A It is the one who knows that in addition to developing a business and making a profit, they must also transform society and its context. For this reason, youA successful brand should prioritize social marketing.
Well, it is the duty of all brands to think of ways to modify small routine problems of those who accompany them. And when we talk about that, we’re not just thinking about customers. It is important to take into account the whole society or, at least, a part of it.
It is in this context that social marketing enters, which uses market knowledge and techniques to create actions that help promote the well-being of some sphere of society.
If you have a business, whether online or physical, remember that social marketing is a great way to positively help people and, at the same time, spread your brand more.
Still don’t know this aspect of marketing that focuses on social causes?
So, follow this post, because we are going to tell you everything about that matter.
What is social marketing?
Social marketing is the combination of the which you probably already know. However, instead of promoting some product or service, social cause marketing mainly wants to spread some idea that tries to overcome social problems.
It is clear that, with this, the brand ends up being disclosed, but that is not the only objective of social marketing.
Basically, this type of strategy aims to convince a brand’s target audience to collaborate by providing solutions to problems such as health, transportation, the environment, education and various other social issues.
Thus, when a company or entrepreneur creates actions to reduce these types of problems, it is seen as a brand that has social responsibility. That is, the business does not only aim to profit, but also to help the people around it.
It is a company that can be seen as a transforming agent of its social environment, and that is great both for the people who benefit from these actions and for the entrepreneurship, which comes to be seen as a brand that has empathy and cares the society.
VIDEO | 5 steps to implement social marketing in your business
Today, consumers don’t just want a company that makes sales at any cost. People are looking for brands that are socially responsible and that show their value not only in the products and services they offer, but are also part of the changes they propose.
With well-implemented social marketing strategies, it is even possible to convince your audience to make certain behavioral changes that are an obstacle to coexistence in society.
However, it is not enough to indicate the way. It is necessary to be part of the whole at the time of transformations.
So, a company with good social marketing is one that positions itself in the various issues that surround it and that, mainly, develops opportunities, investments and social actions to collaborate positively with society.
Types of social marketing
Marketing has been evolving and using different methodologies and mental triggers to promote various campaigns and even change the behavior of consumers in some way, a proof of it is social marketing, which is divided into 3 different types.
1. Internal social marketing
This social marketing seeks to promote cultural changes based on the coordinated actions of all the actors that are involved in a given process. Its objective is that people adopt behaviors that reflect the values with which they identify.
This type of marketing can include one to several of the stakeholders that participate in the market. These can be politicians, businessmen, unions, illustrated, social organizations, press, among others.
2. External Social Marketing
External social marketing seeks to promote a change in the values and attitudes of the people who make up a given community or society.
In this type of social cause marketing, commercials, digital marketing campaigns or out of home (OOH) campaigns are used to communicate a change in values on a large scale and call for reflection on the way people think and behave.
3. Interactive Social Marketing
Interactive social marketing addresses a specific problem by including the public within the same campaign. This type of social marketing has been growing as people stop being passive agents in the social changes that the planet is experiencing, to take action in the change that is proposed.
This type of marketing encourages people to take action to generate change, all of this by resorting to their critical sense, moral values and improvement of the world in which we live.
social marketing examples
To better understand how a company can do social marketing, we offer you some actions that you probably already know.
1. Coca Cola – Every bottle has a story
This world-renowned brand does know how to adapt to each context in which it finds itself, regardless of regional barriers. In 2014, in Ecuador, a country internationally known for its geography and whose main attraction for tourism, science and different types of study are the Galapagos Islands, Coca Cola organized a social responsibility campaign that it knew how to take advantage of very well as social marketing.
To reduce the negative impact on the planet of the PET material used in Coca Cola bottles, this company created the action “Each bottle has a story” focused on ecological improvements and reducing the impact of pollution.
But the great genius was not only that, but they created a volunteer center to integrate the efforts of their workers and also created a customer service center, where all questions about the company’s sustainability were answered in a short time.
In this way, Coca Cola shows us that a good social responsibility campaign is not made up of a single action, but of a joint and highly visible action.
VIDEO | Coca Cola – Every bottle has a story
2. DHL – Living responsibly
Another example of a world-renowned brand, in this case in the field of shipments to all parts of the world. This company of German origin organized a campaign called “Living responsibly”.
This initiative was an alliance with Aldeas Infantiles SOS, an organization that cares for children and young people in vulnerable situations.
In addition to financial aid to maintain this important social work and help young people in the transition between the educational world and the world of work, the company linked its workers and placed them as an example of these young people.
The workers voluntarily organized courses and workshops on professionalization, writing and job skills, with a view to offering young people better training and preparation for the world of work.
3. Colgate – Save water, turn off the faucet
The well-known brand of toothpaste carried out an awareness campaign encouraging water saving, through a commercial in which it calls for reflection on how much water we spend without realizing it.
Clearly, the ultimate goal of this commercial is not to blame the consumer, but rather to help them realize that the water they don’t use could serve many other people.
The commercial begins with a person brushing their teeth by leaving the faucet open and letting the water run. Little by little other people appear around who really need this resource.
Some of them to drink water, to wash food or to fill their containers.
All this, at the end reinforced by a message that says “When you brush with the tap open, you waste more than 10 liters of water. Close the key”.
VIDEO | Colgate – Save water, turn off the tap
4. Correos Españoles – Live wherever you want
Well, when it comes to social marketing actions, Spanish post offices are not satisfied with a single action. They have a list of projects with which they reach the entire population on different fronts and not all of them involve a high expenditure of money.
For example, the Spanish post office detected a current situation that has been affecting the entire European population in different ways, migration, and decided to support the website in alliance with the Spanish Red Cross.
In this way, the idea remains here, if you are starting in digital entrepreneurship or want to collaborate in a different way, why not put your skills at the service of your brand and society?
5. Sure – Driving and chatting doesn’t work
Claro is a telephone company with a presence in several countries and that had a brilliant idea in Peru. As in many other countries, in Peru many traffic accidents occur due to driving and using the phone at the same time.
Normally the campaigns are dedicated to adults to educate them in the prevention of this type of accident. But Claro’s great idea was not to invest his time and effort in an action that reached only these adults, but also children, who have a great influence on the latter.
In this way Claro managed to enter the hearts of adults, youth and children with a comprehensive action to benefit the safety of all people in the country, not only those who drive, but those who accompany them and even pedestrians themselves.
VIDEO | Sure – Driving and chatting doesn’t work
How to apply social marketing in your business?
Now that you understand the importance of being a socially responsible brand, we are going to help you with some tips to apply social marketing in your business.
1. Choose a social cause
You must probably be thinking of various social causes that need support. Of course, you can help more than one person.
However, try to choose one social problem at a time so that you can focus, set goals and thus be able to develop and follow action plans to achieve a certain objective.
2. Define your actions well
With a chosen cause, it is much easier to think about the actions that you can apply in your business to help the determined social problem.
Think of actions that have some link with your business. Thus, it is easier to act, since you become a benchmark in your area of action.
McDonald’s, for example, chose to help with their expertise: selling hamburgers, which is what they do every day, in exchange for values that they can donate.
If you look closely, most of the social marketing actions of companies have to do with the of every one of them.
3. Engage your audience
It is very important to get your audience involved with the actions you propose.
Think of strategies that attract people’s attention not only for what you are doing, but above all for the cause you are supporting. Once people understand the value of your actions, it will be easier for them to actively participate in your projects.
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