SOCIAL MARKETING AND HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT
Social marketing refers to the integration of techniques used in marketing and the principles of commercial marketing to change behavior. Describes the process, applications, and concepts of understanding the target group, their desires, and organizing the communication, creation, and product and service delivery to cater to their wants, societal needs in addition to offering solutions to severe social problems (Serrat 2017). Social marketing is a widely used strategy in the world whose programs can be used to sell health products at a cost-friendly price. Through outlets in the commercial sector, promote non-dependent behavior upon a product or service, supply moderately priced products, and offer health services via social franchises (Rebecca et al. 2017).
Shams (2018) described Social marketing as a strategy to convince a target group to accept attitudes and ideas, enhance healthy behaviors, make use of hospitals, and access health services. Health programs for consideration as interventions in social marketing need to meet specific criteria. This essential criterion offers a framework for assessing response consistency regarding social marketing strategy, in addition to pointing out chances for performance improvement of various interventions.
Conner and Norman (2017) identified three general issues for future research on health behaviors stated as the basis of intervention, changing multiple practices, and maintenance of behavior change. Based on the response, Conner and Norman noted that recent improvements in the health behavior programs embarked on classifying intervention components and mapping them on mechanisms of change. Besides, there were efforts by past researchers to increase the effectiveness of intervention programs based on theory. Regarding finding the solution, multi-behavior interventions have been suggested, and thus social marketing becomes an appropriate intervention to solving and improving health problems.
The performance of intervention programs in social marketing aimed at improving health is mainly indicated by their ability to demonstrate a direct effect on the intended audiences’ behavior. Serrat (2017) reported that this is the feature that sets social marketing uniquely from other marketing approaches.
Key concepts and principles of social marketing for health.
Major commercial marketing principles that are crucial in health improvement are described below;
Exchange theory; which involves interactions between the health care practitioners involved in designing and implementation process and the target beneficiaries of the health intervention program, (Cook et al. 2013)
Consumer focus; This principle helps marketing managers to formulate marketing programs in such a way that the target consumer receives maximum possible satisfaction.
Competition; This is the rivalry between firms offering similar products and services with the principal objective of generating revenue.
Target audience segmentation; This is a process of dividing people according to subgroups based upon common phenomena such as product usage, communication behavior, and media use.
Marketing mix; It comprises elements such as product, price, place, and how its promoted, which all aim at satisfying the target market.
These principles can influence customers in the selling of health products and services. These are because the Health sector is an essential market where people have to incur costs for health products, services, and also behaviors.
Health-related social marketing concepts include;
Behavioral change: Behavioral change is a primary goal of any social marketing instrument. Some examples of universal health behaviors include things like physical exercises, sexual behaviors, cigarette use, using alcohol, healthy feeding, doctor visits, proper drug use, health checkups, and immunization. (Conner and Norman 2017)
Audience research: This involves researching to get information about the group of interest, prior testing of the interventions, and monitoring their supply. This is essential in interventions under social marketing. In health improvement interventions, this can be on either medical practitioners and, or the consumers of healthy and non-healthy products.
Audience Segmentation: This involves grouping a general population of interest into manageable numbers of uniform segments based on some characteristic features such as everyday needs and wants behaviors. This will increase efficiency the way objectives of any health program get realized.
Marketing mix: This concept involves the utilization and blending of a product’s price, promotion features, and place during the planning as well as implementation of any intervention. (Lefebvre and Flora, 1988). These social marketing elements are crucial during planning and execution for a marketing strategy to be effective. A marketing plan should contain these four elements. However, a compelling marketing mix is realized when all these factors are combined correctly. in order to achieve a performing social marketing program, products should be developed regarding the wants of the consumer, preferences, and needs, and sold at the right prices that are convenient to the buyers. The expenses of buying the product should not exceed the expected returns.
Exchange: This concept involves understanding what consumers expect and the cost implications to them. Social marketing programs usually target behavior change by establishing a dialogue featuring product consumers and developers of the program regarding the preferences of the consumer between the consumers. During marketing, consumers forego something which has returns; they valuable returns. The chosen segments possess an opportunity to exchange their fiscal and non-fiscal resources for more appealing physical and non-physical benefits. They usually try to get the benefits of a certain health product an thus, have to pay for it. The exchange usually occurs at the will of the parties involved. Consumers seek to satisfy their needs and want, supplied through appropriate channels, and promoted competitively.
Competition: any different market point, there are varied alternatives. Therefore, the rivalry is always there. Whenever the chosen segment of consumers is not at will to purchase the products being promoted, or when it does not prefer what is being provided, the exchange does not occur. Preferably, a client leaves a market for another. In social marketing, some actions usually face some hindrances that may lead to the need to find similar options of value. Therefore, competition remains a vital necessity in any performing health-related social marketing program.
Methodologies and planning process for developing health improvement related to social marketing interventions.
