- \n
- Anti-deforestation<\/li>\n
- Anti-littering<\/li>\n
- Endangered species awareness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Health and safety issues:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Promoting exercise and healthy eating<\/li>\n
- Safe driving<\/li>\n
- Anti-drug<\/li>\n
- Anti-smoking<\/li>\n
- Workplace safety<\/li>\n
- Safety when using public transportation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Social activism:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Anti-bullying<\/li>\n
- Fighting gender stereotypes<\/li>\n
- Illuminating instances of discrimination, then inspiring people to fight against mechanisms that create inequality\n
- \n
- Ads in this subcategory include anti-racism ads, disability activism ads, and more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Who initiates these social marketing campaigns?<\/p>\n
- \n
- Nonprofit organizations and charities run the majority of social marketing campaigns.<\/li>\n
- Government organizations, emergency services (police, fire, ambulance) and highway safety coalitions run them as well.<\/li>\n
- But social marketing is not out of the question if you\u2019re a commercial business. Commercial brands will sometimes run social marketing campaigns for branding<\/a> or causes they are passionate about.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"tailgating-ad\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tailgating-ad.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSource<\/a><\/p>\n
What doesn’t count as social marketing?<\/h2>\n
Before we move forward with our explanation of social marketing, it’s crucial to clear up the confusion. Here are a few types of marketing that people confuse with social marketing, but that actually do NOT fall into the category of social marketing.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Marketing \u201cgreen\u201d or \u201ccharity tie-in\u201d products is not social marketing. <\/strong>In other words, if a company is marketing its own line of eco-friendly water bottles, hybrid cars, reusable lunch containers, or other \u201cgreen\u201d products, this doesn\u2019t count as social marketing. The marketing of products with a charitable donation tie-in (such as TOMS) doesn\u2019t count either. In both of these examples, the primary focus is on selling a product, even though a worthy cause does benefit. Meanwhile, with social marketing, the focus is solely on changing behaviors for the public good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n
- \n
- An ad with alarming stats on the number of disposable water bottles thrown out per year, which promotes Hydro Flask reusable bottles as environmentally friendly, and that is made by Hydro Flask to sell its own bottles, is not social marketing. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Meanwhile, a general campaign to promote reusable water bottles, made by an environmental organization, that does not promote a specific brand of reusable bottle, is<\/em>\u00a0social marketing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"hydroflask](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hydroflask-ad-e1600236526525.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n- \n
- Self-serving donations certainly don’t count as social marketing. <\/strong>If a company publicizes a donation they make to a charity or cause, their aim is partially to boost their own reputation. This is not social marketing, due to the self-benefit factor.<\/li>\n
- Finally, social media marketing is not the same as social marketing! <\/strong>This is the most common area of confusion.<\/strong> Many people wrongly equate social marketing with social media <\/em>marketing: marketing on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.\u00a0 Well, sometimes, social media<\/a> will be used to spread, and generate buzz around, social marketing campaigns. However, most marketing on social media is oriented towards promoting a product or service, rather than solely raising awareness of a cause. That influencer\u2019s promotion of Fashion Nova on Instagram, and those viral tweets by Wendy’s, are definitely not social marketing—they’re extremely self-serving!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Why is social marketing so important?<\/h2>\n
Think about \u201ctraditional\u201d ads for products or services. You aren\u2019t convinced to check out a product or service through an ad alone (in fact, you tune out the vast majority of ads you see).<\/p>\n
But how does a well-designed ad capture your attention? It\u00a0either takes a super creative angle you didn\u2019t expect, or makes you laugh, cry, or think. Not every ad convinces you to check out the product or service it promotes, but the best ones appeal to creativity or emotion to motivate people to do so.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the same way with social marketing. People don\u2019t like being told what to do. They might not be convinced by news and typically presented PSAs about a certain social issue. Or, they might not be aware of the problem or its scope.<\/p>\n
Some people might also find a socially beneficial behavior too difficult to perform, or might think they can\u2019t help solve an issue on their own. Alternatively, they might have trouble breaking a long-standing habit (i.e. someone trying to quit smoking, or someone who uses disposable water bottles regularly).<\/p>\n
