Toward Global Social Marketing Network 13 March 09

GLOBAL SOCIAL MARKETING NETWORK Created by R. Craig Lefebvre, PhD George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services 12 March 2009 All Rights Reserved. This information is confidential and should not be copied or distributed without written permission of Craig Lefebvre.

We Start with the Universal Problems Bedeviling All Social Marketing Project Managers…

How do I get started with this new project? Does anyone know what it’s like being me? How do I get better at improving and saving lives? Hasn’t someone done this before? I need HELP – NOW!

… And Find One Kernel of Insight that Suggests Solutions Beyond “ More Training and Technical Assistance…”

“ The most frequently cited benefit of the internet was in helping people tap into [their] social networks” – Susannah Fox, Pew American Life and Internet Project, 6 Nov 2006.

And Let’s Take for a Moment These Two Perspectives to Heart…

The business enterprise has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. - Peter Drucker. Not all problems have a technological answer, but when they do, that is the more lasting solution. - Andy Grove

And Consider Where We As Social Marketers Come from… And Where We Find Ourselves Today.

INTRODUCTION

The field of social marketing conceptualized and implemented in early 1970s (Kotler and Zaltman, International Family Planning Programs).

2 global conferences on social marketing in 2009.

19 th year of Social Marketing in Public Health Conference.

Over a dozen textbooks.

Health Communication and Marketing Program, GWU School of Public Health and Health Services.

Global thought and practice leaders.

Blogs: On Social Marketing and Social Change.

THE PROBLEM

A field in search of discipline.

Isolated practitioners across the globe.

Knowledge hoarding (well-kept secrets).

Few professional development venues.

Busy practitioners.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Over 3,000 attended conferences in 2008 – 1,000 on a USAID global e-conference, over 700 at global social marketing conference in Brighton, UK, and 1,000 at two meetings in the US.

Over 1,700 subscribers identified from 38 countries on social marketing list serve.

~500 institutional and individual subscribers to Social Marketing Quarterly .

Over 800 subscribers to On Social Marketing and Social Change blog.

Development of social network platform RarePlanet by Rare.

Large COGs of social marketing practice – CDC, DFiD, Health Canada, NSMC, PEPFAR, PSI, USAID and many smaller ones (Public, Private and NGO).

Academic infrastructure development: George Washington University, University of Bristol, University of South Florida, University of Sterling, University of Wollongong.

Rare master’s degree program in social marketing/communications for conservation at University of Texas - El Paso (50 students/year).

PSI development of online social marketing education and training tools.

Use of new media by practitioners has increased over the past two years.

MARKET SWOT

Larger base of academic health communication

discipline.

Communications vs. social marketing.

Perception by some that social marketing has run its course.

Communication Initiative.

National and regional Social Marketing Organizations.

Community-based social marketing (environment).

One-off social marketing training programs by numerous individuals and organizations.

Practitioners and funders looking for education and training resources.

Taking ALL of this Into Account, We Propose the Following Solutions… Based On a Social Network Site Platform .

SOLUTION

Collectively solve problems in environment, health and social welfare.

Connect people with resources.

Build collective sense of identity.

Systematically define practice that is replicable.

Provide funders and agencies with systematic methods to monitor their portfolios of social marketing projects.

Integrate approaches (bridge the silos).

Advocate for social marketing approaches to social and health challenges.

POSITIONING THE NETWORK TO KEY AUDIENCES

To busy project managers and staff, the network is the technical support resource that helps them to achieve more impact better and faster.

For program and grant managers, the network provides the tools to develop their field staff, social marketing protocols across the project life cycle and routines for project monitoring and reporting.

Globally Connected… Locally Engaged.

How the Social Network Site Would Work for Social Marketing Managers… Staff… Implementing Agencies… AND Investors (or Donors).

THE SOCIAL NETWORK FUNCTIONS

HOW IT WOULD WORK: STRUCTURE

HOW IT WOULD WORK: INDIVIDUAL

AND WE HAVE A MODEL

From Rare International – RarePlanet.org.

A site designed for social marketing projects in biodiversity around the world.

Key features include

personal and campaign profile sites;

ability to create and join interest groups (or communities of practices);

access to toolkits that are rated by the community;

and other resources that are also socially rated.

What Makes This More Than a Peer2Peer Site are the Functions that Allow Projects, Implementing Agencies and Investors to Develop Programs and Track Their Progress According to Best Practices in Social Marketing .

HOW IT WOULD WORK: INVESTORS

PROJECT PROFILES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Idea Will Be to Have Off-Network Activities to Strengthen Ties, Build Relationships and Expertise, Deepen Community Engagement, Advocate for Social Marketing.

OFF NETWORK ACTIVITIES