10 "What Ifs" for Social Marketing

I had the opportunity to step into the echo chamber of social marketing yesterday. The  circumstance was the opportunity to review Nedra Weinreich's revised Hands-On Social Marketing book. She does a solid job in presenting the basics of the social marketing approach, and the number of worksheets she provides to guide a beginner through the process is a major strength of the book.

Not being a beginner, I was looking at the book from a different POV - what was she thinking were the key points to convey to others? And being in the midst of writing my own text, I was as interested in what she did not cover as to what she did.

The new edition contains some updating of information and insertion of ideas from the behavioral economics, design thinking and social media worlds. Yet, (and I went back and checked) the structure of the book is almost exactly as it was 12 years ago (1999) when the first edition was published.

Now there will be many social marketers who would argue that it is important to transmit the basics of the social marketing approach to beginners before they move into the more exploratory spaces of our work. You'll recognize many of them by their continuing to offer the same information in “updated” versions of their textbooks, the classes they teach and the talks they give. Indeed, from where I sit, the lack of innovation in social marketing, with perhaps the exception of incorporating social media tactics into the promotion mix (if that can be considered innovation), is breath-taking.

After reading through Nedra's book, I spent a few minutes thinking about what was there, what wasn't, and what assumptions we are making about the basic propositions of social marketing. This reverie lead me to put together this list of “what-ifs” that we may want to consider as we start a new year of social marketing.

What if we...

1. didn't have target audiences - but co-creators
2. didn't have distribution systems - but places where people could play
3. didn't use focus groups - but designed research to fit the puzzle and people
4. didn't assess knowledge and attitudes - but sought insight into people's motivation and values
5. didn't start with analyzing people - but first assumed that it was something in their environment
6. didn't create messages and stories - but focused on crafting exchanges
7. didn't track program output - but what, how often and from where people saw and heard from us
8. didn't aim at target audiences - but served people
9. didn't focus on changing behaviors - but offered people new ways to solve problems, meet their needs and reach for their dreams
10. didn't focus on evaluation as the end of the process - but sustainability as the start of the next one

I realize that many people will feel that they can't be the ones to challenge the status quo in their class, blog, book, organization or at a conference. To you I say:

If you don't do it, who will?
And if they won't listen to you, send them here.

I'll see what I can do.

The World is Changing @gapingvoid

Comments

[Peaceforsale]

really like your what -ifs - very bottom up/social justice approach - which i think falls more in line with social marketing rather as opposed to treating people like clients in commercial marketing. I am interested in using social marketing to sell peace, doing a couple of projects now at Brandeis University - any thoughts?
good work thanks and for your posts

[Rachael Randal]

Craig, I read this post with much interest and decided to take up your challenge – I've posted a referral to your What Ifs on my blog (http://healthypi.blogspot.com/) and added some thoughts of my own. Thanks for your insights as always!

[Craig]

Glad to hear you have the 'innovation bias' bug too! Your description of the literature as 'more of the same' is exactly what I mean by the echo chamber comments. I have to go far and wide of the social marketing field to get any inspiration myself (and hopefully bring some of that back here).

Last January I taught an 'advanced social marketing course' and the number one comment I received from the students - several with many years of social marketing experience - was how 'liberating' it was in allowing them to think about other ways of 'thinking about and dong' social marketing. A sad commentary on what should be more exciting and rewarding work.

Hopefully the book will point down some new paths. In the meanwhile, stay tuned here.

[Kelly Evans]

Thanks Craig for this blog post. I agree with your comments and enjoyed your "what ifs". I think there is a need for leaders in the field to 'innovate'. Much of the reading I have come across over the last year has been much of the same. Great for a beginner - but for those who are more advanced in the field there is very little to 'boost' or inspire different ways of working.I do hope that in 2011 we can see more 'innovation'. As social marketers if we don't, we are at risk of being swept away by cynics and others who question the value of social marketing as a discipline. I look forward to reading your book when it is published!

[Craig]

Thanks for your comment Nedra and your ability to take the social marketing approach to so many others.

[Nedra]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book, Craig. Your points are excellent, and you are correct that this book is not intended to innovate the field, but to provide a solid introduction to the overall process for those who are relatively new to social marketing. I'm very much looking forward to seeing your forthcoming book, because you always help us look at the field from a different perspective by asking challenging questions like these.