Page 38 - MYM 2016

From the Periphery to the Core
fig. 2: a four-step model for embedding marketing in social policy
user-centric focused culture and creating a set of sys- tems to deliver this.
e third stage consists of all those actions that will be required to deliver the change and embed social marketing principles in the organization. e nal stage is about entering into a continuous cycle of review and improvement.
A second challenge associated with embedding social marketing within organizational systems
and culture is to buttress social marketing that has been built into the operating core of organizations from disruption associated with administration or managerial change. One of the facts of life within any organization is that people and strategy change. Some things come in and out of fashion. is shi can be put down to logical factors such as new evidence, increased experience about better ways
to do things, new imperatives such as the need to save money, or because of ideological, emotional or political reasons. How do we go about increasing the chances that social marketing can withstand the inevitable changes that will come?
One of the key protective actions to take is an ongoing proactive dialogue with politicians, poli- cymakers and practitioners regarding the rationale and evidence for the continued application of social marketing as a key component of policy, strategy and operational delivery. e case needs to be set
out for the e ciency and e ectiveness of applying social marketing; this is an appeal to the head. As new evidence emerges or is commissioned, this should be used to reinforce the appropriateness of applying social marketing. Tracking and evaluation data should also be fed back to policymakers and practitioners to ensure they are aware of the impact that applying a social marketing approach is deliv- ering. is line of argument, however, also needs to be supplemented by a more emotional appeal that focuses on the ideological positioning of social mar- keting as a re ection of a citizen-centric approach to social program delivery. One that emphasizes mutual responsibility as well as social cohesion and is a marker of a responsive public service.
A further line of argument relates to what eodore Levitt called ‘Marketing Myopia’. Levitt’s famous 1960 ‘Marketing Myopia’ paper sets out with great clarity the need to look beyond products and services to the actual business you are in and how you are adding value. e example Levitt used to illustrate his point was the decline of the U.S. rail- road sector partly because they thought they were in the railroad business rather than in the people and goods transportation business. e same challenge confronts social marketers when seeking to persuade politicians and policy makers about the need to sustain a social marketing approach as part of social
38 | MINd YOUr MarkETING OCTOBEr 2016