Fiona Spotswood

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...

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...

The Brand Equity of the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 General Election: A National and Local Perspective

This paper considers the Liberal Democrat party as a brand, using appropriate branding concepts to analyze the fortunes of the party during the 2010 General Election. It explains Nick Clegg as a key influence on the brands image nationally (the party leader as national brand spokesperson) and how the national image was moderated by Jeremy Browne (the focal constituency candidate and local brand spokesperson). The analysis then considers the effect of the subsequent Coalition Government (with the Conservatives) on the Liberal Democrat brand, focusing specifically on the new legislation to which it is inextricably associated.

Overcoming the self‐image incongruency of non‐cyclists

Purpose – The image of cyclists has been increasingly recognised as an important factor in social marketing programmes aimed at increasing cycling. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a multi‐stage research project exploring image incongruencies between cyclists and non‐cyclists in the UK.Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework of self‐image congruency was used to explore a possible “image gap” between the current image(s) of cyclists and the self concept of the GB population. The first stage of the research was a quantitative nationally representative survey of 3,855 British adults. The second phase involved a qualitative study involving ten in‐depth interviews and nine focus groups (n=60) exploring the image of cyclists with groups of non‐cyclists, lapsed cyclists, occasional cyclists, sports cyclists and utility cyclists.Findings – Quantitative findings indicated that a gap exists between the perceived image of cyclists by GB adults and their collective self concept. Q...

Rethinking How to Tackle Binge Drinking Using Social Marketing: A Neotribal Analysis

In this article the authors report on primary research undertaken with young people in a deprived area of northwest England who use regular binge drinking as the lynch pin of their social group. Traditional health messaging approaches have had little success with this hard to reach group. Findings were analyzed using neotribal concepts. We found that the search for community and belonging occupied a central place in binge drinking behavior for this group. A discussion is offered of appropriate up- and downstream social marketing solutions, based on the principle that any exchange will need to offer community and other benefits equal to those currently delivered through binge drinking.

Practice-theoretical possibilities for social marketing: two fields learning from each other

This paper introduces key concepts from practice theory to the social change agenda, and draws on the unique contributions of the social marketing field. Practice theory has underpinned a growing stream of research in pro-environmental studies seeking to reduce impacts of particular behaviours, but it remains theoretical. By drawing on social marketing’s applied roots, this paper introduces a practice-theoretical intervention planning process (P-TIPP) which frames the unique contribution of social marketing in behaviour change and foregrounds practice not individual-level change. The P-TIPP draws on the total process planning model, introducing the concept of ‘practice as entity’ and ‘practice as performance’ to frame intervention planning tasks. The process locates the contribution of social marketing within a transdisciplinary framework which emphasises transforming collective conventions. This is conceptual paper, but we outline the possibility for practice theory to make a significant contribution to the world of social marketing. P-TIPP is untested. Also, practices can be difficult to identify and somewhat abstract. Finally, it can be challenging to introduce the approach to policy, funding and practitioner procedures. The implications of P-TIPP are that social change interventions are devised, underpinned and planned using insights from practice theory, such as the way behavioural patterns fit into broader understandings of practice. The subsequent social change agenda will be inherently transdisciplinary, sustainable and reduce focus on individual power to change This paper is a first attempt at exploring what practice theory and social marketing can learn from each other for the future effectiveness of social change activity.

“Obviously in the cool group they wear designer things”: A social practice theory perspective on children’s consumption

Purpose – This paper aims to propose the lens of social practice theory (SPT) as a means of deepening insights into childhood consumer culture. Design/methodology/approach – The data comprise four qualitative interviews and ten focus groups with 58 8-13 year olds in six diverse schools across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Transcripts were coded with NVIVO10. Analysis was guided by the three elements of SPT: materials, meaning and competence. Findings – Branded technology products and clothes consistently combined with both the socially sanctioned objective of achieving and maintaining a place in the peer hierarchy and also the three skills the authors have labelled “social consumption recognition”, “social consumption performance” and “social consumption communication” in regular, predictable ways to produce an ordered and, thus, reproducible nexus of actions. Analysis of the inter-relationship between these elements showed that children’s consumption is a specific practice, embedded in their ev...

Children as vulnerable consumers: a first conceptualisation

ABSTRACT Understandings of consumer vulnerability remain contentious and despite recent developments, models remain unsuitable when applied to children. Taxonomic models, and those favouring a ‘state’- or ‘class’-based approach have been replaced by those attempting to tackle both individual and structural antecedents. However, these are still overly individualistic and fail to progress from an artificial view that these dimensions work separately and independently. In contrast, the new sociology of childhood conceptualises childhood as a hybridised, fluid combination of structure and agency. This paper introduces this approach, new to the consumer vulnerability field, and proposes that it has considerable implications for the way that children’s consumer vulnerability is theorised and researched, and for the formulation of policy.

Ethical Dimensions of Social Marketing Does Trying to do Good Equate to Doing No Harm

Social marketing aims to improve the health and wellbeing of society; however the development and implementation of interventions may have ethical repercussions for both intended and incidental targets, and in general ethical terms. To date there is little systematic analysis in the literature of these issues or possible solutions. There is a lack of unambiguous ethical frameworks to guide social marketers, with different outcomes possible under intention-focused (deontological) reasoning versus consequence-focused (teleological) reasoning. While ethical checklists and codes of ethics have been proposed for the sector, significant questions relating to administration and enforcement remain unresolved. This article reviews these issues and suggests routes for developing such guidelines and codes, and future research.