All those who have interaction with marketing concepts, better know what exactly social marketing is. Going through with the commercial marketing definition, we can say that marketing is the process of creating, communicating, and delivering value to the customers in order to retain the benefit of the organization and stakeholders as a whole.
Social marketing is something different than the commercial marketing.
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Products and services but in social marketing we have a customer behavior, more deeply society’s behavior to focus.
So by the end of this explanation, we can say that commercial marketing is about focusing customer needs and social marketing is about focusing customer behaviors.
Commercial Marketing Techniques Utilized in Social Marketing
Most of commercial marketing techniques rapidly used in social marketing. For example, market research is an essential tool of commercial marketing and this is also used in social marketing. Before launching social marketing campaign, there is a need to conduct a market research to analyze the target audience and barriers of social marketing campaign.
- Market research
- Segmentation
- Find out the needs, problems related to behavior
- Selection of target market
- Setting goals and objectives
- Effectiveness and efficiency of operations
- Positioning
- Marketing Mix (4 P’s)
- Product
- Price
- Place
- Promotion (5 M’s of advertising)
- Implementation of marketing plans and strategies
- Monitoring and evaluation
Main difference between commercial marketing and social marketing
Social marketing is more difficult than commercial marketing.
| Commercial Marketing | Social Marketing | |
| Product | Selling of tangible goods and services | Selling desired behavior |
| Primary objectives | Primary objective in commercial marketing is to satisfy customer by selling products to them and fulfilling their needs and earn profit. | The primary objective of social marketing is to benefit society in term of social gain. |
| Focus | Focus on physical products or services. | Focus on to reach the target audience and change the behavior. |
| Marketing tools | Marketing tools use for selling products. | Marketing tool use for changing behaviors. |
| Satisfying needs | In commercial marketing, marketers satisfy individual needs. | In social marketing, marketers satisfy society needs. |
Similarities between commercial marketing and social marketing
- A customer orientation is critical.
- Exchange theory is fundamental.
- Market research is used throughout the process.
- Audiences are segmented.
- The proper target market is selected.
- All 4 P’s are considered.
- Results are measured and evaluated and used for improvement.
Social Marketers
Commercial organizations do not do social marketing. There are other organizations that develop and process social marketing campaigns:
- Public sector organizations
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Department of Health
- NGO’s
- Department of Social and Human Services
- National Highways Traffic Safety Administration
- Schools, Parks, community health clinics
- Governments
Ways to handle social issues
- Technology
- Science.
- Legal/ Political/ Policy making
- Improve infrastructure
- Built environment
- Changes in corporate policies
- Schools training
- Education
- Media
Social marketing is different from commercial marketing. Social marketing is about society behavior. What do you think how social marketing can be performed so well? Tell us your thoughts by commenting on this article.
