Social Marketing Quarterly

Segmentation remains underutilised in social marketing research and practice. Simple segmentation tools that are easy to administer and simple for audience members to complete may increase the use of segmentation across the social marketing process.

Segmentation is a foundational marketing principle which allows marketers to tailor marketing activity to the needs of specific groups (segments). Evidence shows that behaviour change is more likely when more principles are used, yet segmentation remains underutilised. Data-driven methods are used to identify segments based on several variables collected via surveys, but they take time, require large sample sizes and technical analyses; and can be costly and time consuming.

Simple diagnostic tools are needed to simplify data collection and increase the use of key social marketing principles such as segmentation.

Three studies were conducted to create and verify a short diagnostic segmentation tool and later refine a tool that reflects contemporary social marketing practice. The first employed multiple linear regression to predict segment membership based on previously performed two-step cluster analysis. The second applied the tool to another data set to verify whether the tool could predict segment membership accurately. The final study delivers a short diagnostic tool following the same development approach to a data set drawn from a larger sample that included objective measures ensuring focus moved beyond how individuals think and feel.

Segments in the first study had been defined by five variables (derived from 16 survey questions). The tool was able to predict segment membership to a high level of accuracy from five questions. In the second study the tool was used to predict segments, which had high correspondence to the segments identified in that analysis, which was also based on five variables (16 questions). The third study extended development to an analysis using 16 defining variables, based on 40 survey questions. The final tool predicted segment membership to a high degree of accuracy based on five survey questions.

Segmentation is important for developing understanding that enables social marketers to design social change programs to meet the needs of more people. This simple tool developed and verified within and across samples has potential to simplify data collection enabling greater uptake of segmentation in social marketing practice. The final tool incorporated objective measures to ensure segmentation moves beyond the myopic consumer focus that has dominated social marketing. Future research could use the approach in this paper to derive short diagnostic tools with a broader range of behavioural contexts and with more diverse populations.

The behavioural measures used in these studies were self-report measures, and the use of a more objective measure would further strengthen both the segmentation analysis and short diagnostic tool.

Behavioral sustenance is one of the main outcomes of social marketing programs to address health issues, such as HIV and AIDS prevention. However, academic research into consistent condom use is interestingly sparse, particularly in South Africa, the country with the highest HIV-infected population in the world. Young adults are particularly vulnerable because they often engage in unprotected sex.

This study explores the factors driving consistent condom use intention with theoretical considerations in the expectation confirmation theory. The study investigates whether factors within the condom product category such as brand satisfaction and brand value enhance or weaken the effect of met/unmet brand expectations on consistent condom use intention of young adults. It further tests whether this potential enhanced or weakened effect significantly differs between male and female condom users.

Does dis/confirmation influence consistent condom use in the presence of brand satisfaction and brand value or not? Does gender moderate the mediations found in the expectation confirmation model?

From a theoretical perspective, the study expands the expectancy confirmation theory by focusing on the indirect effects of dis/confirmation on continuance intention. The study also tests the mediated moderating role of gender.

The study was descriptive in nature and a quantitative survey was used to obtain data from 724 young adults in South Africa. Quota sampling was applied to select respondents. Finally, the structural equation modelling technique was used to assess the measurement and structural models.

Findings indicate that perceived brand value determines consistent condom use intention. The mediating role of perceived brand value on the relationship between dis/confirmation and consistent condom use intention was more pronounced among males compared to females. Dis/confirmation and perceived brand value were significant determinants of condom brand satisfaction. However, the influence of brand satisfaction on consistent condom use intention was not supported.

The concept of consistent condom use should be integrated in the brand message. A segmented approach based on gender should be used by condom companies to promote their products to young adults. These companies should provide condoms that meet the expectations of male and female young adult consumers as two different market segments.

Only one province was investigated in South Africa. Social desirability bias was not controlled.

The United Nations has announced serious global water crises at the beginning of the 21st century. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the problem of water shortage is more significant than in other parts of the world, due to lack of the natural freshwater resources and extremely harsh weather. All of this compounded with the highest individual water consumption in the world; the average consumption per capita is 500 L a day, around 82% above the global average.

The main objectives of this study were to gain insights about factors that might impact residents water consumption behavior and open more avenues for using social marketing to influence residents’ behaviors.

The research questions are: RQ1: What beliefs are held about the UAEs current water situation? RQ2: What are the current water consumption behaviors of UoS residents? RQ3: What would facilitate lower water consumption?

The importance of this study is to develop a model which may be employed to change individual water consumption behavior using social marketing principles

A case study methodology was applied to collect data from the University of Sharjah for this study, using the focus groups method. A convenience sample of six focus groups with a total of 39 participants of students, faculty members, administrative staff, and other stakeholders formed the basis of the current study.

This study revealed that the residents lacked accurate knowledge about the water situation inside the country. In addition, consumers showed mismatch between their religious beliefs and actual consumption behaviors.

More studies and research should take place in this field, especially in connection with personal behavior issues where individuals need encouragement and incentives to change underlying habits, such as over-consumption of water, obesity, and road accidents.

Socio-economic issues; such as social economic inequality, sustainability of resources, and environmental concern are major social concerns and the call for economic reforms to address these issues is growing louder. Sharing economy, as a socio-economic system, presents a solution to the current linear economic model having the potential to address the aforementioned socio-economic issues. Sharing, being environmentally friendly and sustainable in nature, bridges the gap of social economic inequality prevalent in society. The attributes of the sharing economy are different from the traditional economic model which is more “social” in nature, hence making social marketing techniques more suitable than the conventional marketing approach.

The conceptual paper is focused on the application of social marketing in the sharing economy to address socio-economic issues and in doing so presents a framework to achieve its goal.

How can social marketing effectively influence social behavioural changes as they relate to socio-economic changes?

The framework developed outlines three levels of intervention for the successful implementation of social marketing in the sharing economy. The downstream intervention focuses on influencing consumer behavioural traits necessary for the adoption of the sharing economy by applying an appropriate marketing mix strategy. The upstream intervention focuses on policy and lawmakers, social and economic institutions, environmental groups, advocacy bodies, and lobbying organisations capable of addressing the root cause of the issue. The midstream intervention focuses on integrating upstream intervention with downstream through service providers.

The research paper extends social marketing application from influencing social behavioural issues to addressing and influencing socio-economic issues with its proposed application in sharing economy. The study provides a framework to address key socio-economic (social economic inequality) and consumer behavioural issues (materialism and ownership) that are prevalent in society.

The proposed social marketing framework for the sharing economy is created after carrying out a systematic literature review on social marketing and sharing economy. The extant literature analysis focussed on key definitional parameters and their evolution over time. With the identification of key elements and benchmark framework, the three levels of social marketing intervention are developed and presented for the actionable implementation of a successful marketing strategy.

The research paper provides an initial framework for the social marketing intervention in the sharing economy and in influencing socio-economic change which opens the door for future research direction; what additional upstream and midstream social marketing intervention is necessary to bring socio-cultural and socio-economic change to tackle the issue of social economic inequality?

Conceptual paper.