What are the basic characteristics of social marketing?
Updated - Monday 28 November 2005
What are the basic characteristics of social marketing?
As in commercial marketing, the 'four Ps' are the basic characteristics of the social marketing approach (see box below). Successful social marketing depends on good research to define each of the four Ps carefully.
The Four P's are:
| The four Ps of social marketing |
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| Examples |
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Decide on what is the product, its form, format, and presentation in terms of packaging and characteristics | The marketed product can be: · physical item e.g. a VIP latrines, SanPlats; or a · practice or behaviour: wash hands after using latrines; or an · idea: clean environment, good sanitation for health |
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Decide on what the consumer would be willing to pay, both in terms of direct and indirect costs and perceptions of benefits: make the product worth getting | The price can be : · monetary or direct costs: cost of products (with or without subsidies), social cost · opportunity/indirect costs: time lost from other activities, missed opportunities, transport, loss in production or income · psychological or physical costs: stress in changing behaviour, effort involved in maintaining latrine or obtaining additional water required |
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Where will the product be available to consumers, including where is it displayed or demonstrated | The place is every location where the product will be available, e.g at tea shops, builder's yards and suppliers, at clinics, pharmacies, clubs and local businesses |
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How the consumers will know the product exists, its benefits, costs, and where and how to get it. | Promotion relates to the ways of delivery of the information about the product. For example this can be done through television, radio, newspapers, posters, billboards, banners, folk singers or dramatists, public rallies, interpersonal/counselling |
Source: LSHTM/WEDC (1998). Guidance Manual on Water Supply and Sanitation Programmes
