Workshop on Social Marketing
(September 19 - 20, 2005)
The Social Marketing Workshop was organized by SARI/Equity in order to assist
members of the Regional Action Forum on "Strengthening the Care of
Survivors/Victims of Trafficking and Other Forms of Violence" in developing
regional and national action plans for the adoption, application and
implementation of the Regional Protocol on "Minimum Standards of Care and
Support for Victims of Trafficking and Other Forms of Violence". The RAF had
developed those standards on a priority basis to positively impact the service
and care provision in the region to women and children victims/survivors of
violence, especially of trafficking. Mr. Peter Mitchell, Marketing for Change
Inc , facilitated the workshop.
- Develop a plan for marketing the Minimum Standards that includes (i) intended
target audiences, (ii) measurable behavior-change goals, (iii) marketing
strategies based on an analysis of existing data, (iv) tactics for carrying out
each strategy within a timeline set for accomplishing each task.
- Develop an understanding and generate ideas for formulating marketing strategies
to facilitate the use of the other two "products" of the RAF, including the
Regional Resource Book on Livelihood Programs and the Regional Mental Health
Audit Toolkit.
The workshop was attended by 14 members of the RAF which consists of experts
from government and non-government organizations active in the areas of
violence against women and children and in mental health issues in the South
Asia region.
The facilitator explained the various aspects of the Social Marketing and its
concepts through a power point presentation . Participants convened in four
small groups to work on a framework/ Marketing Plans for the adoption and
acceptance of the Minimum Standards. At least one participant from each country
was part of a small group to ensure regional representation. Country specific
groups were also formed to develop national projections and plans of action.
Expectations of participants in respect of the workshop and the adoption of the
Minimum Standards Protocol had been assessed through a pre-workshop survey to
guide in the preparation of the workshop agenda. The perceptions and
understanding of the participants was assessed and evaluated through a 'pre and
post test form' at the workshop.
Session I: Welcome and Workshop Goals
Opening Remarks and Introduction
The CoP, SARI/Equity, welcomed participants and briefly stated the aim of
organizing the workshop - to work out effective and innovative ways of applying
the Minimum Standards in South Asia. She also introduced Mr. Michael Kott, Vice
President, AED.
Mr. Kott informed RAF members about AED's work - stating that the SARI/Equity
program was the only regional activity supported by AED thus far. Mr. Kott also
introduced the facilitator of the workshop, Mr. Mitchell, and emphasized the
success of some of the Social Marketing trainings and campaigns he had
developed earlier on. "Social Marketing" was an approach that offered a shift
in perspective - from 'Information Giving' to 'Change in Behavior' - which AED
had learned to appreciate and thus to include Social Marketing in their various
activities and programs.
The participants introduced themselves - stating in particular the reasons for
attending this workshop. There was consensus about the significance of the
Minimum Standards Protocol in ensuring adequate and uniform care and support
services to the victims/survivors of trafficking in the region. Forum members
expressed their determination, enthusiasm and commitment towards the
implementation and adoption of the Minimum Standards - both at the national and
regional levels.
Workshop Goals
A survey questionnaire had been circulated to participants prior to the
workshop in order to gauge their perceptions and expectations. Responses of the
participants enabled the facilitator to refine the agenda , namely:
-
Learn about social marketing
-
Learn new skills and techniques
-
Develop new strategies for programs
-
Share experiences
-
Identify problems
Session II: The Social Marketing Framework
| Marketing is NOT advertising or communication. Those are simply tools marketers
may or may not use. |
In a power point presentation and by way of clippings of a few advertisements
(print and electronic) from the four participating countries, the facilitator
explained the framework and concepts of Social Marketing. Some of the key
concepts:
-
Social Marketing treats a social program as a choice,
and provides a methodology for making the program more appealing than its
alternative.
-
It is a process for influencing people's behavior
to achieve a social goal that uses an understanding of the needs of the target
audience to offer them something they want.
-
A marketing approach
that includes research on wants and needs; an analysis of the situation;
offering something to the target audience; and evaluating behavior change in
respect of the audience. The example of an "anti-smoking campaign" for
adolescents in the USA was shared with the participants to demonstrate the
effectiveness of this approach.
-
Behavior framework - The three most common determinants of
behavior were:
-
Efficacy (how easy it is to do) - How easy
it is for the target audience/actor to accept and perform the behavior.
-
Norms (what is expected) - What the actor believes is expected
of him or her and what would make the expected behavior popular.
-
Consequences ("what do I get"): What the target
actor/audience expects to happen if he or she does/perform the
expected behavior. By providing benefits and rewards, accepting and changing a
certain behavior could be made "fun" for the actors.
Session III: The Social Marketing Plan
Target Actors
Based on the survey questionnaires the facilitator had prepared an extensive list of possible stakeholders who could be targeted for marketing the "products". Participants were asked to prioritize key target audiences and desired actions for immediate adoption and application of the Minimum Standards. Following are the key target actors as identified:
Actor |
Description |
| Policymakers (Executive) |
Elected, appointed and civil service policymakers in the executive branch, who influence or oversee the implementation of the government rules or operations that determine the care and support of survivors/victims of trafficking and violence. |
| Parliamentarians / Politicians |
Politicians who serve in or intend to serve in the legislative branch of government |
Organizations:
- NGOs that run shelter homes, are involved in rescue efforts and/or repatriation- Government home operators |
- Managers and leaders of NGO-run homes for survivors, repatriation programs and rescue efforts.
- Managers of government-run homes for survivors. |
| Judiciary and Law Enforcement Agencies |
Comment, then accept, the document that defines the standards |
Campaign Strategies
Subsequent to the identification of the target actors and an analysis of the audience's profile, small groups continued to work on a 'Marketing Plan' and the "Behavior Change Framework" as described by the facilitator (see above). To encourage the adoption and implementation of the Minimum Standards, the Regional Action Forum agreed to apply the following key strategies:
- Make it easier for the target actors to support the standards (Efficacy)
- Encourage norms that support the application of the standards (Norms)
- Reward target actors who support the standards (Consequences)
A detailed plan of action was worked out for each campaign strategy identified above strategies with respect to all the target actors selected. The tactics for each strategy mentioned above - efficacy, norms and perceived consequences - were defined to arrive at concrete action plans, to identify focal persons and timelines . The facilitator emphasized that each of the identified tactics or a combination of the tactics and strategies could be used to ensure the anticipated results and success in the adoption, adaptation and implementation of the Minimum Standards.
Action Plans - Key Steps and Timelines
Country specific (national) and regional activities with identified focal persons and timelines were fleshed out in the following (Third) Meeting of the RAF.
III. Conclusions
The Workshop was successful in meeting its objectives of drawing up regional and national plans for the adoption, application and implementation of the "Minimum Standards Protocol". While some participants said that it may be difficult to implement the theoretical concepts of Social Marketing in practice, they acknowledged that it was an effective tool for "stimulating their thoughts". The responses to the pre- and post tests indicate that the Workshop led to an enhanced understanding of Social Marketing and of behavior determinants of and helped in developing participants' skills persuasion.
Click here to get the complete agenda.
Click here to get a complete list of participants.
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Introduction