Weinreich (2008) resulted in the conclusion that a social marketing design aiming at utilizing more than one methodology must utilize both quantitative and qualitative techniques systematically for formative research, process evaluation, and outcome evaluation. This technique is because they provide in-depth data and clarity necessary for an effective health-related social marketing program. Weinreich also noted that, traditionally, health-related interventions relied on quantitative approaches like the field of medicine, until when most health improvement interventions yielded poor outcomes.
Walsh et al. (1993) provided a systematic illustration of the significant elements for social marketing intervention process which can get used to develop a useful health improvement social marketing intervention program, which they grouped into three major stages. A description of the illustration is as follows. Stage One: Research and planning.
Planning element; This element will involve the specification of realistic and measurable objectives of the health program, developing limits for decision making, reviewing past researches and mapping of a program model, and identifying ways to monitor performance.
Consumer analysis; This element involves conducting and analyzing qualitative as well as quantitative consumer researches, verifying the audience of interest for the program to cater for the right population, study the strengths and limit points of the consumer.
Market analysis ; This element is designed to estimate market mix, which involves a product, its price, place, and promotion in the improvement of health programs. It estimates the suitability of current health products to the chosen target group and analyzes the market environment to evaluate the level of competition and allies.
Channel analysis; This element involves assessing for the most effective communication channels to reach a targeted population and achieve program objectives, access the availability of transport means to distribute a product, and decide which firms might join in efforts to health improvement.
Stage Two: Strategy Design.
Developing a marketing mix strategy; This element aims at creating a process strategy from a marketing mix by making the product as well as developing suitable methods of a price reduction or increasing the returns and verification of an appropriate channel of distribution and definition. It also aims at testing key elements and product models with a target audience as well as a market pre-test for the strategy in a chosen place and refines as needed regarding developing an improved health program.
Communication; This element involves clarification of ideas, information, generating implementation messages, testing of significant ideas and message strategies with the target audience as well as the production of suitable communication materials and means, testing, and screening them appropriately in the health improvement program.
Stage Three: Implementation and Evaluation.
Implementation; This involves Enlisting of collaborators required as well as clarifying the nature of the collaborators’ involvement as well as securing their commitment to the realization and development of an improved health program. The element also is involved in training critical actors carrying out the health programs and also in delivering the health products and services, in addition to activating communication and distribution means and channels regarding developing an improved health program during the implementation process.
Process evaluation; This element is aimed to assess the standards of audience of interest exposed to information of the program, find out the efficiency of the production delivery and obtaining of information regarding utilization of the service offered as well as modifying the services offerings, supply and means of accessing information in regard to responses from the consumer to develop an improved health program.
Outcome evaluation; To develop an active outcome evaluation channel, the element aims to verify challenges efficiency of the methods used in research and whether assessment of the program conforms with the design of program evaluation, this is in addition to assessing program effects via data comparisons by means of outcome results selected as well as proper estimation of the financial efficiency of the health program.
Strengths and limitations of using Social Marketing in Health improvement.
Strengths.
Market expectations; Commercial marketing involves acts of taking risk whereas investors would avoid unrealistic engagement and avoid such ventures that would probably result to losses. Social marketers also portray the same behavior. In public health, however, practitioners are often faced with some cheap competing offers. This programs end up collapsing, thus causing harm to standings of public health to those of its competitors. Social marketing, being helpless, only focuses on improving programs of public health via use of realistic estimates required.
High standards aspirations, since social marketing is well established in the world commerce, in most cases it aims at attaining quality data source and best talents. This causes alarm to many professionals in the field of health who, in most circumstances, are exposed to second rate work due to financial challenges.
Price recognition; Working from the theoretical design of the product, price, place, and promotion, marketers accept that there is a cost implication for any exchange program. Professionals in public health have realized lately that finances are expressed in varied ways, which include forms such as opportunity cost, inconvenience, as well as incongruence with the target audience.
The perception that when a product is suitable, you should have it, is inherent in the field of health, while social marketers are not prone to such assumptions easily. Marketers question on how they can persuade people like the product.
Understanding of audience; Social marketers have had good outcomes on mode of giving information to the public from the sector of public health and convinces members of public on adoption of practices that are healthy. Having such emphasis to the target population, social marketing has directed the attention to the public. This has created precision to segmentation and analysis to target population.
Psychographic information, which includes personality traits, preferences, attitudes, and social structure data such as a family, and church, are receiving vital consideration in projects modeling. The received data helps in developing targeted objectives regarding useful interventions, therefore this leads to proper designs, and effective service provision in addition to appropriate reception by members of public. They are the primarily benefit from these health measures.
Use of qualitative methods systematically; Marketers are key beneficiaries of the target population and variety of techniques in qualitative research, which therefore provides light to the quantitative data acquired by such instruments such as survey questions. Health practitioners often organize group sensitization meetings to find solutions for community problems. Most recent sensitization meeting on view collection from consumers regarding supplied products expresses positive progress of social of marketing.
