Alan Tapp

From “carefree casuals” to “professional wanderers”: Segmentation possibilities for football supporters

Academically constructed segments may often fail to be implemented by practitioners. There may be a number of reasons for this, but at the heart of the matter for practitioners must be an economic reward that outweighs the incremental costs of segmenting. Central to this issue is the ease with which different types of data can be collected and used. Experience from direct marketing practice suggests that segments based on customer value and customer benefits sought often lead to successful strategies. Accordingly, looks to utilise these variables to complement the traditional use of geo‐demographic and psychographic approaches. Examines the business of football. Using a mixed qualitative and survey based approach, an exploration of football supporters was undertaken with the objective of identifying segmentation opportunities. A number of new segments were identified, among them “professional wanderers”; “carefree casuals” and “repertoire fans”. Suggests directions for broader studies. Hopes that this work will better inform the marketing efforts of professional sports franchises and indeed all leisure sectors that rely on regular live audiences for their livelihood.

Some reasonable but uncomfortable questions about social marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the scope of social marketing by re-examining some of its core concepts: the balance between the “wants” of individuals with the “needs” of society; the nature of exchange; the inclusion of techniques not explicitly considered part of the panoply of marketing; techniques available to social marketing, such as “nudge” style techniques, regulation or behavioural conditioning; the view that behaviour change must be its definitive goal; the ethical and political dimensions of social marketing; and the definition of social marketing. Design/methodology/approach – The authors pose seven questions based on these concepts which they debate. Findings – The authors conclude that a more inclusive view of what constitutes social marketing is required: one that avoids absolutism or defining the field in terms of the tactics it employs. The paper calls for a set of ethical codes which would enable social marketers to better defend approaches that deploy more implicit an...

A call to arms for applied marketing academics

“Research has a value that does not depend on how true it is” is a quote from Griseris call for management researchers to concern themselves less with scientific validity and more with relevance, striking a chord within the marketing academy in the light of criticism of the lack of progress in building a body of theory in marketing and creating more links with practice. Some have warned of the dangers of too closely following practitioners’ agendas. This paper debates these issues and proposes that the academic marketing community should recognise the value of getting closer to practitioners. After reviewing literature on the issue, the paper makes the case for an overtly recognised applied researcher culture to sit alongside pure research colleagues. A theoretical framework is developed and applied to a “template” for research design that will allow researchers to generate and communicate knowledge more effectively.

Social Marketing and the Meaning of Cool

Commercial marketers have long understood the value of cool in designing and selling their products, and have invested heavily in keeping in touch with the latest trends among their consumers. In this article, we contend that social marketers could use “cool” to achieve goals of behavioral change, especially with teenagers. We trace the history of cool through to its current role in consumption before exploring how commercial marketers keep track of cool trends. With a focus on teenagers, typically cool consumers but also those most likely to embrace risky behaviors, we consider the potential and pitfalls of using cool for social marketing. We conclude with a practical discussion of how to use cool, and how to stay in touch with cool consumers in a social marketing context.

New technology and the changing role of marketing

Marketing practice is increasingly being affected by new technologies, creating opportunities and threats for marketing practitioners. Much of the literature has concentrated on effects external to the firm such as the Internets impact on market structure, or new business paradigms. However, the research reported on here highlights how new technologies are acting as internal agents of change, forcing firms to adapt to new processes, which in turn are disrupting existing hierarchies. The paper makes the case that this disruption will create opportunities for marketers, who have hitherto failed to be seen as key players at board level. It has been argued that marketings focus needs to move to internal management and facilitation in order to enable enterprise‐wide market orientation to emerge as the dominant ethos of the firm. The respondents’ often blunt views on marketers’ abilities to lead this change are reported, making rather sombre reading for the profession. A number of possible routes were explored through which marketers could address these weaknesses, improve their influence within the firm, and capitalise on the internal disruption caused by new technology.

Social marketing and social influences: Using social ecology as a theoretical framework

Abstract Social marketing has traditionally been dominated by an individualistic model of design. In this work, the authors apply a social ecology model to the theory and practice of social marketing, demonstrating that a multilevel framework is required to fully expose and account for the complexity of sociocultural and environmental effects. The authors have generated a diagnostic tool for this use. The paper then provides a detailed demonstration of the potential power of the tool by applying it to three illustrative case studies: one on encouraging safer driving, the second promoting sustainable travel, and the third increasing early detection of lung cancer.

