1. BT.OCT30.PG012.pdf Page 12 22/10/09, 2:04 PM
comment CREATIVE FENG SHUI
NOT A SOLO EFFORT
Nick Condon
THE SIX Ps OF SOCIAL
MARKETING
Adam Joseph
Managing director, Insights manager,
DDB Melbourne Herald Sun
We’re about to renovate the office, and it has got me Generally speaking, the term ‘social marketing’
thinking. Agencies spend a lot of time and cash refers to the application of commercial marketing
making sure their physical environments look, feel practices to the not-for-profit world of government,
and are creative. We all want our offices to be spaces trusts and charities. A core objective is changing
that feed the inquiring mind, inspire thought and behaviour for the social good, and practitioners have
innovation and encourage collaboration. enviable marketing metrics to work with.
But as I sat contemplating carpet samples, paint How many of us in the commercial sector can
swatches and schematics to reshape our new boast that our marketing efforts have actually
environment around the organic flow of a lotus leaf, helped save lives or make the world a nicer place?
I started to think about the shape of a couple of There’s a good deal of documentation on the
other things. Namely creative teams. effectiveness of campaigns encouraging Australians
In the beginning they were teams of one. The to give up smoking, stop drink-driving and so on.
writers cracked the idea solo then slipped the copy Social marketers get to play with the 4Ps of the
under the door of the art department and had a fag old-school marketing mix.
while they waited for the ad to spit out. Bill Bernbach Their Product is behaviour – what they’re ‘selling’
revolutionised all that, bringing writers and art is a behaviour change, like slowing down when
directors together some 50 or so years ago. And driving, covering up in the sun, or making a donation.
that’s how it’s pretty much stayed. Teams ‘owned’ Price is the cost to the citizen of changing (or not
clients or jobs. That’s how they built their reps. Built changing) behaviour, and this can range from painful
their agencies. Got famous. Some specialised in death to mild guilt, depending on the issue.
generating ideas above-the-line, some below, and – Place is about the influence of physical location
more recently – some in the digital space. on behaviour, as anyone living in a bushfire zone
Now it’s time for things to change. And it’s would be able to articulate very clearly.
probably going to scare the crap out of lesser teams. And Promotion comes down to classic marketing
Because now, once a team gets a great idea, they practices. Nielsen’s latest report on top advertisers
have to share it round. And where two has always has government as the biggest spender on
been company, now we need a crowd. The reason? No traditional media, once federal and state
surprises here. Category defining ideas aren’t just government spends are combined.
ads any more. They’re not websites. And (despite So that’s how social marketers roll with the
what many award entry films in the last year would traditional 4Ps. But social marketing is special – they
have you believe) they’re not a few mentions on have a marketing mix with two extra 6Ps, namely
Facebook or Twitter either. Partnerships and Policy. Partnerships is about
The ideas that are going to generate paradigm working collaboratively with other organisations.
shifts in consumer behaviour tomorrow require the With limited budgets and resources, partnerships
highest levels of expertise and understanding in all can be critical to success. The other extra P of the
of the above. And probably a lot more new channels social marketing mix is Policy.
we don’t even know about yet. For great ideas to This is where politics comes in and where
achieve their potential and truly surround their connecting different policy agendas can maximise
targets, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s the overall impact of a social marketing campaign.
more than a two-person job. A quick look at the long World Vision is Australia’s largest charitable
list of credits next to benchmark campaigns in award organisation and its core mission is to tackle global
annuals will show you want I mean. poverty. Poverty has many different causes and they
Amazing ideas will still spring from the individual all link into different aspects of the policy agenda –
brilliance of unique creative minds. It’s been that way employment, education, health, housing.
in every human endeavour since time immemorial. In recent years World Vision has connected the
And it’s why we do what we do, and clients don’t. But policy areas of climate change and global poverty,
it’s what happens next that will define amazing and in doing so has been able to increase financial
campaigns – and agencies. donations from individuals and governments to fund
TO MAKE A Truly creative people have always understood new projects.
that the more ideas you give away, the more you get So they are the 6Ps of the social marketing mix.
COMMENT EMAIL back. Well, their time is here. The age of true, selfless If you disagree or think there should be other Ps,
EDITORIAL@BANDT.COM.AU creative collaboration has arrived. please comment on the B&T Blog.
12 BANDT.COM.AU OCTOBER 30 2009