Preventing Childhood Obesity - Evidence Policy and Practice.pdf

CHAPTER 28
Social m arketing to p revent c hildhood o besity
Nadine Henley 1 and Sandrine Raffi n 2
1 Centre for Applied Social Marketing Research, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
2 EPODE European Network, Paris, France
Summary and recommendations
for research and practice
• Social marketing is one of many tools available for
changing behavior; it applies commercial marketing
principles to achieve socially desirable goals.
• Seven overarching communication principles
should be considered before designing a social marketing
campaign.
• Key marketing principles are: “ getting the right
message ” and “getting the message right ” for different
target markets; the 4Ps — Product, Place, Price,
Promotion, and a 5th P: Partnerships.
• The innovative French EPODE program addressing
childhood obesity is used as a case study throughout
this chapter to illustrate principles and process.
Introduction
This chapter first outlines the fundamental communication
principles social marketers have to consider
when approaching the issue of childhood obesity and
then explains the marketing principles on which their
decisions are based when designing a social marketing
campaign to address the issue. The innovative French
EPODE program is used as a case study throughout
this chapter to illustrate principles and process (Box
28.1 ).
The term “ social marketing ” was first used by
Kotler and Zaltman 1 to refer to the application of
Preventing Childhood Obesity. Edited by
E. Waters, B.A. Swinburn, J.C. Seidell and R. Uauy.
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing.
commercial marketing principles in the context of
socially desirable goals. Andreasen 2 de fined social
marketing as: “ the application of commercial marketing
technologies to the analysis, planning, execution,
and evaluation of programs designed to influence the
voluntary behaviour of target audiences in order to
improve their personal welfare and that of their
society ” (p.7). Donovan and Henley 3 modified this
definition to include involuntary behaviors as there
are many instances of social marketing where the
individual ’ s voluntary behavior is constrained, for
example, under threat of legal sanction (drink driving)
or other regulations (smoke- free venues), or where
the individual ’ s choices are restricted (e.g. government
restrictions on trans - fatty acids in processed
foods).
Until recently, social marketing focused primarily
on persuading the individual to adopt recommended
behaviors (often referred to as the “ downstream ”
approach). However, current thinking has extended
the definition of social marketing to include achieving
change in the social determinants of health and safety
3 –
(referred to as the “upstream” approach). 7 Upstream
approaches attempt to bring about desired individual
behavior, often without the individual ’ s conscious
cooperation.
In the present context of childhood obesity, the
“ upstream ” advocacy role extends to working to
ensure individuals have access to healthy foods (such
as children ’ s school meals) and information about
nutritional value of foods (as in food labels), as well
as advocacy for public facilities to encourage physical
activity (such as cycle paths and parks). Other possibilities
include taxes on unhealthy foods or products,
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