Social Marketing

In its Anglo-Saxon definition (see Philip Kotler, the inventor of the concept), the social marketing is the application of the techniques and the tools of the commercial Marketing to mediums concerned with social, environmental or cultural problems. It thus corresponds to a process of planning: starting from a diagnosis (qualitative or quantitative study), a strategy is elaborate (positioning, segmentation, targeting etc), one then carries out an evaluation of the engaged activities.

However, even if the techniques can, a priori, being the same ones, they must necessarily adapt to their context. The lack of means brings, for example, the cultural companies to show a great originality in the use of the techniques marketing. This originality is also found in the strategies of creation: when it is a question of attacking a taboo, in order to sensitize the population with societies' problems (the Pédophilie for example).

However, even if the policies of social marketing can appear very effective in the sensitizing of the public with certain problems (fight against the Tabagisme or the Breast cancer for example), it should all the same be raised that it is a logic of the market: on the market of the humane or social causes, only those survive which have the best strategy marketing.

If the impact of social marketing can appear largely positive compared to individual and collective awakenings, its use poses a problem related to its legitimacy. From a logic of Taken in load of the social problems by the State, one passes to a logic of the market and competition of these problems.

Examples of topics treated by social marketing: fight against the Tabagisme, fight against the Illettrisme, sensitizing of the women to the risks related to the Breast cancer, calls to gifts etc

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