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Social Marketing Marketing Schools

Last Updated: November 28, 2020

In the early 1980s, a brief but powerful commercial started airing on network television. The 15-second spot showed a sizzling frying pan, and a voiceover narrator announces, This is drugs. An egg is cracked into the pan, and the narrator continues, This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?

This campaign was created by the New York City-based nonprofit organization Partnership for a Drug-Free America, known today as Partnership at Drugfree.org. The spot has been copied, quoted, and spoofed countless times since, and still lives on today as one of the most memorable and effective examples of social marketinga specialized form of advertising that aims not to sell products, but to change the world.

While most methods of marketing are geared toward selling goods or services, the product in social marketing is human behavior. The philosophy behind this idea can be illustrated by a quote from Gerhard Weibe, a German World War II U-boat commander, who said: Why cant you sell brotherhood and rational thinking like you can sell soap?

The goal of social advertising campaigns is to promote ideas that either encourage positive behaviors like caring for the environment or wearing seat belts; or discourage negative behaviors, such as speeding or smoking in public areas. In this way, social marketing sells the well-being of society as a whole.(See alsoGreen Marketing)

Interesting social marketing stats

Source: 2012 Social Change Impact Report, Walden University

There are many long-running, instantly recognizable social marketing campaigns that many people dont recognize as marketing. One example is Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which started a campaign for drivers to tie a red ribbon onto their vehicles, signifying their commitment to safe, sober driving. The red ribbon symbol was also adopted for AIDS awareness, and the idea of awareness ribbon campaigns soon spread to other causespink for breast cancer, purple for Alzheimers, and yellow for families of soldiers who are on active duty abroad.

When these campaigns are done well, social marketing can be a powerfully effective force for true, positive change.

Social marketing is used primarily by nonprofit organizations, charity foundations, public highway departments, and government agencies. Its also utilized by emergency services, such as police and fire departments. Some commercial organizations also occasionally use social marketing strategies.

Nonprofit organizations and charity foundations employ social marketing to raise awareness, promote various causes, and encourage contributions from the public. Social marketing provides a way to inform and engage people that charitable organizations would not otherwise be able to reach through more traditional marketing channels. This strategy also helps charitable campaigns spread faster and reach a wider global market.(See alsoNon-profit Organization Manager)

Amnesty International is a charity organization that helps fight injustice and promote global human rights. In 2006, they launched an award-winning social marketing campaign in Switzerland that used transparent billboards to impose scenes depicting the causes theyre working toward onto glass bus stop boothssuch as food shortages in Sudan, military brutality in China, and violence toward women in Iraq. The campaign raised awareness of world issues and increased donations of funds and volunteer time.

For public sector agencies, social marketing is often used as a way to encourage people to follow rules and regulations, and practice general safe behaviors. For example, police departments campaign with slogans such as Buckle up for life and Click it or ticket to encourage people to wear their seat beltsshowing either the positive rewards for this action (saving lives) or the negative consequences for ignoring the law (getting a traffic ticket).

Government agencies use social marketing not only to encourage legal behaviors, such as observing the drinking age, but also to promote the general well-being of society. There are several government social marketing campaigns designed to inform the public on issues like food safety, sexually transmitted diseases, and personal hygiene.

One example is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) campaign for cooking food to safe temperatures to avoid the spread of salmonella and other bacteria. This campaign uses the slogan, Is it done yet? with a photo of meat being measured by a food thermometer that reads 160 degreesa safe internal temperature for ground beef.

For large commercial organizations, social marketing is often an effective way to encourage interest, participation, and donations for charitable foundations they support. One example is the Nike Foundation, which is working to help developing countries prosper through a campaign called The Girl Effectusing thought-provoking commercials that tell a story through text and music to gain Facebook fans and raise awareness for this cause.

One Memorable Social Marketing Campaign

The United Support of Artists for Africa, or simply USA for Africa, was founded to help relieve famine and disease in Africaspecifically the 1984-1985 Ethiopia famine that led to more than 400,000 deaths. This group was actually a super band composed of 47 U.S. recording artists, who came together to record one song and donate the profits to famine relief in Africa.

The song was We Are the World. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, who also performed parts along with other superstars like Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan.

We Are the World sold more than 20 million copies, making it one of only 30 singles to ever sell over 10 million or more worldwide. With this campaign and the benefit event Hands Across Americaa human chain of seven million people in the continental United States holding hands for 15 minutesUSA for Africa raised nearly $100 million for charity relief.

