Eating for the better: a social marketing review (2000–2012)

Abstract

Objective: The present study sought to identify both the ingredients for success and the potential impediments to social marketing effectiveness for healthy eating behaviour, focusing on studies conducted over the last 10 years. Design: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken examining seventeen databases to identify studies reporting the use of social marketing to address healthy eating. Thirty-four empirical studies were analysed to examine the effectiveness of social marketing interventions to improve healthy eating behaviour using Andreasen's (2002) social marketing benchmark criteria. Statistical analysis was undertaken to quantitatively evaluate whether effectiveness varied between study categories (subsets). Setting: Healthy eating empirical studies published from 2000 onwards. Subjects: Empirical studies that self-identified as social marketing. Results: Sixteen social marketing studies (subset 1) were identified in the review. These were systematic studies which sought to change behaviour through tailored solutions (e.g. use of marketing tools beyond communication was clearly evident) that delivered value to the target audience. For these sixteen studies, the mean number of criteria identified was five. Six studies met all six criteria. Positive change to healthy eating behaviour was found in fourteen of sixteen studies. The sixteen studies that met the definition of social marketing used significantly more of Andreasen's (2002) criteria and were more effective in achieving behavioural change than the eighteen studies in subset 2. Conclusions: Social marketing is an involved process and it is important that studies identifying as social marketing adopt social marketing benchmark criteria. Social marketing when employed to its full extent offers the potential to change healthy eating. Keywords Social marketing Literature review Nutrition Behaviour change EffectivenessA nutritious diet is key to optimal health and well-being, and plays an important role in the prevention of many chronic conditions. The combination of energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets and more sedentary lifestyles is contributing to the growing obesity issue in Australia and worldwide (1) . For example, Australian data show a disturbing upward trend in overweight and obesity rates in children over the last 20 years. For girls, rates have risen from 12 % in 1985 to 26 % in 2007, while for boys levels have increased from 11 % in 1985 to 24 % in 2007 (2) . A similar case exists on a global scale. In 1995, there were an estimated 200 million obese adults worldwide and another 18 million children under the age of 5 years classified as overweight. As of 2000, the number of obese adults had increased to over 300 million. It is interesting to note the obesity epidemic is not restricted to industrialized societies; in developing countries, it is estimated that over 115 million people suffer from obesity-related problems (3) . Combating the obesity issue represents one of the greatest public health challenges faced at both a natio...

Social marketing and healthy eating: findings from young people in Greece

“…The nutritional social marketing initiatives review by Carins and Rundle-Thiele (2013) revealed that adults are a neglected target group for nutritional interventions. In particular, young adults are prone to unhealthy eating behaviour (Kafatos et al 2000;Fotiadou and Hassapidou 2001;Papadaki et al 2007) especially after embarking on third level education when they begin to live away from their families (Beasley et al 2004;Sharma et al 2009;Riddell et al 2011).…”

Midstream value creation in social marketing

“…While some programmes cast a wide net to form a coalition of diverse individuals and organisations that are community stakeholders, others target a subset of midstream actors such as family and peer groups (Carins and Rundle-Thiele, 2014). There is also variety in roles played by different actors (Dibb, 2014;Whitelaw et al, 2010), for instance community members may be involved in problem diagnosis and intervention design and public service professionals or trained researchers take responsibility for evaluation.…”

“…Existing literature provides some insight into the factors that motivate and inhibit collaboration amongst community actors, but systematic analysis to address question of why and how they work -their dynamics and conditions conducive to success -is sorely needed (Carins and Rundle-Thiele, 2014;Truong, 2014;Whitelaw et al, 2010).…”

“…Development of value networks at the meso level is considered to include a phase of origination (determining which actors participate within a value network, introduction of new resources and capabilities and influences on the practices) followed by processes of mobilisation (communication and learning) and stabilisation of the value network (Storbacka et al, 2012). Despite this emphasis on the meso level, Storbaka and colleagues (2012) recognise that new business models that accommodate value networks should be configured to 'fit' with customer practices (i.e. social marketing change processes).…”

Where the Dimensions of Religion and Mass Media Social Marketing Campaigns Intersect

“…The mass media social marketing campaigns analysed, reported and founded in 2014) are deemed to have evidence of each of Andreasen's (2002) six social marketing benchmarking criteria (Carins & Rundle-Thiele, 2013 …”