Social Marketing

Publicity is never an ending story. Everyday we are discussing about how to get message across to the right people and for the impactful outcome. I have a discussion on how to promote a Chinese New Year celebration event in the morning and followed by the discussion on how to engage general at large for the idea of guarded community on that same afternoon. Both discussion were talking about how to engage people for greater outcome.

When it comes social marketing, greater efforts are required simply because of the apathy of people. People are careless for anything to happen unless it is affected their routine or related to their pocket. Sometime people might not even want to get to know what transpired until something was visible and physically there. Thereby, social marketing requires degrees of innovation and creativity.

It is no point of asking people to practice recycling whereas to the eye of people the Council is doing nothing on their own. Similarly telling people that they have gone against the law of putting barricade for safety reason without ensuring them that their safety is well taken care of. Although some might argue that Local Council is not the authority for safeguarding security, but we have the role of preventing crime through the enforcement of Safe City programme or the least is to facilitate the self initiative of community groups in feeling safer and comfortable in their own neighbourhood. I think if the message across is to facilitate and help to find an amicable solution for safety reason, nobody with right mind will not want to listen in which marketing of such social message will be easily done.

Getting people to attend a function? Unless i am paying for it or I am part of the organisation or I am attracted to the programme or else I would not have the desire to come. For a public function, people will weight on the pro and con of attending. If I am a food hunger, I might make a trip to come provided food is free of charge. If a lucky draw is held with attractive prizes, then I might come. If the programme is of outstanding, then I will want to come to the show. In summary, everyone will be attracted by something interested them, the question is how to disseminate this information to the target group.

For doing so, I think SWOT analysis for different target group is needed so that event invitation can be tailored made.

Secondly, to disseminate information to the target group at the right time and right place. If a youth function is held, then no point of inviting the senior leaders to attend. If the Chinese New Year celebration is held, perhaps it is good to publicize the event at Chinese dominated venue such as new village or Chinese primary school. Invitation by mailing without personal touch is not sufficient. Like wise putting the banner at the junction without attractive and simple to read or understand message is a failure. We need to understand the behaviour of the motorists and safety reason. No point of jamming all information in a banner that is difficult to read for motorists.

Social marketing is there and will become more challenging. For an authority envisions to engage people constructively, innovated marketing is critical and required.