Social marketing has the broadest of audiences: everyone in a society. However, the target for social marketing varies with the society that the advertiser is aiming to change. Some campaigns simply raise awareness for local issues, while others have the lofty goal of changing the world.

For most, its human nature to want to do good, and positive social marketing campaigns offer the opportunity to make a differenceeven if its on a small scale. Contributing to society can deliver individual, intangible benefits in the form of self-worth and self-esteem.(See alsoCause Marketing)

Negative social marketing campaigns that warn about consequences are also effective, whether the consequences are personal, such as drug use, or general, such as saving the rainforests. Awareness is the key element for negative social marketing. For example, most people had no idea that the plastic shopping bags they throw away every day make their way into natural environments, where theyre deadly to wildlife such as sea turtles and dolphins. Several social marketing campaigns have been created to bring this issue to light, and today many people shop with reusable cloth bags, or choose paper over plastic.

A lot of work and behind-the-scenes planning goes into developing an effective social marketing campaign. Naturally, the first step is to identify the behavior that the campaign will aim to change (such as using too many plastic shopping bags). The marketing team does a lot of research on the behavior by looking at existing statistics and often performing surveys to find out how prevalent it is.

Social Marketing Strategies

If theres a sufficient problem that the organization believes can be changed, the next step is to find out why the behavior thats causing the problem exists, and what can be done to change it.

For example, a community planning team might be working on ways to get more people to recycle, and realize that most people arent doing it because the existing recycling program in the community is too complex and takes too much time. Often, multiple surveys are conducted during the research phase. Research teams will talk to people working in the industries related to their cause, conduct telephone or email surveys of people in their target society, and may even form in-person focus groups to discuss the issue and gauge the reactions.

When the marketing team determines the best way to change the behavior, they work on ways to illustrate their message and get the word out. During this stage, marketing materials are created. Many social marketing campaigns use simple, powerful concepts that deliver their message at a glance, like the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.

In addition to materials, the team has to pick the right medium. Some social marketing campaigns work best as videos, television, or radio commercials. If a campaign relies heavily on an image, like a photograph, it may be effective as a billboard or print advertisement. Brochures or newsletters sent to mailing lists, either printed or digital, are another choice. Social marketing campaigns can also be promoted through live events like benefit concerts, banquets, or galas.

Social Marketing Salaries

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Statistics & Labor; Watkins Uiberall CPA; Indeed.com

The duties of a manager for a nonprofit organization are nearly identical to those of their commercial counterparts. A nonprofit marketing manager coordinates the marketing department for the company, develops advertising campaigns and strategies, and supervises the running of marketing campaigns.

One difference between nonprofit and commercial marketing departments is that nonprofit departments are usually much smaller, and may be either staffed by volunteers, or run entirely by the manager, who sometimes hires an outside advertising agency to implement campaigns.

Most marketing managers for nonprofits have a 4-year bachelors degree in a field relating to marketing or business, with a specialty in social courses.

Nonprofit marketing managers frequently have experience in the marketing departments of commercial companies, and decide to move into the nonprofit sector out of a desire to make a difference in society.

The goal of a public relations specialist is to generate positive publicity, usually through social marketing campaigns and strategies. Some of these specialists are directly employed by government agencies, public service companies, nonprofit organizations, or large commercial companies. Others work on a freelance basis, either as individuals or for marketing agencies that specialize in social marketing.

In general, public relations specialists hold bachelors degrees in public relations, or related fields like journalism, communication, or marketing. They often have entry-level experience in lower marketing positions before becoming specialists.

These professionals employ social marketing on a limited regional scale, usually within their immediate communities. Places like hospitals and universities hire account liaisons to enhance the public reputation of their organization and spread positive messages about the benefits of using their services.

Account liaisons are usually required to hold a bachelors degree in either marketing or a related field, or in fields related to the organization that employs them. For example, a hospital account liaison could have a business degree or an RN degree, while a college liaison might have a marketing degree or a bachelors in education.

For those who want to use social marketing, a degree from a marketing school can equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to design and launch campaigns that make a difference. Passion is an important quality for a social marketer, but a strong education helps professionals focus that passion into effective social change.

Courses like qualitative and quantitative research help professionals prepare for the intensive research that goes into creating social marketing campaigns. Research is a key element for success in social marketing, and with a strong understanding of the different techniques for researching an issue, its easier to find and use the necessary information.

A social marketer has to have a solid understanding of public behavior. Courses like consumer psychology can help these professionals figure out why some marketing messages are effective, and others arent, so they can fine-tune social marketing campaigns. Behavior change theory classes build on this skill by exploring human motivations for change.