But well-executed social marketing\u00a0captures attention, and spreads awareness about a social issue, through creativity and emotion. <\/strong>Most importantly, it presents a compelling, simple way to make the world better, and makes this beneficial behavior more desirable than any \u201ccompeting\u201d behavior. Through these elements, social marketing is able to successfully \u201csell\u201d a beneficial behavior.<\/p>\n
Social marketing is especially powerful when it involves a charitable donation element, because people want to make a difference in the world. They\u2019re very willing to give—it\u2019s just a matter of where.<\/p>\n
According to Nonprofits Source<\/a>:<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u00a0Charities received $410 billion from Americans in 2017.<\/li>\n
- Total donations to nonprofits increased 4.1% in 2016 and 5% in 2017.<\/li>\n
- 84% of millennials donate to charity, at a yearly average of $481 per person.<\/li>\n
- \u201cEnvironment and animals charities; arts, culture and humanities organizations; international affairs nonprofits; and health causes [have] experienced the largest jumps in contributions.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
People are poised to make a difference with their wallets, and social marketing takes full advantage by illuminating worthy causes.<\/p>\n
What are the “4 Ps” of social marketing<\/h2>\n
Now that we\u2019ve thoroughly established the social marketing definition, let\u2019s take a look at 4 essential elements for any marketing campaign—the \u201c4 Ps\u201d—and see how they work within the social marketing sphere. \u00a0These \u201cPs\u201d are product, place, price, and promotion,<\/a> and they\u2019re also known as the \u201cmarketing mix.\u201d You\u2019ll need to define these factors before you design your social marketing campaign, and keep them central when you design.<\/p>\n
Product: <\/strong>With social marketing, the \u201cproduct\u201d is the desired social action and the benefits this action offers. Make sure that this change is presented as enticingly as possible…this may include framing the opposite<\/em>\u00a0behavior as negative. <\/em>Also, clarity is key. Make sure your audience can quickly and easily understand your \u201cproduct\u201d and its benefits.<\/p>\n
Place: <\/strong>Where do you want your audience to perform the desired behavior? How can you reach them in ways that make it easier to perform the behavior in that location (and make that behavior more desirable than competing behaviors)? Do you need to recruit peers of your audience as \u201cambassadors,\u201d to make the campaign more accessible to your audience?<\/p>\n
Consider these examples for \u201cplace:\u201d<\/p>\n
- \n
- If you\u2019re running a donation campaign, include a website, QR code<\/a>, or live donation link on your campaign ads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- If you\u2019re trying to encourage reusable bag use in stores, charge customers for every disposable bag they need, and offer reusable bags at a small fee (that customers can keep bringing back and using at no cost to them). Or take this one step further: print messages like \u201cplastic bags kill marine life\u201d on the disposable bags, and make the reusable bags beautiful and attractive to use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- If you\u2019re setting up a helpline for teens, make it available 24 hours a day, via call, text, and online messaging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Price:<\/strong>\u00a0Minimize the \u201cprice\u201d that your audience believes they have to \u201cpay\u201d for the desired social action to take place.<\/p>\n
This price isn\u2019t all monetary. It\u2019s also about minimizing the difficulty, time, and psychological\/emotional costs that people will incur. So, when you\u2019re designing a social marketing campaign, you\u2019ll need to think about (and research) the obstacles that hinder your audience from performing the behavior.<\/p>\n
Then, figure out intuitive, feasible ways to fight these obstacles. For example, if your campaign is aimed at encouraging more exercise in your community, but safe outdoor spaces are minimal and indoor class costs are a barrier, consider offering free indoor fitness classes.<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong> Promotion covers how your campaign will be presented to your audience: the contents, imagery, and medium of your social marketing ad. This is where the three other “Ps” come together!<\/p>\n
- \n
- What channels and outlets will help you best reach your audience and draw their attention to the social marketing campaign: Social media? Television? A sign, billboard, or installation? Guerrilla campaigns?<\/li>\n
- How will you draw attention to the product (behavior), the place you want the action performed in, and the minimized price?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Key social marketing tips and strategies<\/h2>\n
How will you creatively communicate the \u201c4 Ps\u201d to your audience, and strike an emotional chord? And how can you work to maximize your impact over time? Consider these tips and strategies for the best results.<\/p>\n
Properly minimizing \u201cprice\u201d may take several rounds of research<\/strong><\/p>\n
