Purpose Since 2004, the British Government has delivered a national policy on social marketing that has created a new frame of reference in this field. This paper aims to study the genesis, evolution and implementation of the policy process that led to an important development in British public health. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth multifaceted single case study, mixing qualitative and quantitative data including participatory research, enabled by a cognitive approach based on elements of knowledge, ideas, representations and social beliefs in the elaboration of a public policy. Findings This approach to understanding the British policy on social marketing process demonstrates a useful explanatory capacity, producing a comprehensive articulation of the main cognitive, normative, and instrumental dimensions of this policy, including its significant mutations influenced by the 2008 Great Recession and subsequent political evolution. Research limitations/implications This paper has followed the British social marketing policy’s implementation in England. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, this national policy had specific developments that it was not followed in our study In general, subject to complex historical, social and political conditions, this is a field that preserves its dynamism and the ability to question concepts and processes. Ever seeking new directions and solutions, it requires an ongoing research study. Practical implications Conclusions speak in favour of a prescriptive framework for a national policy on social marketing that can inform other government entities’ efforts to develop similar policies in other countries. A correct understanding of such a political process can lead to better management of its development and its consequent contribution to improving social marketing policy and interventions. Social implications A proper conception and management of a social marketing policy can contribute to improving the well-being of citizens. Originality/value It is the first time that this specific cognitive approach has been applied so systematically to a national social marketing policy through a long-term research, providing a prescriptive framework for other’ efforts to develop similar policies.

We are honored to be acting as Guest Editors of this special edition of RAUSP Management Journal, which features some social marketing papers for the first time in a Brazilian academic publication.The call for papers emphasized that we live in an age of three Ds: dystopia, disconnection and disruption.Dystopia has been defining the 21st century as we witness an explosive combination of old and new challenges that have the potential to push the social fabric to the breaking point. Climate emergency is the ultimate threat to humanity. However, there are also challenges such as social, ethnic and gender inequalities, health-related problems, economic stagnation, unemployment and employability, social security, food safety, geopolitical conflicts, nuclear arms race and digital disruption, among others. We also live in the socalled economy of attention, which is perhaps more aptly described as the economy of impatience. People's attention span seems to be shortening because of an avalanche of stimuli and a plethora of digital players competing for busy minds.Disconnection is another hallmark of the current Zeitgeist. Ours is an era of ideological ghettos and fragmented narratives. Denial of serious problems, such as climate change or anti-vaccination movements, have become commonplace within social bubbles. Meanwhile, large segments of people congregate in groups who are increasingly disconnected from each other, each one seeing the world through incommensurate lenses. The political arena, in turn, has been losing legitimacy as the prime system for addressing social conflict.COVID-19 epitomized what we can expect in this century. As several forces of disruption loom on the horizon, there is a need of fresh thinking in disciplines concerned with social problems, including, of course, social marketing. It is the high time of letting go formulaic approach developed in the 20th century.It is true that the tension between the current complex social problems and the traditional, formulaic tools usually found in the discipline's repertoire has been acknowledged in recent years though (Lefebvre, 2012). It is also true that social marketing has been incorporating complexity thinking (Raciti, Mulcahy, & Dahl, 2020) and broader theoretical lenses (Evans & French, 2019;Rundle-Thiele et al., 2019). Several studies have started using system dynamics and other methods (Domegan et al., 2016;Saunders & Truong, 2019) that advance the comprehension of how social problems evolve over time and how social marketing can be more effective.

What does it take for a small company from a small country to survive in a global market? That's the guestion Renova needed to answer, and sometimes answers are found in unusual places—like the bathroom.

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