Social Marketers Encouraged to Work Together

17 October 2003

Social Marketers Encouraged to Work Together

Government agency co-operation and market segmentation may be the key to avoiding a “bombardment” of social marketing issues on the public.

Several speakers at the inaugural social marketing conference, Social Marketing for Social Profit, yesterday (thurs) suggested that by working together on campaigns, social marketers could reduce the risk of the public becoming “overloaded” by social behavioural messages.

Market segmentation – targeting specific markets with specific messages – would also help avoid public weariness of social marketing.

Australian social marketing and research consultant Tom Carroll said it was a mistake to think that “one message fits all.”

“We need to look at our campaigns through the eyes of the consumer. We are not going to change our behaviour unless the cost of changing is less than the cost of continuing it,” he said.

Business and marketing consultant Kim Wicksteed said social marketers faced the challenge of turning public information into personal relevance, propaganda into empowerment and “finger wagging” into emotive connection.

“When you have achieved this, you have effective social marketing,” he said.

The fact that the conference – the first of its kind in New Zealand – was taking place was a good starting point for inter-agency co-operation, said Mr Wicksteed.

In his earlier opening of the conference, State Services Minister Trevor Mallard said the government was encouraging partnerships between agencies with shared goals. This would create more effective campaigns, allow for shared resources and reduce the number of messages the public received.

The conference runs for two days and has been organised by the Health Sponsorship Council, the Cancer Society of New Zealand, the Land Transport Safety Authority, the New Zealand Retirement Commission and the Ministry for the Environment.

For further information contact: Health Sponsorship Council 04 472 5777

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