Why ‘soft science’ is the key to regaining leadership in marketing knowledge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight what the authors regard as serious problems with the continuing dominance of a “hard science” view of what constitutes “top quality” research, and to present evidence that a “softer” approach will yield work that more closely aligns with the everyday reality of marketing.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a contrast between the marketing discipline and chemistry to illustrate their concerns about the use of “hard science” in academic marketing. This was supplemented with analyses of academic marketing work already published to illustrate particular points.Findings – The authors propose that academic marketers need to take a “horses for courses” approach and ground their research in the reality of the discipline. Different areas within the discipline of marketing are debated, and it is concluded that some areas may still respond well to scientific approaches, while others may benefit from a relaxation into interpretive approaches. The paper arg...

Beyond persuasion: a cultural perspective of behaviour

Purpose – This research suggests that understanding problem behaviours through a cultural lens may offer multifarious layers of insight and provide opportunities for more effective intervention than the classical psychological perspective and cognitive models. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this ethnographic study of a deprived community in North West England, physical activity behaviours were researched through participant observation. Field notes were analysed using retroductive reasoning, with Bourdieus “habitus” as a theoretical framework to guide a cultural understanding. Findings – This approach led to the identification of cultural mechanisms which influenced the observed lack of physical activity, and which would have been difficult to identify with a psychological theoretical base. These included a lack of perspective, participation and control. These mechanisms led to the observed preoccupations with family survival, withdrawal and fantasy, instant plea...

From the 4Ps to COM-SM: reconfiguring the social marketing mix

Purpose – In this paper, the authors aim to contend that the 4Ps of social marketing have been stretched beyond breaking point. Originally designed for social marketing mixes that contained products and prices, the social marketing 4Ps are no longer fit for purpose in an age where social marketing interventions are so wide ranging. There is an urgent need for a replacement – a model that helps social marketers with the process of choosing an appropriate intervention design to fit the particular behaviour change problem faced. Here, the authors propose a model, the COM-SM framework, that connects social marketing programme types with the “capability, opportunity, motivation” model of behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on critical review of the efficacy of the 4Ps model in helping managers design social marketing programmes, followed by the conceptual development of an alternative. Findings – Using some typical scenarios, it is contended that the COM-SM model better enables the m...

Wheels, skills and thrills: A social marketing trial to reduce aggressive driving from young men in deprived areas

Young men from poorer backgrounds are associated with high road traffic collision levels. However, solving this problem has proven very difficult. Hence this paper summarises the findings of a UK government funded two-year trial of a cross-discipline intervention to reduce aggressive driving amongst this group. The intervention reported on here departed from traditional approaches such as fear appeals, stand-alone educational approaches, or punitive measures. Instead, the discipline of social marketing was used to provide overarching direction and structure for the trial, with a key focus on motivation and engagement. The project rested on a strong education and training platform and included a bespoke coaching programme, incentives, and an in-vehicle measurement and feedback device. The project had three development phases leading to the final trial. First, a literature and case study review identified possible design strategies. Second, these strategies were explored using primary research in the form of a qualitative inquiry. Third, a pre-trial design phase sought to introduce key components of the intervention to the trial cohort, retaining some flexibility before committing to the final design. Young males with a history of challenging behaviour (e.g. criminal records, driving convictions) from an economically deprived area within a UK city were recruited. Of 42 recruits, 23 successfully completed the trial. Behaviour changes were measured pre-, during and post-trial through a combination of driver performance data measured by in-vehicle data recorders (IVDRs), assessments of driving undertaken by trained observers, and self-assessment surveys and interviews with trial participants. Results indicate a significant average improvement in driving skills amongst participants who completed the trial. Given the difficulty in engaging and changing behaviour of this specific group, this is regarded as a significant finding. In summary the study provides an indication of proof of concept for the intervention in improving driving skills. However the limited sample size and lack of control group mean that further work will be required to validate these findings. It is recommended that a feasibility study with higher cohort volumes is undertaken, before attempting a full scale trial.