Social Marketing – An Essential Part of Integrated Marketing Plans

Social Marketing, as a discipline emerged in the early I970's, which refers to application of marketing techniques and theories along with taking care of the social benefit of the consumers and society at large. In its application, social marketing promotes production and consumption of social goods and discourage demerit goods for the advantage of entire society. This was first practiced by some health care companies to support "anti tobacco campaign" in late 1980's and achieved notable success. After that, the concept started gaining importance among leading multi national companies and slowly it was adopted as a part of integrated marketing plans.

Different from commercial marketing, social marketing focuses around social practices and policies and aims at increasing the welfare of the society. Further, at the same point of time, it also makes use commercial marketing policies to achieve certain secondary goals. Another important factor that differentiates it from mainstream marketing it that aims at affecting the social behaviors for the benefit of customers rather than producers and distributors. In a way, indirectly it promotes the standard of living and per capita income in any economy.

Talking on the same line, there are numerous benefits that a society can gain from the application of social marketing. Its application helps in discouraging the production of luxury goods and items, which automatically leads to reducing the social imbalance in the society. More importantly, this concept has brought a realization on to part of corporate and business houses to understand their corporate social responsibility and contribute towards their local community and society. Although, it is altogether a different concept from CSR, but in long run it leads towards the same goal as CSR.

Considering the growing importance of social marketing in the recent past, marketing scholars and business management gurus are engaged in making developments in laying down substantial difference between strategic social and mainstream marketing. Working in the same direction, efforts are being taken to ensure that there is an up gradation in strategy formulation and planning in this area of marketing. More and more research is approached in order to understand insight and thus reaching onto planning development part. Other than that, important element of marketing mix are also been taken into consideration while preparing for the marketing plans. The inclusion of commercial marketing has definitely helped in improving the scope and importance of this discipline and realizing its importance in today's highly competitive business environment.

Source by Neha Verma

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Social Marketing – An Essential Part of Integrated Marketing Plans