Finally, strong communication is a requirement for any marketer, including people involved in social marketing. Courses in communication help professionals to create the simple, yet powerful visuals and phrases that are the core elements of an effective social marketing campaigngiving them the ability to get a point across quickly and decisively.

To discover more about how earning a degree in marketing, business, or advertising can help to create social marketing campaigns that make a positive difference in communities of all sizes, ask for further information from schools that offer these courses.

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Social Marketing Marketing Schools

Social Media Marketing: Most common AI uses

ChatGPT has become a popular tool for people to use on social media. The language model, developed by OpenAI, has advanced capabilities in generating text and has found a number of creative and practical applications on various platforms.Content creation:

AI is widely used in social media for content creation and curation. With its ability to analyze language patterns, AI can generate creative and engaging posts, captions, and stories for social media users.AI can also help users curate content, by recommending posts and content that align with their interests and preferences. This can help social media users create a more consistent and personalized online presence.

AI is widely used in social media for customer service operations. With its ability to quickly and accurately process large amounts of data, AI can help businesses respond to customer inquiries in real-time, providing a seamless customer experience on social media. AI chatbots, for example, can help businesses respond to customer inquiries and provide personalized recommendations, reducing wait times and improving the overall customer experience.

AI is widely used in social media to inform influencer marketing strategies. With its ability to process large amounts of data, AI can help businesses analyze influencer performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions about influencer partnerships.By leveraging advanced algorithms, businesses can maximize the impact of their influencer marketing campaigns and reach their target audience more effectively on social media.

AI is widely used in social media to inform advertising and branding strategies. With its ability to analyze consumer behavior and target advertising, AI can help businesses reach their target audience, engage with customers, and build a strong online presence on social media.By leveraging advanced algorithms, businesses can tailor their advertising campaigns to meet the specific needs and preferences of their target audience, increasing the impact and effectiveness of their social media advertising.

AI is widely used in social media for social listening and sentiment analysis. With its ability to quickly and accurately process large amounts of social media data, AI can help businesses stay on top of customer needs and preferences, and respond to customer inquiries in real-time.

By analyzing customer sentiment, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer opinions and preferences, and inform their marketing and advertising strategies accordingly. This can help businesses better understand their customers, build a more loyal following on social media, and provide a more personalized customer experience.

In conclusion, AI is revolutionizing the way we interact with social media. It is providing us with more personalized experiences, more efficient content creation and curation processes, and safer, more effective ways of communicating with one another. As AI continues to evolve, it will likely play an even greater role in shaping the future of social media.

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Social Media Marketing: Most common AI uses

International Marketing: The Guide to Going Global | Sprout …

In a time when the majority of the global population uses the internet, geographic borders shouldnt hold back your growth.

Total global e-commerce retail sales will reach $6.1 trillion in 2023. So if youre looking at ways to expand your revenue, you might want to consider international marketing.

However, tapping into a foreign market isnt as easy as flipping a switch.

In this guide, well explain everything you need to know about international marketing and share some global marketing strategies.

International marketing is the process of marketing your products or services to an audience beyond your own countrys borders. Also known as global marketing, international marketing requires a lot more research and planning than domestic marketing.

The main benefit of international marketing is that it helps you reach potential customers around the world. You can use international marketing to raise global awareness of your brand or target customers in specific countries.

When you have customers in multiple countries, your revenue stream isnt dependent solely on economic and buying trends in your home country.

Here are a few international marketing strategies to consider. Keep in mind that entering a foreign market looks totally different from business to business.

Exporting your product directly to customers abroad allows you to enter a new market without totally transforming the way you do business. Exporting may be a good approach if you can handle the marketing and shipping costs.

Similar to fast food or retail franchise, this concept is simple: Someone else pays for the opportunity to sell your product locally or on your behalf. You determine the franchising rules, but international franchising also requires you to create agreements that conform to laws in the foreign location.

Similar to franchising, licensing allows a business partner to sell your intellectual property or brand in exchange for a fee.

Through piggybacking, you essentially allow a larger, non-competing business to sell your product as part of their inventory. Think of this almost as a form of channel sales, but it requires a lot of trust in how your products will be marketed abroad.

A joint venture represents a business partnership where two companies come together to create a unique product or service. Although this requires the most risk of the options above, it also has great potential for returns (both of which are shared by the parties involved).

International marketing success requires doing your homework.

Below are three tips for any brand seriously considering an international marketing campaign.

The idea of expanding your business is equal parts exciting and daunting.

To help you hone in on where to expand, start by exploring territories that would require you to jump through fewer hoops.

