Social marketing at a critical turning point

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into what social marketers see as trends, issues, and opportunities emerging within social marketing globally. Design/methodology/approach – A global online survey was conducted among social marketing professionals who were invitees and pre‐registrants attending the Second World Non‐Profit and Social Marketing Conference. The 15‐minute survey was fielded from March 15‐30, 2011. Findings – Respondents agree that social marketing is at a critical turning point in driving personal behavior and social change around the world. Many success stories lay the foundation for social marketing, but much remains to be done to realize its promise, including better marketing of its proven capabilities. Social marketers see the immediate future as ripe with opportunities for broadening the focus and applications of social marketing and realizing the promise of a growing and dynamic social marketing movement. Emerging developments also are expected to include the expanded importance of digital and social media, community and audience engagement, and public/private partnerships and corporate participation. Practical implications – Findings underscore the success of social marketing and its growing importance globally. They point to the need to continue to evolve the science and art of social marketing, reflecting strong standards of practice while encouraging creativity and innovation; broaden its applications; better evaluate, package, and marketing proven benefits; and organize and strengthen professional organizations, training and development opportunities, and integration with and within related disciplines and fields such as environmental studies and public administration. Originality/value – The survey is believed to be a unique, current assessment of social marketers across the globe, including varied professional backgrounds.