Outcome Evaluation of an Empirical Study: Food Waste Social Marketing Pilot

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-128
Author(s):  
Jeawon Kim ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele ◽  
Kathy Knox ◽  
Samuel Hodgkins

Background: Evidence indicates behavior change is more likely when more social marketing benchmark principles are applied. Yet, transparent and clear reporting of the application of benchmarks to change behavior is rare. Focus of the Article: The aims of this study were (1) to verify the efficacy of social marketing in reducing food waste and (2) to enumerate and critique the practicality of applying social marketing benchmark criteria. Research Question: To address the research aims, two research questions were proposed: (1) Can a social marketing program designed with consumers reduce household food waste behavior? and (2) How are social marketing benchmarks applied to reduce food waste? Program Design/Approach: A consumer-insight driven social marketing program Waste Not Want Not (WNWN) was designed following the social marketing process and delivered to local Redland City Council residents located within the pilot area. This article reports a process and outcome evaluation for the pilot study and a critical evaluation of benchmark criteria application. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: This article demonstrates social marketing’s efficacy to reduce food waste behavior in households, and it critically evaluates application of benchmark criteria to assist future research and practice. Methods: In total, 314 local council area residents were randomly allocated into either a program ( n = 110) or control group ( n = 204). The program group received intervention materials and invitations to attend the 2-week program activities held in a local shopping center. Control group participants received nothing. The extent of social marketing benchmark application was examined for the WNWN program. Results: Outcome evaluation indicated that the pilot study reduced self-reported household food waste and increased perceived level of self-efficacy in cooking for the program group, but not the control group. WNWN successfully applied five of the eight social marketing benchmark criteria, namely, consumer orientation, insight, competition, marketing mix, and behavior change. Recommendations for Research or Practice: Given that use of more benchmarks increases the likelihood of behavior change, future research must advocate for complete application of the eight major social marketing benchmark criteria in program design. Clear operational definitions are required to improve practice and behavioral change outcomes. Limitations: Study 1 focused on individual feedback and self-reported data minimizing the possibility of generalization. Future research could employ observational methods and involve a wider array of stakeholders to increase generalizability.

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (III) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Farooq Ahmad ◽  
Syed Ali Raza Hamid ◽  
Muhammad Nawaz Qaisar

Social marketing is an emerging sub-discipline of marketing. Social marketing deals with attitudinal reconstruction and helps to augment behavioral changes to address various social issues. Social marketing also uses conventional elements of 4Ps to influence behavior change. In this study, a systematic literature review was examined from peer-reviewed journals on social marketing. The focus of this literature review was on important theoretical contributions and theories used in the social marketing domain. Social marketing employed the theories initially developed in psychology and social psychology to study the phenomenon of behavior change as a function of intra-individual processing, persuasive techniques, and one-way communication. Individual centered approaches have been used in this context. The role of group dynamics a strategic tool has not been explored in the domain of social marketing. The research paper has identified possible future research areas in the domain of social marketing in the context of group dynamics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63
Author(s):  
Angela Makris ◽  
Mahmooda Khaliq ◽  
Elizabeth Perkins

Background: One in four Americans have a disability but remain an overlooked minority population at risk for health care disparities. Adults with disabilities can be high users of primary care but often face unmet needs and poor-quality care. Providers lack training, knowledge and have biased practices and behaviors toward people with disabilities (PWD); which ultimately undermines their quality of care. Focus of the Article: The aim is to identify behavior change interventions for decreasing health care disparities for people with disabilities in a healthcare setting, determine whether those interventions used key features of social marketing and identify gaps in research and practice. Research Question: To what extent has the social marketing framework been used to improve health care for PWD by influencing the behavior of health care providers in a primary health care setting? Program Design/Approach: Scoping Review. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: Social marketing has a long and robust history in health education and public health promotion, yet limited work has been done in the disabilities sector. The social marketing framework encompasses the appropriate features to aligned with the core principles of the social model of disability, which espouses that the barriers for PWD lie within society and not within the individual. Incorporating elements of the social model of disability into the social marketing framework could foster a better understanding of the separation of impairment and disability in the healthcare sector and open a new area of research for the field. Results: Four articles were found that target primary care providers. Overall, the studies aimed to increase knowledge, mostly for clinically practices and processes, not clinical behavior change. None were designed to capture if initial knowledge gains led to changes in behavior toward PWD. Recommendations: The lack of published research provides an opportunity to investigate both the applicability and efficacy of social marketing in reducing health care disparities for PWD in a primary care setting. Integrating the social model of disability into the social marketing framework may be an avenue to inform future interventions aimed to increase health equity and inclusiveness through behavior change interventions at a systems level.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman J. O'Reilly ◽  
Judith J. Madill