Think of territories that meet the following characteristics:

Conventional wisdom says that entering foreign markets isnt cheap.

Here are some costs to consider:

This is why global expansion seems reserved for corporate giants and household names. The bigger your budget, the easier it is to expand.

But it really depends on your industry. Its possible for a smaller retail business to offer international shipping or market to specific territories without creating microsites for those regions. Compare that to ecommerce giants like H&M that have a presence just about everywhere.

Some companies have an easier time entering international markets than others. Specifically, those that dont have to worry about physical products.

Look at SaaS marketing as a prime example. Sprout Socials Spanish site boasts similar creatives and messaging to our standard homepage.

The importance of market research cant be overstated when entering foreign markets.

For example, one study found that many western companies failed to expand into China due to a lack of strategic determination and patience.

In-depth research counts. Your brand should think of these five things when researching a new territory to enter:

As a side note, dont forget to conduct a competitive analysis beforepotential expansion.

Remember: Just because your direct competitors arent involved in a particular market doesnt mean that market is a poor fit for your organization.

Social media is a good starting point for an international marketing strategy considering the nearly 4 billion social media users around the globe.

Lets take a look at some key considerations for social media for international marketing.

While it might be tempting to create new accounts for each foreign market you want to target, managing all of those accounts takes a lot of time. Thats why its typically reserved for bigger brands like Levis.

We recommend sticking with a single, global account and expanding when demand warrants it.

For example, if you find that your primary account is being bombarded with service requests or questions from abroad, it might be time to create a supplementary social presence.

Entering foreign markets means new creative opportunities when it comes to your social content strategy.

For example, you might define separate marketing messages and materials depending on your audiences location.

Brands like Netflix have dedicated Twitter accounts based on geography, some of which look starkly different from their main account.

That said, there might be instances where youd rather cross-post and double-dip your social media content regardless of geography. Using Sprout Socials scheduling tools, you can manage all of your social assets and schedule posts appropriately to ensure that you dont spread yourself thin.

Mind both your tone and language when speaking to customers abroad. Using the wrong terminology or Americanized spelling could be offputting for a foreign audience. For example, what people in the US call a koozie, Australians call a stubby holder. Its the same product (and has the same insulating effects on your canned beverage), but the terminology is totally different.

Companies today should be culturally sensitive. Failure to do so could make your brand seem out of touch, and you could miss out on opportunities to connect with your customers.

Familiarizing yourself with your target markets culture is crucial. Arsenal Football Club demonstrates cultural awareness by acknowledging an international holiday.

Failure to understand cultures and customs may cause you to miss out on opportunities to connect with your customers.

Marketing that works in your country may not work as well abroad due to varying laws and regulations.

The EUs GDPR is a shining example of how marketers have to adapt based on where theyre doing business. GDPR has prompted international marketers to rethink how they collect and use EU customer data.

Running afoul of these data privacy regulations can be costly, so review them if youre planning to market to anyone in the EU.

Factors such as cost-per-click and how much Facebook ads cost vary greatly from the United States to, say, Indonesia or India. When in doubt about these costs, consult others whove actually run international campaigns, or consider running a test campaign yourself.

Oh, and dont forget about time zones!

As evidenced by our research on the best times to post on social media, engagement rates are highly dependent on timing.

This is where a tool like Sprout comes in handy.

Not only does Sprout allow you to queue up your posts in advance so you always hit those optimal publishing times, but you can also automatically detect when your audience is most engaged and publish during those times.

Businesses rightfully want to grow their audiences ASAP.

Sometimes entering a foreign market is the perfect way to do so.

Of course, you cant just expand your business on a whim. By conducting thorough research, you can better set yourself up for success and decide whether international marketing actually makes sense.

If youre still on the fence, check out our complete guide on social media marketing for even more tips to help you get started.

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International Marketing: The Guide to Going Global | Sprout ...

McCarthy warns members not to misbehave at State of the Union, promises …

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images; MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images House Speaker Kevin McCarthy; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images; MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy insisted that Republicans would show proper decorum during President Joe Biden's state of the union address on Tuesday evening, swiping at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's viral moment tearing up former President Donald Trump's speech during his 2020 address.

"We're members of Congress. We have a code of ethics of how we should portray ourselves," McCarthy told CNN's Manu Raju on Tuesday. "And that's exactly what we'll do. But we're not going to do childish games tearing up a speech."

Privately, however, McCarthy has expressed concerns about his own caucus' behavior and has warned them about their conduct, according to CNN's Melanie Zanona.

