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Social Policy

What is Social Marketing?

Social Marketing is the application of commercial strategies and social science to target complex social problems, and influence behaviours, for the greater social good. It is particularly used for public information campaigns. The aim is to understand social issues and affect positive change. This is done through targeted research on a particular community in partnership with stakeholders.

A diverse group of young people outdoors pose for a selfie, laughing. Quote: Social marketing is the application of commercial strategies and social science to target complex social problems, and influence behaviours, for the greater social good.

Definition

The Australian Association of Social Marketing notes that social marketing uses ethical principles, research, best practice, theory, audiences, and partnerships to bring about “effective, efficient, equitable and sustainable” change:

“Social Marketing seeks to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviour that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good.”

W. A. Smith, Executive Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development (USA), explains that commercial marketing targets purchasing behaviour, such as promoting products. Social marketing is used on complex social problems, such as public health, environmental protection, and risk-taking.

“Social marketing typically targets complex, often socially controversial behaviours, with delayed and distant benefits to audiences who often do not recognise they have a problem, much less are looking for a solution.”

Methodology

The National Social Marketing Centre (UK) notes that social marketing blends commercial marketing techniques with the social sciences, to support decision-making. For example:

  • Which people to work with
  • What behaviour to influence
  • How to go about it
  • How to measure it

The Centre outlines a six-step approach to social marketing:

  1. Getting started: Identify the issue, available resources and assets, potential risks, and timescale
  2. Scope: Consider interventions that have been successful, within your available resources. Understand your target audience, including their behaviours and goals, and consult with relevant stakeholders
  3. Develop: Design your chosen intervention or program campaign. Pre-test (ideally co-designing) ideas with the audience. Plan your methodology, including SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) goals and measures.
  4. Implement: Launch and test your intervention. Monitor progress, emerging issues, and collect feedback from staff and stakeholders involved in the delivery.
  5. Evaluate: Track the short-, medium-, and long-term measures. Gather data on the intervention’s effectiveness, issues, and gaps.
  6. Follow-up: Share results with stakeholders, including recommendations, forward plan, and lessons. Thank participants and partners. Share your evaluation with participants and the public, including success and failures.
  • Infographic showing circles linked by a red line, as a process model. Title: 6step approach to social marketing using social science
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, with a photo of a white woman writing on butchers paper, as her colleagues look on. Title: Step 01: Getting Started
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing a young Black man standing presenting to his colleagues. Behind him are pictures and post-its. Title: Step 02: Scope
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing a diverse group sitting on the ground, brainstorming and smiling, surrounded by papers. Title: Step 03: Develop
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing the back of a presenter looking a large conference crowd sitting at a table. Title: Step 04: Implement
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing a Middle Eastern man presenting while colleagues look on. Title: Step 05: evaluate
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing an elderly South Asian man at the head of a boardroom table, surrounded by colleagues. Title: Step 06: Follow-up
  • Photo in a circle frame with a curved line, showing a diverse line of people behind a table. Title: Learn more: SocialScienceInsights.com

Source: National Social Marketing Centre (UK) (2011). Graphics: Social Science Insights.

Examples

Social scientists work with governments, community groups, and businesses who need to communicate with hard-to-reach or vulnerable groups.

Examples of social marketing campaigns include:

  • Reducing road fatalities;
  • Introducing public health campaigns;
  • Informing people about complying with new laws;
  • Educating marginalised groups, such as new migrants and refugees, where to find social services.
A diverse group of young people in tracksuits stand on a road, looking in different directions. Text: Social scientists work with governments, community groups, and businesses on social marketing campaigns, to communicate with hard-to-reach or vulnerable groups
Social scientists work with governments, community groups and businesses

Case study: vulnerable consumers and debt

In one of my research projects, led by by Professor Linda Brennan, and co-authored by myself and Wayne Binney, we used social marketing to study how vulnerable consumers understand where to find support to manage finances and debt. We analysed data from 120 semi-structured in-depth interviews with people receiving welfare from Australia’s national social security service provider. The welfare types we studied include: disability; youth; unemployed; aged; single parent; and partnered parent.

The interviews covered people’s attitudes towards debt. This includes: how individuals define debt, how they classify their debts according to acceptability, and why the participants fail to see some liable consumer practices such as credit and mortgages as debt.

We also explored how the participants understood their social welfare reporting obligations, which require them to report their income to their social security provider. Higher earnings impact welfare payment entitlements, and can incur debt if recipients under-report, as they are then required to repay this debt.

Our research shows that vulnerable consumers are aware of reporting requirements, but they knowingly under-report income because they are overwhelmed with basic living costs and other debts.

We explored how existing public marketing campaigns communicate rules and policies. We find that many campaigns rely on negative emotions, specifically shame and guilt, however, these are ineffective in improving compliance, as negative emotions only resonate with people who already comply with rules, and have the means, opportunity, and motivation to do the right thing.

We argue that it’s better to first approach the group of interest using interviews and surveys to see how they understand compliance issues, and then focus marketing on empowerment. Rather than making people feel bad, we focus on what they do well and then educate them about their options.

Our study makes recommendations about how social marketing can be applied to potentially assist vulnerable consumers receiving social welfare.

Read the study: Vulnerable Consumers and Debt: Can Social Marketing Assist?

Scrapbook animation of hands waving credit cards, signing credit contracts, and a debtor stamp with various quotes from the study about vulnerable consumers and debt by Brennan, Zevallos, and Binney

Note

This post was updated on 25 July 2026, to expand on the references and methods of social marketing.

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