Social marketing for the prevention of illicit drug use.

The science of marketing involves understanding consumer needs and developing scientific approaches to meet those needs. Kotler proposed expanding the scope of marketing—which initially focused solely on commercial exchanges—to include non-commercial exchanges, thereby creating the field of social marketing [35]. Social marketing aims to improve the public good and is used in societal issues such as health, the environment, civic engagement, etc. As K. Gallopel-Morvan points out, “marketing, as such, is a well-known technique in the business world, where companies use it to sell products more effectively and increase their profits” [32]. Social marketing is not applied to a commercial product but to a cause; however, it uses the same tools and pursues the same ultimate goal of changing the behaviors of the target audience. The challenge lies in studying and influencing the target populations by offering a service that encourages the adoption of health-promoting behaviors, particularly by changing knowledge and perceptions. One of the innovative aspects compared to traditional public health approaches is that the primary focus is on understanding the desires, wishes, aspirations, and constraints of citizens—or a segment of them—above all else. Social marketing encompasses studies on behaviors and their determinants (barriers and drivers) as well as numerous tools for influencing target audiences, including communication, support and assistance services (phone, websites, mobile apps...), targeted initiatives for professionals, educational or practical support tools, partnerships, network facilitation, and support for on-the-ground action. [excerpt from the article]

Author(s): Cogordan Chloé, Obradovic Macha, NGUYEN-THANH Viêt, Heard David, Arwidson Pierre

Publishing year: 2016

Pages: 37-39

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