The notion of marketing or marketing is used to refer to the practices and strategies that aim to satisfy the needs of customers. Social , for its part, is that linked to society (a community whose members interact under common rules or a group of individuals organized to achieve certain objectives).
The idea of social marketing , in this framework, refers to marketing that considers both the interest of customers and the goals of the company as well as the well-being of society in general . That is why it seeks to generate a positive change in the environment in which it is executed.
Social marketing usually focuses on the dissemination of a project or concept that contributes to the resolution of a problem that affects the entire community. As part of this action, the brand manages to promote itself and, in turn, helps people.
Suppose a soft drink brand launches a bottle made with recycled plastic to minimize environmental impact. The company also commits to planting a tree for each of these bottles it sells. This strategy can be part of social marketing: the company obtains dissemination and promotes sales, consumers do a good deed with their purchase and society in general benefits from the environmental initiative.
A beer manufacturer, meanwhile, can develop a series of advertisements to discourage alcohol consumption among drivers . It could be understood that this social marketing initiative "invites" not to buy beer, although in reality it only proposes not drinking in specific cases. The manufacturer, thus, demonstrates its responsibility to society beyond the business .
This last example reminds us that social marketing is no longer a series of practices to boost a company's sales , but rather has an added social tinge that gives it a less materialistic meaning if we look at it from afar. Needless to say, if manufacturers do not sell, they disappear from the market and that is why in principle we cannot call the use of tactics to stand out negative; But we also cannot believe that they stop caring about money.
One of the fundamental features of social marketing is that it focuses on who receives it. To do this you must start by carrying out a very detailed investigation about your needs, your perception and your desires. It is important to highlight that we are talking about potential recipients, since no company is guaranteed a sale until it has been completed and its return period in the store has expired.
Having thoroughly studied the aspects just mentioned, the development of a social marketing campaign can begin. All people who are not part of the target audience also come into play here, since it is essential not to offend anyone's sensibilities. Many fail at this point, ending up creating advertisements with sexist or sexist content, for example, with disastrous results.
In this framework, we talk about a social product , precisely what we want to sell through social marketing. It is important that its benefits are presented in a clear and forceful way, that they make a palpable difference with respect to the alternatives on the market.
The social marketing process is continuous, meaning that a short campaign on the occasion of a special date is not enough, but rather it extends over time and is fed back by the public's response . Returning to the example of the soft drink company that commits to planting a tree for every recycled bottle it sells, it is important to keep its customers informed of the progress, and to do this different presentations are necessary in the media throughout the company. Campaign.