same ****promotion to everyone**

## Consumer Segmentation(Cont’d)

**Commercial marketers know that they cannot appeal to all buyers the same way or at the same time**
**Best opportunity to make a difference: target the most receptive**

## The 4 P’s of Marketing

**Product**
**Price**
**Place**
**Promotion**

## The Product

**The product is *****what we have to offer*****, including its...**
**Design**
**Quality**
**Features**
**Varieties**
**Brand name**
**Packaging**

## Successful Products Must Be:

**Perceived as superior to existing products**
**Compatible with existing values, past ****experiences, and needs of the target audience**
**Easy to use**
**Available to be tried initially on a limited basis**
**Visible to others*****- Rogers, 1983***

## Examples of Public Health Products

_**Tangible products/services**_**: ****condoms, mammograms, birth control pills, ****seat belts, sunscreens**
_**Behaviors**_**: ****5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, at ****least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, sexual abstinence, smoking cessation**

## WNV Prevention Products

_**Tangible products/services**_**: ****window screens, mosquito repellants**
_**Behaviors**_**: ****removal of dead birds and household standing water, wearing long pants and sleeves, avoiding outdoors during certain hours of the day**

## Product Development

**Social marketers often don’t take product development seriously, believing that “the behaviors are given” - this may not always be ****true**
**WNV prevention challenge: limited resources, lots of very different products - can you really market them all?**

## Product Development(Cont’d)

**Which WNV prevention products are most important?**
**Which will more people buy?**

## The Price

**It may not be monetary**
**In public health, non-monetary costs are usually more important - time, effort, embarrassment, looking un-cool, etc.**
**Do not trivialize time and effort - they are BIG price barriers!**

## The Price(Cont’d)

**The price of adopting WNV prevention products: money, time, effort, loss of freedom, loss of comfort, and ... *****what else*****?**
**Keep asking yourself: How can you lower the price or increase the value?**
**You have more control over the price than you think!**

## The Place

**May be the most neglected P in social marketing**
**Where tangible product is purchased or service is provided - is it convenient?**
**Where people are predisposed to pay attention to the problem or promotional message - are we taking full advantage of these places?**

## The Place(Cont’d)

**Where people will act - do we appreciate the setting and its impact on the feasibility of what we are proposing?**

## Some WNV Prevention Places

_**Where tangible product purchased/service provided:**_** ****building supply stores, hardware stores, drug stores, convenience stores**
_**Where people are predisposed to pay attention:**_**doctor’s office, community health clinic**
_**Where people have to act:**_**at home, on a camping trip, at a backyard wedding**

## Promotion

**Often confused with social marketing approach - is really only one of the P’s**
**Promotion = marketing when the other P’s look irrelevant**
**Involves selecting right mix of persuasive messages, channels, materials and activities to induce product trial or adoption**

## Typical Elements of a Promotional Mix

**Advertising**
**Media/public relations**
**Community outreach**
**Sales force/promotions**
**Direct mail**
**Telemarketing**
**Internet**

## 3 more P’s: Moving from Individual-Levelto Community-Level Change

**Public policy: changing laws, policies and regulations**
**Partnerships: engage stakeholders for a more powerful effort**
**Participation: involve target audiences to accelerate modeling and imitation**

## Wrap Up: How to Think Like a Marketer

**Focus on the product, not awareness and knowledge**
**Pay attention to the exchange relationship - provide more benefits than costs**
**Respond to some real existing want or need**

## Wrap Up: How to Think Like a Marketer(Cont’d)

**Don’t ignore the place P**
**Don’t just focus on promotion**