The main 4Ps of Social Marketing include Publics, Partnerships, Policy and Purse Strings. Let’s take at Publics in details.
What is meant by Publics in Marketing Mix?
Publics, a key component of 8Ps of Social Marketing, refer to the diverse groups of individuals and organizations that have a stake in the success of a social marketing campaign.
These publics can be categorized into two main types:
1. Internal Publics:
- Employees: The individuals within the organization who directly contribute to the campaign’s development and implementation.
- Management: The decision-makers who allocate resources, approve strategies, and oversee the overall campaign.
- Volunteers: Individuals who contribute their time and skills to support the campaign.
2. External Publics:
- Primary Audience: The target audience whose behavior the campaign aims to influence.
- Secondary Audience: Groups who influence the primary audience’s behavior, such as parents, teachers, or healthcare providers.
- Tertiary Audience: Groups who can amplify the campaign’s message or provide additional support, such as media outlets, community leaders, or policymakers.
Why Publics matter in social marketing?
Understanding and engaging with these various publics is crucial for the success of a social marketing campaign.
By building strong relationships with both internal and external publics, social marketers can:
- Increase campaign effectiveness: By aligning internal stakeholders and securing their support, campaigns can be more efficiently planned, executed, and evaluated.
- Enhance credibility: By involving external publics, such as community leaders and experts, campaigns can gain credibility and trust.
- Expand reach: By leveraging the influence of secondary and tertiary audiences, campaigns can reach a wider audience and increase their impact.
- Facilitate policy change: By engaging with policymakers, social marketers can advocate for policies that support their campaign goals.
Strategies for engaging Publics
To effectively engage with diverse publics, social marketers can employ a range of strategies, including:
- Communication: Developing clear and compelling messages tailored to each public’s needs and interests.
- Collaboration: Partnering with other organizations to share resources, expertise, and audiences.
- Community engagement: Involving community members in the campaign’s design and implementation.
- Media relations: Building relationships with journalists and media outlets to generate positive publicity.
- Advocacy: Lobbying policymakers to support the campaign’s goals.
By carefully considering the various publics involved in a social marketing campaign and implementing effective engagement strategies, social marketers can increase the likelihood of achieving their desired behavioral outcomes.