Before you design your campaign, to\u00a0figure out what obstacles stand in the way of your audience performing your desired behavior (\u201cprice\u201d), you\u2019ll need to do some thorough research. Survey your audience online, on the phone, or in print. Keep in mind that it may take several surveys and conversations to accurately find the \u201cprice.\u201d After all, as you talk to more people, you\u2019ll have a better idea of the most common obstacles.<\/p>\n
After you\u2019ve identified the \u201cprice\u201d and brainstormed ways to minimize it, consider holding focus groups, to see how people respond to the identified problem and possible solution.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re ready to design your campaign, create a slogan and compelling visuals, and think about crafting a simple but memorable symbol, to serve as powerful \u201ctriggers\u201d that motivate action and stick in your audience\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n
Visuals are everything<\/strong><\/p>\n
Imagery that surprises or shocks audiences can be a powerful motivator, especially if it illustrates the problem or shows the negative impact of undesirable behaviors. Choose your campaign medium carefully to maximize the force of your visuals.<\/p>\n
Consider creating a simple but memorable symbol<\/strong><\/p>\n
Some of the most effective social marketing campaigns involve simple yet now-iconic symbols, such as the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. Sometimes, that symbol is a character (think Smokey Bear). If you can create a simple yet memorable symbol or character that ties in with your campaign, that further increases the chances that your campaign behavior will \u201cstick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craft a catchy slogan<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cOnly you can prevent forest fires.\u201d \u201cThis is your brain on drugs<\/a>.\u201d \u201cWe can do it!\u201d The three iconic social marketing campaigns listed at the beginning of the article all had catchy, easy-to-remember slogans. Writing some sort of slogan is a necessity for your own social marketing campaign. As we mentioned above, you want your audience to understand the behavior you\u2019re seeking, and how to act on the behavior, as quickly as possible. So, it makes perfect sense to condense that idea into a campaign slogan— a simple, enticing sentence that will stay in your audience\u2019s minds. If you can include a reference to the desirable behavior\u2019s benefits, even better.<\/p>\n
Awesome social marketing campaigns<\/h2>\n
Now, let\u2019s take a look at 10 effective social marketing campaigns, divided by type of cause. We go over what the campaigns do well, including how they show the 4 Ps.<\/p>\n[ez-toc]\n
Humanitarian causes<\/h2>\n
1. See how easy feeding the hungry can be?<\/h3>\n
![\"social-marketing-campaign-feeding-the-hungry\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/social-marketing-campaign-feeding-the-hungry.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSource<\/a><\/p>\n
Organization:<\/strong>\u00a0Feed SA<\/a>, a charity that works to feed needy individuals in South Africa<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong>\u00a0Encourage food donations to Feed SA; secondarily, encourage people to visit the Feed SA website<\/p>\n
Place:<\/strong>\u00a0Grocery stores.<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong>\u00a0Place images of hungry children holding out their hands in shopping carts, begging for food, so it looks like any food placed in the shopping cart is being given to the child. Seats of the carts displayed the slogan \u201cSee how easy feeding the hungry can be?\u201d and the Feed SA website.<\/p>\n
Price-Cutting:<\/strong>\u00a0 All stores where this promotion was placed had food donation bins at store exits, so people could donate to FeedSA right away. No need to go very far!<\/p>\n
Our take:<\/strong> Such a creative campaign that really tugs at your emotions—it definitely looks like food is being given to the child in need. And it meets the audience where they are able to take action against hunger, by being positioned where they can buy food. But it\u2019s the element of readily available donation bins that really ties this campaign together, as it gives the audience an immediate way to act once they\u2019re moved.<\/p>\n
As Ads of the World reports in the image above, the campaign was quite inexpensive, yet very effective. \u201cFor the cost of a few decals,\u201d Feed SA experienced \u201ca marked increase in donations and a significant boost in website traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. It\u2019s not happening here, but it is happening now<\/h3>\n
![\"amnesty-international-youtube\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/amnesty-international-youtube.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nOrganization:<\/strong>\u00a0Amnesty International<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong>\u00a0Illuminate human rights abuses happening across the world, and inspire the audience to assist Amnesty International<\/a> in combating these abuses (by visiting their website and either making a donation, signing a petition, or both).<\/p>\n
