Whose Behavior is it Anyway? The Broader Potential of Social Marketing

Social marketing has established itself as an effective technology for changing the health behaviors of individual citizens. However, people's behavior is not just determined by their own choices but also by their social context. An unhealthy diet, for instance, may result as much from poverty as poor food choice, and the continued use of tobacco from nicotine addiction rather than self-determination. Social marketing needs to address these “upstream” influences if it is to reach its full potential, as well as avoid intellectual and ethical criticism. These influences occur at two different levels: in the local community (e.g., diet may be determined by what is available in the local shops or exercising by access to sports facilities)- “the immediate environment”; and in society as a whole (e.g., smoking may be encouraged if it is felt to have tacit endorsement from government)-“the wider social context.” In addition there are other influences on people's health outcomes, such as the addition of fluoride to water or folic acid to bread, that don't involve the individual in any action at all but do require behavior change by policy makers. Four case studies are used to show that social marketing can contribute at each of these levels, using the standard principles of consumer orientation, exchange and strategic planning.