In 2004 the government in England decided to undertake a review of social marketing to assess its potential to guide the development and implementation of its future health promotion efforts. This decision was taken despite the fact that England does not have a strong tradition or a welldeveloped social marketing infrastructure. Moreover, there is skepticism about the value and principles of social marketing in some segments of the public health workforce.In June 2006 the government accepted the recommendation of the review that social marketing should be used to guide all future health promotion efforts directed at achieving behavioral goals, and it has begun to adopt a national approach to systematically applying social marketing principles to guide its efforts. This article sets out the history and policy-drivers for this dramatic change.The article also sets out the findings and a summary of the recommendations. It also discusses some of the key lessons learned about developing a national strategic approach to the application of social marketing and some of the tactics employed to ensure social marketing is adopted.