Place: <\/strong>Bus stops, train and subway stations, phone booths, and anywhere else a large poster could hauntingly recreate the surroundings behind it.<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong>\u00a0Posters that painstakingly recreated and exactly matched the surroundings behind them, and depicting a human rights abuse happening within those immediate surroundings—right in front of audiences\u2019 eyes. Abuses depicted included children forced to fight in wars, people bound, gagged, and beaten, and children living in abject poverty.<\/p>\n
Price-Cutting:<\/strong>\u00a0Stark awareness—Amnesty knew that the issues are easy to ignore when they aren\u2019t happening in someone\u2019s community, so they made it look like the abuse was unfolding right where the poster was.<\/p>\n
Our Take:<\/strong> This campaign brings issues to light that are often ignored because they\u2019re half a world away. By bringing them into the audience\u2019s own backyard, the audience identifies with these victims of human rights and is inspired to help. Plus, we appreciate the painstaking effort that went into recreating the poster\u2019s surroundings and making it look like a glass window—I definitely thought the images were superimposed over glass, not printed on an opaque poster. And this campaign worked: Goodvertising<\/a>\u00a0reports that these posters increased visits to the Amnesty website by twenty times!<\/em><\/p>\n
(Note: this\u00a0campaign also included the image of the child soldier highlighted in the \u201cvisuals\u201d section above.)<\/p>\n
Environmental causes<\/h2>\n
3. Plastic Bags Kill<\/h3>\n
![\"plastic-bag-ad\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/plastic-bag-ad.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSource<\/a><\/p>\n
Organization:<\/strong>\u00a0Designed by BBDO Ad Agency, Malaysia (exact organization unknown)<\/p>\n
Product: <\/strong>Reduce disposable plastic bag use in favor of reusable bag use.<\/p>\n
Place: <\/strong>Retail stores, most of which offer disposable plastic bags<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong>\u00a0Striking imagery and messaging right on plastic bags: the message \u201cPlastic bags kill\u201d and the image of a struggling turtle.<\/p>\n
Price-cutting:<\/strong>\u00a0Make people think about how an ingrained habit harms marine life, so they\u2019re less inclined to accept plastic bags. When customers carry the bags, it looks like they\u2019re strangling the turtle with their hand. <\/em>After this disturbing scenario, they\u2019re sure to think twice the next time they\u2019re offered a disposable bag (and will be more inclined to bring a reusable bag)!<\/p>\n
Our Take: <\/strong>This campaign appeals to strong emotions by placing the message on <\/em>the undesirable habit —equating the act of using the bag to harming the turtles.<\/p>\n
4. Save Paper, Save the Planet<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/save-paper-ad.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nOrganization: <\/strong>World Wildlife Fund<\/a>\/World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong>\u00a0Reducing paper use, especially paper towel use; secondarily, increasing interest in WWF<\/p>\n
Place:<\/strong>\u00a0Public restrooms<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong>\u00a0A paper towel dispenser that displays an image of South America, the home of the Amazon Rainforest. As more paper towels are used, the image of South America becomes less and less green, reflecting the direct correlation between excessive paper use and deforestation.<\/p>\n
Price-Cutting:<\/strong>\u00a0Here\u2019s another habit that\u2019s especially hard to break: the overuse of paper towels. But unlike the plastic bag campaign, the message appears as, not after, <\/em>someone makes a small choice that affects the environment. As people read the message \u201cSave paper, save the planet,\u201d and see that the paper represents the health of the Earth, they\u2019ll be more inclined to limit their towel use, or use the air dryer instead.<\/p>\n
Our Take:<\/strong>\u00a0This is a classic case of meeting your audience right where they are—the audience can take a small action right away to help the Earth!<\/p>\n
5. #LastSelfie<\/h3>\n
![\"last-selfie-ad\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/last-selfie-ad.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nOrganization:<\/strong> World Wildlife Fund (again), this time on Snapchat<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong> Raise awareness of the plight of endangered species, and encourage donations to WWF to help save these species<\/p>\n
Place:<\/strong> Snapchat and other social media<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong> Snapchat “selfies” of endangered species. The medium of Snapchat means the selfies naturally disappear, which effectively highlights the plight of endangered species—if we don’t act now, the endangered species will disappear from our world forever. Viewers are urged to make sure that these pictures of the endangered species aren’t their “last selfies,”<\/a> by donating to WWF and sharing on multiple social platforms to further spread awareness.<\/p>\n
Price-cutting:<\/strong> The disappearing nature of Snapchat adds urgency to the campaign.<\/p>\n
