Insight & Social Marketing

One way of improving public health is for people to reduce behaviours that impair health and increase behaviours that enhances health. The bodies with the responsibility of improving public health in England are the UK Government, the Department of Health, Local Authorities, and various organisations within the NHS and voluntary sector. Bodies in authority can encourage voluntary change, or require involuntary change through legislation. Health promotion has grown up in the twentieth century as the combination of methods used to encourage voluntary change. Health education campaigns are familiar from the 1950's "coughs and sneezes spread diseases", through the 1970's "look after your heart", to the 1990s "5 a day: eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day". Social marketing campaigns, which borrow advertising and marketing techniques from business, are uncommon in this country.

Public Health Social Marketing in England

Social marketing came to prominence in England with the publication of the public health White Paper "Choosing Health" in 2004. Under the heading "Marketing Health", the Government described how they took evidence from, "people who help make the less healthy choices the sexy ones - marketers and advertisers". These professionals told the Government that "the power of 'social marketing', marketing tools applied to social good, could be used to build public awareness and change behaviour, making behaviour that harms health less attractive and encouraging behaviour that builds health" Click here for more information The Government has since established a National Social Marketing Centre for Excellence (NSMC) to increase understanding and use of social marketing at national, regional and local level.

The Department of Health has defined social marketing as "the systematic application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals relevant to a social good". In health-related social marketing the social good is defined as "improving health and reducing health inqualities"Social Marketing Pocket Guide. A Social Marketing Development Unit has been established to provide strong leadership within the Department of Health. This unit will develop social marketing strategy and policy; conduct campaigns; and work in partnership with the National Consumer Council and the NSMC. National and regional campaigns will include: sexual health; obesity; smoking; and alcohol.

Quick Links

What is Social Marketing?

The Department of Health definition:
"Health-related social marketing is the systematic application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals relevant to improving health and reducing health inequalities."
Social Marketing - Pocket guide (page 31)

The Squidoo definition (and much, much more):
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National Social Marketing Strategy Website

This site contains information on the national review of social marketing and work underway to establish the first National Social Marketing Strategy for Health in England. Contains training materials, campaign reviews, links, definitions and more.
Click here for more information

It's Our Health - National Review of Social Marketing (2006)

On 26 June 2006, the first National Review of Social Marketing for Health in England, 'It's our Health' was launched. This review was commissioned by the Department of Health as part of its delivery of the Choosing Health White Paper commitments.
Click here for more information

Social Marketing Pocket Guide

Produced by the National Social Marketing Centre for Excellence, 1st edition (2005).
Social Marketing - Pocket guide

It's not social marketing unless it meets all these criteria

NSMS social marketing benchmark criteria Benchmark criteria Click here for more information

Institute of Social Marketing

Strathclyde University, established 1992. Click here for more information

Department of Health Social Marketing Page

Social marketing Click here for more information

NSMS Links

Internet resources and print publications. Click here for more information

Making Health Communications Programmes Work

US National Cancer Institute Pink Book - Making Health Communications Programmes Work Click here for more information

Recommended in The Seven Doors Social Marketing Approach (Click here for more information) by Les Robinson of Social Change Media, Australia, as the best guide to social marketing he knows.

Dr Foster Intelligence - in partnership with the Information Centre for Health and Social Care
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Market Segmentation and Targeting

Wikipedia Definition

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BMRB TGI

British Market Research Bureaux Target Group Index
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Market Segmentation in Understanding Inequalities

NWPHO Illustrating Inequalities in the North West

Inequalities using P2 People and Places (Beacon-Dodsworth)
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Social Marketing Campaigns

Obesity Social Marketing Campaign

The Obesity Social Marketing Campaign to be launched in Autumn 2006 is aimed at improving the healthiness of people's lifestyles in the areas of diet and physical activity. It will be delivered in partnership with wide range of organisations including food and leisure industries. Click here for more information

Small Change, Big Difference

The Small change, big difference campaign was launched by the Prime Minister in April 2006 to encourage people to make minor changes in their lifestyles to give them a better chance of living longer, healthier lives.
Small Change, Big Difference

Partnerships for Better Health

The Partnerships for Better Health report highlights the government's role in influencing non-statutory, commercial and not-for-profit sectors in securing public health goals. Through the report, case studies and best practice tips we are encouraging the greater use of such partnerships for health at a local level.

Last Updated: Thursday, 25th March 2010