Social marketing planning

There is a lack of systematic planning in many public programmes, despite the existence of a number of well-designed and tested systematic planning models. One of the defining features of social marketing is the application of systematic and transparent planning to achieve defined and measurable social objectives. When planning social marketing interventions aimed at influencing behaviour, behavioural theories and models should have a central role in informing the intervention’s design and evaluation. However, an equally important factor in the delivery of an intervention is the application of a logical and documented planning approach in order to produce learning about what worked well and what did not. Systematic planning processes are key to understanding not only which elements of a social marketing programme are most successful but also which are most efficient. A focus on systematic planning is a valuable way to ensure that programme implementation weaknesses are addressed and mitigated.