استراتژی بازاریابی اجتماعی و دخالت صنعت Social marketing strategy and industry involvement

Social marketing strategy and industry involvement Industry involvement in modern society seems ubiquitous. The involvement of economic and political elites in society evolved from the landed royals and nobles to trading companies to concentrated industries and multinational corporations (Topik & Pomeranz, 2014). While government is supposed to protect the interests of citizens and further the public welfare, it often serves the interests of the economic elite, the owners of industry, instead of the general population (Bottomore, 2006; Gilens & Page, 2014). Social marketers must develop ways to remedy social problems and effect social change in this reality. This paper is a commentary of how Wymer’s (2011) pyramid mode can be useful in identifying industry contributions to social problems and to anticipate industry opposition to social change. The model is particularly appropriate for developing social marketing programs in which industry involvement is present. Much of the social marketing literature is aimed at influencing individual behavior change (Helmig & Thaler, 2010) as though individuals are solely responsible for their own health and well-being. However, social problems (particularly public health problems) are often the result of an interaction between the individual and the larger social and physical environment (Parish, 1995; Wallack, 1984). When social marketers are developing their strategies for dealing with social problems, it is helpful if they can prioritize the causal influences on the social problems first. This informs social marketers’ development of objectives. The most contributory cause of the social problem becomes the target of the most prominent objective for the strategy and subsequent social marketing tactical plan or campaign. Industry will sometimes be identified as the source of the problem (e.g., tobacco industry). Industry will protect the interests of its owners and executives (Wymer & Polonsky, 2015). While some companies may collaborate with social marketers’ efforts, the interests of the industry owners will influence industry responses to social marketers. Social marketers need to factor industry actions and reactions into their overall strategies (Wymer, 2010).