Though the debate on the definite definition of Social Marketing still continues, my vote is for "Social Marketing is a process for influencing human behavior on a large scale, using marketing principles for the purpose of societal benefit rather than for commercial profit" ( Bill Smith 1999). This definition is heavily supported by the presentation topic of the day Public Service Announcement as read in Chapter 12 of The PR Style Guide; "Public service announcements are public communication messages...they persuade, inform or advocate for the public good" (pg 142 Diggs - Brown). The example gallery in the same text on page 150 titled 'Help Save Our Water' got my attention to reflect on the current severe Drought being experienced in the Triangle. According to media sources, the severity of this drought is the regions's third in the past six years and this is why the concerned authorities are seriouosly engaged in efforts to invlove the residents to actively and positively participate in Water Conservation Program. On the front page of News & Observer dated Jan.14, 2008 - the big story is about Gov. Mike Easley appealing to residents to use water sparingly by having short showers, doing fewer loads of laundry to help in the conservation. In the same article, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker is quoted as saying the city would soon begin showing each customer's average daily water consumption in gallons in the upper -hand corner of the bills in an effort to get the residents cut household use to 25 gallons a day per individual. The News & Observer dated Jan. 21, 2008 in the City & State section, has a story titled 'Bell to make drought a theme in Durham' which reads, "As he prepares to give annual State of City address Tuesday, Mayor Bill Bell is proud that his past speeches have led to practical results"(p.3B). The News & Observer dated Jan. 26, 2008 - has a story in the B Section titled 'Campuses compete over who can save most Water' and reads in part "...The students are midway through a competition to see who can conserve the most water during the record - breaking drought, and N.C. State University has a slight edge"(p.3B). The examples listed do reflect that the campaign is for the public good, to make all the residents be aware of the recurring problem and how to respond positively to survive the onslaught of the natural catastrophe.
In the article, Social Marketing, i beg to disagree with the quotation, "Most program planners believe they are thinking the right way about a problem.They believe they have to help other people understand how they are thinking about it. Marketing says almost the opposite. The marketer has to think like the audience, rather than persuade the audience to think like the marketer" ( p.28). I do find this to be contradiction in terms in relation to the authors focus on the Four Big Ideas of marketing but i choose just to briefly respond on two of them. The second Big idea mentions, 'Marketing is a benefit we are offering people, not a message'. In reference to the drought, the authorities concerned do possess the idea of how to conserve the water and this is the knowledge they are struggling to impart to the residents who have no idea of the impending danger. So to say that the marketer should think like the audience really fails to beat this logic. The fourth Big idea mentions,'For better products, services and behaviors; we are the ones who have to change inorder to get the people we are trying to serve to change'. This idea affirms the line in the quotation which reads that marketers believe they have to help other people understand how they are thinking about the problem and at the same time contradicts the immediate line which reads that Marketing says almost the opposite. In reference to the Water Conservation Program in the Triangle, the authorities concerned don't claim to have the monopoly of knowledge but with their expertise, they do have the best ideas of what should be done and they are the ones to set the pace with excellent examples in order for the residents to emulate them, to bring about this much sought better change in behavior for the public good and failure to acjieve this good then society runs the risk of sinking just as the Titanic sank with the lights on.
