This document discusses the similarities and differences between commercial marketing and social marketing. Both utilize similar tools like market research, product development, and competition analysis. However, social marketing seeks to influence behaviors for social good, considers a wider set of determinants that influence behavior, and measures long term outcomes rather than short term profits. Key differences include the behaviors targeted, segmentation approaches, and balancing short and long term benefits. While commercial marketing focuses on benefits to customers, social marketing must understand complex behaviors and wider influences, partnering with communities. Both can learn from each other to create shared value between business and society.

1. Commercial Marketing and
Social Marketing
The same or different?
Patrick Ladbury
www.thensmc.com

2. Who are we?

3. Health promotion & social marketing
• Audience focussed
• Not everyone is the same
• Determinants that
influence behaviour
• Return on investment

4. Commercial & social marketing
• Marketing misunderstood

5. More than just communications

6. Commercial & social marketing
• Marketing misunderstood
• Same godfather
• Similar tools and techniques
– Market research
– Products or services that meet the audience’s needs
– Competition analysis
– Translate customer insight into customer value
• Return on investment

7. Key questions to ask?
• Who are your target audience and segments?
• What resources, products or services are
currently available?
• What prevents them from carrying out the
behaviour?
• What would motivate them?
• What can you influence/change?
• How will you measure and sustain your
programme?

8. What is Different?
How and for what purpose the tools are used?
• Behaviours looking to influence

9. What is Different?
‘It’s much harder to change smoking behaviour,
than it is to get someone to change their
chocolate bar’
Mark Blayney Stuart, Head of Research, CIM

10. What is Different?
How and for what purpose the tools are used?
• Behaviours looking to influence
• Segmentation

11. Example of segmentation in action

12. What is Different?
How and for what purpose the tools are used?
• Behaviours looking to influence
• Segmentation
• Benefits – short term v long term

13. Why do people do what they do?
When they get some benefit out of it..
Benefit = ‘Health’

14. Why do people do what they do?
When they get some benefit out of it..
Benefits = Convenience, time to treat yourself, happy
family

15. BENEFITS
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
BARRIERS
What can you offer me that is better than what
I’m currently doing or what I currently have?

16. What is Different?
How and for what purpose the tools are used?
• Behaviours looking to influence
• Segmentation
• Benefits – short term v long term
• Competition
• Measurement

17. Learn from the Competition
Formula Milk
If you want to encourage breastfeeding, we need to consider the benefits
offered by the formula option and consider how we might offer, or counter
these..
• Fewer feeds, less tiring
• More freedom
• Other family members can help and bond with
baby
• Easier to know how much baby is getting
• Less embarrassing in public

18. Learning from each other
• Commercial marketing • Social marketing
• Benefits • Understand more complex
• CRM and long term behaviours
relationship with a customer • Wider influence on
• Brand and long term view and behaviours
budgets! • Partnerships
• Measurement • Community engagement

19. Conclusion – coming together
Michael Porter – Harvard Business Review 2011
‘Companies must take the lead in bringing business and
society back together .... Creating shared value’
• CIM MIG ‘Shape the Agenda response paper’
www.cim.co.uk/events/MIGs/socialmrktg.aspx

20. Contact
Patrick Ladbury
p.ladbury@thensmc.com
http://thensmc.com