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Basic Elements of Social Marketing: Steps

Social marketing is one method through which States can increase awareness of SCHIP and encourage the target population to enroll in the program.  Below, basic elements of social marketing and ways in which they may be useful in SCHIP marketing and outreach efforts are summarized, based on the June/September SCHIP Workshop presentations of Dr. William Smith, Vice-President of the Academy for Educational Development.

Social marketing is an empirical process which organizes the behavior of change.  Social marketing is not just a slogan, public service announcement, or one-time communication/mass media campaign.  Rather, it is a continuous process which integrates various tactics aimed at multidimensional awareness at the interpersonal, community, and media level.

Behavior change is the ultimate outcome of social marketing campaign. Therefore when developing a marketing campaign, States must keep in mind that the goal is to get the target population enrolled in SCHIP, not just to inform them that the program exists. In order to do this, a clear definition of the target population is needed as well as a clear understanding of the costs and benefits of participation. It is imperative that the State understands what the target population perceives as barriers to enrollment, so that these factors can be addressed.

 Steps of Social Marketing

The three primary action steps involved in the social marketing process are:

• Assessment.  Assess the target group’s needs and perceptions through market research, focus groups, and surveys.

• Planning.  Plan the details of the social marketing plan including segmentation of audience, position of the program in the market, and the targets of opportunity.

• Execution.  Execute the plan through integrated channels of delivery in a timely manner with mechanisms in place to monitor system change and conduct “after-marketing”— or followup.

Related Questions

Give me an example

• Examples of Effective State Medicaid Outreach Strategies
  • Massachusetts' MassHealth Program
  • Arkansas' ARKids First Program

Give me an overall context

• What Is the National Profile - Population Size and Characteristics of Uninsured Children?

Show me other SCHIP Workshop presenter-suggested strategies

• SCHIP Guidance - Presenter-Suggested Strategies

Who presented this material?

• William Smith