The motivation of clients; Social marketing in health care improvement will involve intentional but systematic motivation of clients as well as promotions, for instance, contests and competitions, with prizes to pull clients into the market place. This methodology has not been common in the past promotional efforts of public health projects. Market educators will probably take the act of offering rewards to attract clients to market as more of a bribery. Nevertheless, competition between health service providers and the increasing demand for health services has facilitated this practice.
Close monitoring of programs; Many public health programs give little attention to the monitoring and evaluation roles as well as neglecting other managerial roles. Social marketing requires commitment to the close monitoring of program progress, as it is an important management practice.
Utilization of mass media; different mass media platforms are used by social marketers to strategically deliver information to given target groups for creating awareness and reinforcing other health practices of public health projects. Commercial marketing projects usually involve intensive use of broadcast media, and buying incentives aimed explicitly at chosen segments. In contrast, underfunding public health projects often result to dependency on the media for free air time. Given such situations, media program directors through an act of good cause, make decision on which public service announcements to air. In case public service announcements are broadcasted during any given period, they can less be expected to have the same impact as media campaigns which are well-targeted and systematic.
Limitations
Social marketing having the ability to effect changes in global healthcare practices, it remains a challenge in evaluating and assessing health outcomes.
Commercial social marketing receives criticisms as ineffectual or even not productive at all; for example, Ling et al. (1992) described a case of Werner who argued against the emphasis of social marketing on products developed commercially, by arguing that this was contrary to the concept of community empowerment. Werner, in another instance, critically claimed that public and private oral rehydration manufacturers, reluctantly failed to appreciate cereal based oral rehydration solutions for fear of encouraging homemade mixes.
Social marketing interventions have experienced challenges such as information reaching the wrong target groups; for instance, Ling et al. (1992) gave the example of Luthra where awareness about the use of contraceptives and information regarding side effects was not available in a form suitable to the target audience until when sales decreased due to failure on not meeting customer standards. Luthra made a conclusion that social marketing interventions are not responsive to the requirement of targeted final consumer, but driven by sales and marketing.
Bloom and Novelli described several critical points of limitations that health firms encounter when attempting to integrate social marketing principles. These areas of limitations include market analysis, product strategy, market strategy, communication strategy , positioning strategy, pricing strategy, channel strategy, organization design, planning and evaluation.
Social Marketing intervention programs usually demand increased investment of resources such as money, human resources, time. Many health agencies and institutions do not put this fact into critical considerations when designing health programs. Irrespective of a project is well designed, without proper funding and adequate human resource, it may not realize it’s objectives of health intervention. Social marketing regarding health intervention will continue to experience bureaucratic challenges in its program implementation, such as unrealistic time frames, inadequate financing, and inadequate human resources. Most of these cases are experienced in the developing countries where governments are key principal players in designing the implementation programs, provision of human resources as well as the provision of financial support regarding public health intervention, under these circumstances, many of these bureaucratic constraints remains a challenge.
Key players in social marketing sectors within the less developed countries should design innovative health intervention programs. That would overcome these obstacles in avoidance of social marketing undergoing loss of importance in public health by adapting themselves to the realities of constraints in the bureaucratic environment.
Management issues associated with the use of social marketing for health
Most of the social marketing interventions produce the unfortunate results. As a result, Wymer (2011) proposed a guide on strategic planning process of social marketing programs to improve program outcomes.
Wymer pointed out some major reasons as to why many social marketers’ programs were ineffective lead to biased intervention of the problems a society face through their program designs, restricting some approaches to those aiming at a target audience, Without factoring in factors of the environment, in addition of failure to develop plans to take care of the environmental factors affecting their target social problem.
Social marketing instruments are essential in the healthcare sector because the benefits and objectives when adequately applied can generate positive effects such as social marketing campaigns promoting healthy living, warnings, brochures about flu symptoms and education against risky behaviors such as smoking, stimulant abuse and use of an addictive substance (Furxhiu et al. 2018)
Missing some commercial marketing elements in the health sector is one of the significant issues. For instance, Ling et al. (1992) explain the missing aspects of the 4Ps concept in the public health arena, whereby it fails to possess ability to change services and products to interests of the consumer, like discontinuing a needed public health service. Also, few projects of public health cannot sustain prolonged promotion activities.
Debate on the ethical aspects of advertising is a critical component of marketing, has some bearing on social marketing in the health sector with different views. Pollay (1986) reported an advertisement’s effect being to deviate real experience and engender materialism, cynism, anxiety, and competition.
Contrary response from Holbrook(1987) described advertising being a mirror of societal norms, which reflects many wholesome values such as family affection, generosity, patriotism, positive
anticipation, and joy. These two points of view probably were evoked from different assessments of the merit of the consumer society and its capacity to provide human fulfillment.
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