Pelosi made headlines when she ripped up a copy of Trump's speech after he delivered his third state of the union address three years ago. The top Democrat at the time remarked to reporters that "it was a courteous thing to do, considering the alternatives."

"It was such a dirty speech," she said.

McCarthy, the newly elected House speaker, will take Pelosi's previous seat on the platform behind Biden during his address on Tuesday night. The president is planning to lay out his plans to advance his "unity agenda" this year, including policies to fight cancer, help veterans, provide mental health treatment, and fight opioid addiction.

In a closed-door meeting with the House Republican conference on Tuesday, McCarthy and other GOP leaders warned members to behave during the address, per CNN'sZanona.

The "cameras are on," and the "mics are hot," House GOP leadership reportedly said in the meeting.

Republicans have also made headlines for outbursts during past presidential state of the union speeches, which are viewed by millions.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado heckled Biden last year when he talked about how his son Beau's death may have been linked to burn-pit exposure during his Iraq deployment. She shouted that he put "13 of them" in coffins, a reference to 13 American troops who were killed in Afghanistan during the US' chaotic withdrawal.

Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also tried to start a"build the wall" chant last year during Biden's speech.

Former President Barack Obama later said he was "shocked" and wanted to "smack" Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, for yelling "you lie" during Obama's 2009 State of the Union Address when he was talking about his plans for the Affordable Care Act.

"My initial instinct is, 'Let me walk down and smack this guy on the head. What is he thinking?'" Obama said during a CBS interview in 2020 when his book "A Promised Land" was released. "And instead, I just said, 'That's not true,' and I just move on. He called afterward to apologize although, as I point out in the book, he saw a huge spike in campaign contributions to him from Republicans across the country who thought he had done something heroic."

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McCarthy warns members not to misbehave at State of the Union, promises ...

Republican Party – Policy and structure | Britannica

Although its founders refused to recognize the right of states and territories to practice slavery, the modern Republican Party supports states rights against the power of the federal government in most cases, and it opposes the federal regulation of traditionally state and local matters, such as policing and education. Because the party is highly decentralized (as is the Democratic Party), it encompasses a wide variety of opinion on certain issues, though it is ideologically more unified at the national level than the Democratic Party is. The Republicans advocate reduced taxes as a means of stimulating the economy and advancing individual economic freedom. They tend to oppose extensive government regulation of the economy, government-funded social programs, affirmative action, and policies aimed at strengthening the rights of workers. Many Republicans, though not all, favour increased government regulation of the private, noneconomic lives of citizens in some areas, such as abortion, though most Republicans also strongly oppose gun-control legislation. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support organized prayer in public schools and to oppose the legal recognition of equal rights for gays and lesbians (see gay rights movement). Regarding foreign policy, the Republican Party traditionally has supported a strong national defense and the aggressive pursuit of U.S. national security interests, even when it entails acting unilaterally or in opposition to the views of the international community.

Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party formulate their platforms quadrennially at national political conventions, which are held to nominate the parties presidential candidates. The conventions take place in the summer of each presidential election year; by tradition, the incumbent party holds its convention second. The Republican National Convention typically gathers some 2,000 delegates who are selected during the winter and spring.

Until the 1970s, few nationwide rules governed the selection of delegates to the Republican National Convention. After the Democratic Party adopted a system based on state primaries and caucuses, the Republicans followed suit. More than 40 states now select delegates to the Republican convention through primary elections, while several other states choose delegates through caucuses. Virtually all Republican primaries allocate delegates on a winner-take-all basis, so that the candidate who wins the most votes in a state is awarded all the delegates of that state. In contrast, almost all Democratic primaries allocate delegates based on the proportion of the vote each candidate receives. As a result, the Republicans tend to choose their presidential nominees more quickly than the Democrats do, often long before the summer nominating convention, leaving the convention simply to ratify the winner of the primaries.

In addition to confirming the partys presidential nominee and adopting the party platform, the national convention formally chooses a national committee to organize the next convention and to govern the party until the next convention is held. The Republican National Committee (RNC) consists of about 150 party leaders representing all U.S. states and territories. Its chairman is typically named by the partys presidential nominee and then formally elected by the committee. Republican members of the House and the Senate organize themselves into party conferences that elect the party leaders of each chamber. In keeping with the decentralized nature of the party, each chamber also creates separate committees to raise and disburse funds for House and Senate election campaigns. Although Republican congressional party organizations maintain close informal relationships with the RNC, they are formally separate from it and not subject to its control. Similarly, state party organizations are not subject to direct control by the national committee.

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Republican Party - Policy and structure | Britannica