Strategic Social Marketing Planning

James H. Mintz

Health Canada

PurposeThis document is a checklist for the

development of a social marketing plan.

Situation Analysis What is the social issue the campaign is

addressing? (FAS/FAE)

What is the campaign focus? (alcohol and pregnancy)

What is the campaign purpose i.e intended impact (benefit) (reduced cases of FAS/FAE)

What are internal strengths and weaknesses resources, expertise, management support, internal publics)

Situation AnalysisSecondary Analysis What are the external opportunities and threats?

(extend networks, PEST, Legal)?

What are the findings from prior or similar efforts?

From secondary analysis, what is epidemiology of the problem in population? (e.g. prevalence, incidence rates)

Are there any high risk groups, also what is consequence of the problem

What knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are related to problem

Situational Analysis What approaches have been used to address the

problem by other organizations?

Who are the experts in the area?

What are the geographic boundaries for the initiative?

What trends (PEST) may affect the environment for the initiative?

Which groups/organizations will oppose/support your initiative?

Situational Analysis What are policies, regulations, pending

legislation that may affect your initiative?

What other organizations in your geographic area is presently addressing this issue?

What are the messages that will be competing with your initiative for attention? (e.g. messages from opponents/allies?)

Situation Analysis

Primary research What gaps have been identified from

secondary research? What methodology do we plan to use?

Target Audience (TA)Define the primary TA – rationale i.e.

high risk, easily changeable, (“low hanging fruit”)

Define the secondary TA, e.g. those who influence the TA

Segmentation Describe TA in terms of size, problem, incidence,

severity etc., including demos, psychos, geos, behaviours and/or stages of change

What attitudes/beliefs/behaviours, related to problem, define separate segments?

Are there segments you won’t target, i.e not feasible or someone already addressing segment.

Primary TA, rationale, i.e. high risk, easily reachable/changeable (low hanging fruit).

Secondary TA, e.g. those who influence TA.

Segmentation What about opinion makers, key stakeholders

(e.g. media)?.

How will you allocate resources for your segments?

What methods will you use to conduct research on your segments?

Qualitative: focus groups, in-depth interviews, observation studies.

Quantitative: surveys, intercepts, existing databases.

Objectives and Goals What does primary and secondary

(baseline/benchmark) research indicate would be most strategic objectives? Behaviour objective: What specifically do you want to

influence your TA to do as a result of the campaign? Knowledge objective: Is there anything you need them to

know in order to act? Belief objective: Is there anything you need them to

believe in order to act?

Goals:What are SMART goals? State them in terms of behaviour change, and other measures e.g. awareness, campaign recall/response, changes in knowledge, belief/behavioural intent.

Analysis of TA & Competition

Analysis must be relative to your objective (desired behaviour) and your TA

What is their current behaviour, knowledge and beliefs?

What benefits/barriers do they perceive?

What is the behaviour you are asking the TA to adopt?

What are key benefits the TA would receive from adopting the behaviour?

Analysis of TA & Competition

What are the competing alternative behaviours?

What benefits/costs does your TA associate with these behaviours?

What is the competition for your product in the TA eyes?

How is your product different from and better than the competition?

Marketing Strategy DevelopmentProduct: Design the product offering What is the product, benefits of the desired

behaviour?

What is the actual product, the desired behaviour?

Are there any new tangible objects included in the program/campaign

Are there any improvements that need to be made to existing tangible objects or services?

Are there any new services that will be included in program/campaign?

PriceExit costs: What monetary and /or non-

monetary costs will TA associate with abandoning their current behaviour?

Entry costs: What monetary and/or non-monetary costs will TA associate with adopting new behaviour

Marketing Strategy Development

What are the barriers to entry to adopt the new behaviour

What is the TA cost threshold?How can you minimize the costs or

remove the barriers?

Marketing Strategy Development

Establishing pricing strategies: What prices will be set for tangible

objects/services associated with the campaign?

Will there be any monetary/non-monetary incentives?

Marketing Strategy Development

Place Where/When will you encourage/support the

TA to perform the desired behaviour?

Where/When will the TA acquire any related tangible objects/services?

Where are the places the TA make decisions about engaging in the desired behaviour?

Are there any enhancements that would increase the appeal of the location?

Marketing Strategy Development

Where does the TA spend much of their time?

What distribution systems will be most efficient for reaching the TA?

What type of community support is available to help the TA behaviour change?

Marketing Strategy Development

PromotionWhat key messages do you want your

campaign to communicate to your TAWhat are your specific communications

objectives?What benefits will you promise and what

will be communicated to support the promise?

Marketing Strategy Development

What do you want your TA to know or believe?

What specific actions do you want your TA to take as a result of the campaign?

Which communications channels do TA pay attention/trust the most?

What are important copy points/graphics/formats etc. need to be considered?

What promotion techniques (i.e. promotion mix) will work best to convey your message?

Who are the most credible spokespeople to address your TA?

Marketing Strategy Development

Who are the people/groups (in addition to your primary and secondary TA) outside/inside your organization whose support you need / that you need to address for your program to be successful?

Which are the most promising organizations (private/public sector) to join forces/collaborate with?

How will the strategic communications tactics be integrated into your campaign (including media relations, launches, etc.)?

Marketing Strategy Development

Budget

What costs will be associated with your product/place/price/promotion related strategies?

If costs exceed currently available funds what additional funding sources can be explored?

What strategies will you use to appeal to these potential funders?

Who/how will the work get done and what outside/inside resources will you need?

Evaluation Tracking and Monitoring

What goals will be measured?What techniques,mechanisms and

methodologies will be used ,when will they be implemented, and how will they be reported?

How will you use the results of your monitoring, tracking and evaluation?

ImplementationWill there be phases to the campaign?

How will they be organized? ( i.e. by market, objectives, activities)?

For each phase,what will be done, who will be responsible, when will it be done, and for how much?

BibliographySocial Marketing…. Improving the

Quality of life, Kotler, Roberto and Lee. Sage publications 2002

Hands on Social Marketing: Kline- Weinreich, Sage publications