Organizations of all types increasingly recognize the importance of sponsorship as a source of revenue and as a means to achieve their objectives. This trend is driving the broader adoption of sponsorship, which has resulted in its use to pursue objectives other than those related to promotion, including those related to behavior change and, thus, social marketing. Concurrently, sponsors and sponsees are demanding the development of legitimate, reliable, and meaningful methods for the evaluation of sponsorship as investment in the area increases. For organizations whose objectives include behavior change and, thus seek to market behaviors (i.e., social marketers) this results in a need to be able to evaluate the social marketing elements of their sponsorships, distinct from other objectives that may be sought. The current research conceptualizes social marketing in sponsorship and then develops hypothetical examples for each resulting scenario to demonstrate how social marketing elements in sponsorship should be evaluated.


2021 ◽  
pp. 152450042098826
Author(s):  
Monica M. Popa Sârghie

Background: The present paper focuses on compulsive buying, outlining the need to tackle this phenomenon using a social marketing approach, for the wellbeing of the affected individuals, their families and contacts, and for the health of our society at large. Focus of the Article: This conceptual development article is centered on behavior change and social marketing strategies that can address compulsive buying. Research Questions: How can social marketers help in curbing compulsive buying? What conceptual components and practical guidelines can be used in marketing programs for addressing compulsive shopping? Program Design/Approach: The platform developed herein outlines segmentation, targeting, product, price, place and promotional strategies recommended based on theoretical elements across disciplines. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: To date, compulsive buying has largely been ignored in the social marketing field, despite its relevance and prevalence. This paper provides a framework that can be employed in developing social marketing programs. Method: The proposed platform was created by bridging the literatures on compulsive buying and social marketing, identifying useful theoretical elements (e.g., the potential of the Thranstheoretical model), adapting and customizing these elements to provide actionable insights for intervention programs. The toolkit used for tackling other addictions was taken into account and integrated into the current development. Future Research: This paper offers an initial framework for social marketing efforts aimed at compulsive buying. It hopes to inspire significantly more work in this area to explore the potential of other theories and approaches to foster behavioral change for the better.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Madill ◽  
Norm O'Reilly ◽  
John Nadeau

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on research designed to assess the impact of sponsorship financing of social marketing initiatives on the evaluation of those social marketing programs. Design/methodology/approach – The research utilizes an in-depth, multi-method case study of the Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary Region (CMHA-CR) who carried out a social marketing campaign concerning mental health behaviors that was largely financed by sponsors. Findings – The sponsorship of the CMHA-CR social marketing program was complex with a total of 15 stakeholders involved as sponsors, partners and grantors. The research reveals that while there is considerable sharing of objectives among the stakeholders in this sponsorship, not all objectives are shared between sponsors and sponsees, and not all objectives are shared between the public and private sector sponsors of the program. Practical implications – The research showed that because sponsors and sponsees share in many of the objectives of the social marketing campaign, the evaluation of the social marketing campaign, particularly its ability to achieve the social marketing-specific objectives, is of interest to all the stakeholder parties, and effective social marketing evaluation must also incorporate evaluation of the non-shared objectives of all sponsorship stakeholders. Originality/value – Increasing social needs, accompanied by reduced government funding and increased competition amongst not-for-profit (NFP) organizations for that funding, are driving NFPs to seek innovative approaches to financing their social programs. The research reports initial findings critical in this environment, as well as raises issues and questions related to future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-225
Author(s):  
Sunil Sahadev ◽  
Neeru Malhotra ◽  
Avinandan (Avi) Mukherjee

While extant studies have mainly investigated differences between drinkers and non-drinkers, the literature on segmenting heavy drinkers and profiling them is surprisingly scarce. This study makes a significant contribution to the social marketing literature by illustrating a novel way of targeting heavy drinkers by utilizing their health management styles and provides useful insights into understanding how segmentation could be a valuable tool for developing effective social marketing programmes that are aimed at reducing excessive alcohol consumption. Analysis of data collected through the HINTS study reveals a two-cluster segmentation model. The two segments of heavy drinkers distinctly differ in terms of the extent of reliance and trust they place on health service professionals. Hence, the segmentation analysis provides interesting and novel insights into the level of dependence of heavy drinkers on the health care system and their health management styles. The study provides an actionable perspective for future research, public policy and social marketing.


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