Our Take:<\/strong> We are impressed by the masterful use of Snapchat’s trademark disappearing feature for maximum impact. The campaign was so impactful that it masterfully crossed social platforms, especially when it comes to Twitter (Twitter has 73 million users<\/a> in the US alone, and hundreds of millions worldwide).<\/p>\n
- \n
- 40,000 people shared the images on Twitter in a single week, reaching 120 million users in that span alone.<\/li>\n
- Thanks to the campaign, WWF reached their monthly donation goal in just three days!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Health and Safety<\/h2>\n
6. Texting Beer Can<\/h3>\n
![\"texting-beer-can\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/texting-beer-can.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nOrganization: <\/strong>Zurich Insurance Agency and ad agency Grey 141<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong> Discourage people from texting while driving; show people that texting while driving and drunk driving can be equally dangerous.<\/p>\n
Place:<\/strong> The exact place where these ads were displayed is not known for certain, but the campaign was likely released both in print and digitally.<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong> The ad features a beer can with a unique label; on close inspection, you realize that the label contains the words of a text message (as evidenced by the phone emblem at the label’s top center). This equates the dangers of texting and driving with the dangers of drinking and driving— both are potentially fatal forms of driving while impaired.<\/p>\n
Price-cutting:<\/strong> So many people don’t realize how harmful texting and driving can be, and often fall into the trap of thinking that “it’s just a text, it won’t hurt.” This ad from Zurich Insurance Group closes that gap thanks to masterful positioning<\/p>\n
Our Take:<\/strong> We love the juxtaposition of this ad, as it forces us to equate drunk driving with texting while driving. Drunk driving ads tend to hit home more easily—we know the dangers—whereas distracted driving ads tend to get glossed over. But Zurich and Grey 141 have made us pay attention.<\/p>\n
7. Dumb Ways to Die<\/h3>\n
![\"dumb-ways-to-die-youtube\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dumb-ways-to-die-youtube-e1600236232529.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nOrganization: <\/strong>Metro Trains (Melbourne, Australia)<\/p>\n
Product:<\/strong>\u00a0Convince young people to stay safe around trains<\/p>\n
Place: <\/strong>The video, as well as a website<\/a>, print and digital ads, and an accompanying app<\/p>\n
Promotion:<\/strong> An adorably gruesome and catchy song that showed various random, dumb ways to meet your demise. At the end of the song, unsafe train behaviors are listed as \u201cthe dumbest ways to die.\u201d The video\u2019s look and feel was intentionally the opposite of traditional safety campaigns, as lyricist John Mescall told Adweek:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cWhat if we disguised a worthy safety message inside something that didn\u2019t feel at all like a safety message? We thought about what the complete opposite of a serious safety message would be, and came to the conclusion it was an insanely happy and cute song.\u201d<\/p>\n
Price-cutting:<\/strong>\u00a0Breaking down disinterest barriers to make the safety message something people would want to listen to!<\/p>\n
Our Take: <\/strong>This 2012 campaign, run by a commercial company, is one of the most successful social marketing campaigns of all time!<\/p>\n
- \n
- It rapidly went viral—and blurred the boundaries of what is and isn\u2019t an ad campaign.\n
- \n
- \u00a0As Adweek reports, it racked up over 30 million YouTube views in the first two weeks alone. (Today, it has over 180 million views).<\/li>\n
- People constantly shared covers of the song, and fanart of the characters, on social media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- It generated an estimated $60 million in free media coverage, according to Marstudio<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- The radio spot with the song started as a paid ad, but the song became so popular that stations would play it for free.\n
- \n
- The song even reached the iTunes top 10 in some countries!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But the real marker of a social marketing campaign is whether it\u2019s successful in increasing the desired behavior. Has Dumb Ways to Die been successful on that front? Well, Metro Trains reported \u201ca 21% reduction in track-related accidents\u201d in the months following the campaign, including a \u201creduction of collisions or near misses with vehicles and pedestrians at level crossings\u201d (Marstudio). And we know that the message has stuck with younger generations, which will likely have long-term positive effects on behavior around trains.<\/p>\n
8. Help a Small Dane<\/h3>\n
![\"help-a-small-dane-youtube\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/help-a-small-dane-youtube-e1600236251741.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nOrganization:<\/strong>\u00a0Help a Dane<\/a>, an initiative aimed at increasing sun safety among Danish people on international holidays. This initiative is organized by the Danish Cancer Society.<\/p>\n
Product: <\/strong>Encourage parents to shield their children from sunburn by applying sunscreen, keeping kids shaded, and having them wear sun hats, all to protect children\u2019s extra-sensitive skin and reduce their skin cancer risk.<\/p>\n
