Social marketing is the application of marketing techniques in social issues to motivate people to perform actions that are ultimately beneficial to them. It is also a marketing concept that believes that a company or organization should make marketing decisions considering not only the consumer’s wants, but also the company’s needs, as well as the long-term interests of society. Then it should provide superior value to the customer in a way that maintains or improves the welfare aspects of the customer and society.

Social marketing perspective is one of the latest marketing management philosophies. Basically, the use of social marketing techniques is based on the principle that marketing in today’s world is not just paying attention to the customer and his needs, or that the company is only looking for its own profit; Rather, in social marketing, companies pay attention to social concepts such as global warming, human rights, and so on, in addition to pursuing their own and their customers’ personal interests and benefits, and in this way make their name global.

Dimensions of social marketing

Anderson calls social marketing a long-term perspective in planning, and other scholars have attributed other concepts to it, such as customer orientation, an exchange process….

a) As a customer-oriented process: In social marketing, the customer is an active participant (component) in the behavior change process. In a customer-centric approach to social marketing, we don’t ask, “What’s wrong with people or why don’t they want to understand?” Rather, we ask: “What is our mistake and why do we not have a proper understanding of our audience? “.

b) as a process of exchange (trade): Social marketing does not occur unless two or more components exist to communicate and exchange with each other. Here, exchange refers to the exchange of resources or values ​​between two or more people with different resources. Of course, in social marketing, it is not goods or money that are exchanged, but needs, thoughts, ideas, and learning that are exchanged, and finally behavior change is achieved.

c) as a long-term (strategic) program: The marketing process is a complete and gradual program, starting with the research process and ending with research (evaluation). In this process, problem analysis (SWOT) methods are used to discover and solve social problems (such as diseases, high-risk behaviors, etc.), so social marketing is a strategic plan. Finally, it can be said that social marketing follows the influence of behavior not only in individuals but also in groups and organizations.

The difference between social marketing and business marketing

1- Short-term behavioral goals are considered in commercial marketing, but long-term behavioral goals are considered in social marketing.
2- In commercial marketing, earning money and achieving sales is more important, while the purpose of social marketing is to do good deeds or promote a useful social idea.
3- Commercial marketing is supported by private investors, but social marketing programs are implemented with the financial support of the government, foundations and non-profit institutions.
4- In commercial marketing, the audience group is persuaded to use a certain product and to buy it, while social marketing tries to motivate them in different ways to adopt a behavior that is useful for them.
5- In commercial marketing, performance is measured based on profit and market share, but performance measurement in social marketing is different.
6- In commercial marketing, products and services are specifically produced that are not controversial, but the behaviors of the target group in social marketing are often controversial.
7- In commercial marketing, the benefit of producers is considered more than that of consumers, but in social marketing, producers of goods or services honestly think of the benefit of the people to improve the society.
8- Business marketing deals with risk-taking managers, but social marketing managers avoid risks.

Keep in mind that decision-making in business marketing and brand management is hierarchical, and in social marketing it is collaborative and consultative. Another thing is that in commercial marketing, relationships are based on competition, but in social marketing, these relationships are based on trust.
Commercial marketing, which aims to make high profits, is willing to spend a lot of money to promote its product, while social marketing has limited resources.
Since commercial goods are not very different from each other, people’s awareness makes buyers not prefer one type of product to another, but in social marketing, if people are informed about the benefits of the product or service, they will prefer to use it. and suggest to others.

Example and application of social marketing

The best examples of social marketing campaigns that lead to real change are those designed to shock, provoke, inform and remind.