Identifying Key Criteria as predictors of success in social marketing: establishing an evaluative template and grid (ETG)

The concept of social marketing is a developing global discipline without a universally agreed definition. Its processes are therefore subject to the interpretations of the practitioners who implement intensive and extended programmes on a range of topics under the umbrella concept of social marketing. This kaleidoscope of applications has meant that few campaigns are the same, and they are shaped by the varied interpretations of the social marketing process and the diversity of target audiences. Despite these vagaries, social marketing has become a popular method for influencing behaviour, especially in target populations with poor lifestyles and poor health. However, this popularity has been fashion driven rather than evidence based and there is an urgent need to establish what elements of social marketing are most likely to promote behavioural change in a target audience.