Place:<\/strong>\u00a0Online, via the video and an ongoing social media campaign. In addition to the video, the organization distributed sun safety kits to families with children who were flying out of Copenhagen Airport.<\/p>\n
Promotion: <\/strong>Humorous video and social media campaign, starring children from Mallorca, a popular holiday destination among Danes.<\/p>\n
Price-Cutting: <\/strong>Danes usually get sunburned on holiday because the UV radiation that many Danes are exposed to in a week on popular holiday destinations equals the UV they are exposed to in six months while in their home country. 4 out of 10 Danes are sunburned while vacationing. So, Danish parents clearly aren\u2019t thinking about sun protection as often as they should be. This spot brings much-needed attention to sun safety.<\/p>\n
Our Take: <\/strong>Help a Small Dane addresses the sunburn problem with needed urgency, but uses well-placed humor that its Danish audience appreciates. The campaign\u2019s art director told Goodvertising<\/a>, \u201cMost people generally don\u2019t like being told what to do, but Danes possess an admirable ability to laugh at themselves. The humorous nature of the campaign allows us to hold up a mirror to the Danes and show them how ridiculous it is to neglect sun protection. It\u2019s an urgent reminder that invites them to play along and poke fun at themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Social Causes<\/h2>\n
9. Not Special Needs<\/h3>\n
![\"coordown-youtube\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/coordown-youtube-e1600236162713.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nOrganization: <\/strong>CoorDown<\/a> (Italy\u2019s national organization for people with Down syndrome)<\/p>\n
- The radio spot with the song started as a paid ad, but the song became so popular that stations would play it for free.\n
- It rapidly went viral—and blurred the boundaries of what is and isn\u2019t an ad campaign.\n
- If you\u2019re setting up a helpline for teens, make it available 24 hours a day, via call, text, and online messaging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- If you\u2019re trying to encourage reusable bag use in stores, charge customers for every disposable bag they need, and offer reusable bags at a small fee (that customers can keep bringing back and using at no cost to them). Or take this one step further: print messages like \u201cplastic bags kill marine life\u201d on the disposable bags, and make the reusable bags beautiful and attractive to use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- If you\u2019re running a donation campaign, include a website, QR code<\/a>, or live donation link on your campaign ads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Finally, social media marketing is not the same as social marketing! <\/strong>This is the most common area of confusion.<\/strong> Many people wrongly equate social marketing with social media <\/em>marketing: marketing on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.\u00a0 Well, sometimes, social media<\/a> will be used to spread, and generate buzz around, social marketing campaigns. However, most marketing on social media is oriented towards promoting a product or service, rather than solely raising awareness of a cause. That influencer\u2019s promotion of Fashion Nova on Instagram, and those viral tweets by Wendy’s, are definitely not social marketing—they’re extremely self-serving!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Self-serving donations certainly don’t count as social marketing. <\/strong>If a company publicizes a donation they make to a charity or cause, their aim is partially to boost their own reputation. This is not social marketing, due to the self-benefit factor.<\/li>\n
- Meanwhile, a general campaign to promote reusable water bottles, made by an environmental organization, that does not promote a specific brand of reusable bottle, is<\/em>\u00a0social marketing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- An ad with alarming stats on the number of disposable water bottles thrown out per year, which promotes Hydro Flask reusable bottles as environmentally friendly, and that is made by Hydro Flask to sell its own bottles, is not social marketing. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Marketing \u201cgreen\u201d or \u201ccharity tie-in\u201d products is not social marketing. <\/strong>In other words, if a company is marketing its own line of eco-friendly water bottles, hybrid cars, reusable lunch containers, or other \u201cgreen\u201d products, this doesn\u2019t count as social marketing. The marketing of products with a charitable donation tie-in (such as TOMS) doesn\u2019t count either. In both of these examples, the primary focus is on selling a product, even though a worthy cause does benefit. Meanwhile, with social marketing, the focus is solely on changing behaviors for the public good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Ads in this subcategory include anti-racism ads, disability activism ads, and more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"c21-youtube\"](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/c21-youtube.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n