Develop social marketing propositions and test their potential to influence the behaviour of target groups
Overview
This standard is about developing social marketing propositions, testing them with representative samples of the defined target groups and evaluating their potential to influence their behaviours, including the underlying beliefs, values and attitudes. It covers a wide range of activities, such as presenting propositions to focus groups or piloting a mix of propositions in a geographical area.
This standard is for researchers and professionals in managerial roles who are responsible for developing social marketing propositions and testing their potential to influence the behaviour of target groups.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- identify and engage with the target groups, partners and key stakeholders for developing and testing social marketing propositions
- establish the purpose, scope, criteria, formats and timeframe for social marketing propositions and testing and agree these with the key stakeholders
- allocate the resources available for the development of propositions and test
- carry out a risk assessment for the development of propositions and test and allocate the mitigation measures
- develop propositions to be tested, based on the evidence from research and analysis of information
- select the methodologies and systems for measuring the potential of the propositions to influence the behaviour of the target groups
- cooperate with target groups, partners and key stakeholders who can assist with facilitation of the test
- identify and select a representative sample of the target groups and provide them with the required data
- identify any ethical considerations or sensitive issues with the test and agree how these can be resolved and handled with the key stakeholders
- implement the test through the relevant resources and responsibilities
- monitor the progress of the test, recording any risks, ethical considerations or sensitive issues
- adapt the test in response to problems or opportunities arising with the agreement of target groups, partners and key stakeholders
- discontinue
the test if emerging data indicates that the propositions are having a negative
impact on the behaviour or other aspects of the target group such as their mental
health - verify the data from the test, taking the relevant action to deal with unreliable, incomplete or ambiguous data
- evaluate the tested propositions against the agreed criteria and assess how they influence the behaviour of the target groups
- critically reflect and test the effectiveness, acceptability, and ethics of potential social marketing strategies with representatives of target audiences and stakeholders, and adapt as necessary
- report the test results in the agreed format at the agreed time, detailing the evidence and assumptions made about the results
- check with the target groups, partners and key stakeholders that the test results meet their requirements
- ensure compliance with the legal, organisational, code of practice requirements and policies relevant to your role, your organisation and the activities being carried out
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the relevant principles, methods, tools and techniques for engaging with partners, key stakeholders and target groups, including vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups
- the relevant stakeholders, target groups, their diverse interests, needs, abilities and preferences
- the purpose, scope, criteria, formats and timeframe for developing the propositions and testing
- how to mitigate the risks associated with the test
- the social marketing compatible marketing mix models
- how to develop the social marketing propositions for testing the influences on the target groups' behaviours
- the methodologies and systems for measuring the potential of the propositions to influence the behaviour of the target groups
- the partnership agreements for facilitating the test
- how to sample the required target groups and provide the required data for testing
- the requirement to tailor the test depending on the opportunities or problems arising
- your duty of care towards target groups, partners and key stakeholders
- how to resolve the ethical considerations or sensitive issues arising from testing the propositions
- briefing and debriefing principles, methods, tools and techniques
- the relevant principles, methods, tools and techniques of running the test with aim to influence the behaviour of target groups
- how to deal with unreliable, incomplete or ambiguous data
- how to assess the impact and influence of the test on the target groups' behaviour
- the evaluation validation and verification principles, methods, tools and techniques
- the reporting procedures for the results, supporting evidence, assumptions made
- how to check with the target groups, partners and key stakeholders that the test results meet their requirements
- the legal, organisational, code of practice requirements and policies relevant to your role, your organisation and the activities being carried out
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Stakeholders
Include all those involved in, or affected by, the social marketing strategy and the issues it is seeking to address. "Key stakeholders" are those with the greatest interest in or influence on the issues. They will always include the target groups or intended beneficiaries of the social marketing activity.
Purpose
This is the reason why the test is being carried out. The purpose can be discovered by asking the question: what are the decisions the results of the test are designed to inform?
Scope
This includes both target groups and the behaviours to be addressed. The scope of the test may be far more limited than the scope of the overall social marketing goals (for example, it may be carried out in a defined geographical area and with a small sample of the target group).
Resources
These include: physical (premises, equipment, consumables, energy); financial; human (whether paid or unpaid, internal or external); information.
Risk
This means the chances of an event happening and the seriousness of the consequences of that event. "Risk" does not of itself have a negative connotation; there can be both positive and negative consequences of an event. One of the key risks in carrying out a test marketing activity is that the results become contaminated by changes in other environmental factors.
Risk management
This includes: assessing the risks; taking action to avoid events that have negative consequences; planning to minimise the negative consequences and maximise the opportunities if events do occur.
Proposition
This means an offer to the target segment that provides a reward or benefit that outweighs the cost of the behaviour change proposed. A proposition may be encapsulated in a message, but may also be expressed in the form of a new service offering, such as more convenient opening times for a social service.
As used in the standards, "social marketing programme" encompasses longer-term (3 years) programmes, medium-term (1-3 years) campaigns and short-term (<1 year) targeted initiatives.
Links To Other NOS
External Links
Academic Competencies in Social Marketing developed and approved by International Social Marketing Association (iSMA), European Social Marketing Association (ESMA), Australian Association of Social Marketing (AASM). https://socialmarketing.blogs.com/rcraiiglefebvres_social/2014/09/academic-competencies-for-social-marketing.html
Social Marketing Statement of Ethics: https://www.instructus-skills.org/documents/SM%20statement%20of%20ethics%20FINAL%2006032020.pdf
Global Consensus of Social Marketing Principles, Concepts and Techniques by ESMA, AAS, SMANA, iSMA: https://europeansocialmarketing.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ESMA-endorsed-Consensus-Principles-and-concepts-paper.pdf