by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 13, 2006 | Blog, Policy, Social Marketing
They dropped the ball on this one. Nancy Schwartz of Getting Attention reports that the CDC’s successful Verb campaign will become a past participle after a successful five-year run. This multifaceted social marketing campaign encouraged 9 to 13 year olds to get active and made exercise fun, creative and attractive. According to the Wall Street Journal, Congress failed to renew funding for the CDC to continue the program, which will run out of money this month. To date, the government has put $339 million into advertising and marketing for the Verb campaign, which urges kids to find their own action word and do it.
In addition to the ad campaign, the cornerstone of the program were the yellow balls that t
hey handed out — about 500,000 of them. Each ball has a number, and kids were encouraged to blog about what they did with their ball on the VerbNow.com website and then pass the ball along to a friend. About 12,600 kids have “blogged” their ball.
The campaign evaluations have been quite successful (from the WSJ):
The end of the Verb campaign comes just as data are trickling in showing that it was surprisingly effective at boosting physical activity among school children. A recent study of more than 2,700 school kids published in the medical journal Pediatrics showed that 9- and 10-year-old kids who had seen the Verb campaign reported one-third more physical activity during their free time than kids who hadn’t seen Verb. Among girls ages 9-13, the ad campaign boosted free-time physical activity by nearly 27%.
Awareness of the Verb campaign was extensive, with 70-80% of school kids knowing about the program. Apparently awareness among adults was much lower, resulting in the decision by Congress to take away funding. And this at a time when obesity, which starts in childhood, has reached epidemic proportions. I guess we’ll just go back to having the health teachers droning “Exercise is good for you. You should do it.”
Technorati Tags: verb, marketing, social marketing, physical activity
by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 12, 2006 | Blog, Miscellaneous
In the past week, my post on the Social Marketing vs. Social Marketing Showdown has been included on several blog carnivals (compilations of posts on related subjects). Yes, I am a shameless self-promoter, but I think it’s important that all marketers understand the difference between social marketing and social media marketing. Take a look at these Carnivals for the best of the blogosphere from the past week:
Technorati Tags: carnival, marketing, social marketing
by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 10, 2006 | Blog, Personal
Each September 11th, I force myself to pick away the scabs that formed on my psyche on 9/11/01. It’s painful. It hurts. But reliving the emotions and experiences I felt on that day is the best reminder of why we must fight and win against the people who hate us simply because we love freedom. Thank God I did not lose anyone I know that day. And though I was scheduled to be on a plane to Chicago on 9/12/01, I was lucky not to have decided to start on my journey a day earlier.
The thing I find that helps me best connect back is putting myself in the shoes of the people who found themselves in the Twin Towers that day. Or in the Pentagon. Or on one of the hijacked airplanes. What did they experience? What must have gone through their minds as they realized what was happening to them? What would I have done if it were me? These are impossible questions to answer, yet through this storytelling in my head, I am able to change the abstract numbers 9/11 into its meaning on a human level.
This is why, when I found out about the 2,996 Project last week from Carol of planningblog, I knew I had to participate. The project consists of tributes to honor each victim of 9/11, each created by a different blogger and posted on September 11th. I was randomly assigned to write about Amy O’Doherty, who lost her life in the World Trade Center. When I first clicked on the site to get more information about her, I gasped because in the picture above, she looks almost like me. Another “there but for the grace of God go I” moment.
I had to do a lot of searching to find information about Amy, but here is her story:
Amy O’Doherty grew up in Pelham, NY, and attended St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York, graduating in 2000. A professor there who had her in four classes said of her:
She was a true pleasure to have in class: always doing every homework, carrying class discussions (especially in Money and Banking!), and such a hard worker.
After graduating, she moved to New York City into her first apartment and worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, an international securities firm with offices on floors 101-105 of the north tower of the World Trade Center.
A profile in the New York Times read:
To Amy O’Doherty, in her first job and apartment, Manhattan’s streets emanated excitement and its air, promise — of new friends and smart conversations over steaks at Morton’s, and of unlimited success. Of what Geraldine Davie, her mother, called “the largeness of life.” Ms. O’Doherty, 23, loved her job as a broker’s assistant at Cantor Fitzgerald. “Financing, trading, bonds,” said Liz Gallello, a childhood friend. “She wanted to take it – the career, the city woman lifestyle – as far as far it could go.”
She was delighted with her five-story walk-up — so small, said Ms. Davie, that “Lilliputians should live in it.” She filled it with dozens of framed photos of friends from Pelham, N.Y., where she grew up, and from camp, college and work.
“She was soaking up that great New York style,” said Ms. Davie. “Picking up that New York language. She didn’t know it but she was living her bliss.”
On September 11, 2001, Amy managed to place a call to her mother in the moments after the crash. But she and a thousand more of her colleagues were never heard from again.
This
picture of a friend or family member searching for Amy in the days after breaks my heart. When we remember the people who were killed on 9/11, we also have to think about the thousands of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, other family members and friends whose lives were forever shattered that day. The victims number many more than 2,996.
Amy was clearly loved by many. I will leave you with this heartfelt poem written in her memory by her friend Diane Huggins:
Just as the sunflowers you loved you were bright and cheery in every way,
You loved your colleges and your job that was well displayed.
You had a kind, generous heart that never strayed.
You felt life should be savored not just lived from day to day.
A master disciplinarian with both gentleness and firmness conveyed.
You were always smiling and laughing just a beautiful person surveyed.
You had a great sense of humor, upbeat so full of fun and play.
You implanted heart prints on many hearts that love will never stray.
Shopping for yourself and your mother was always a great thrill and okay.
If mom Geraldine wanted something you indulged her without delay.
You were happy when mom accepted your gifts, they were like beautiful bouquets.
You were and forever are her precious daughter, a true gift of love so to say.
Beloved sister to Maura you shared a close friendship so fine,
you continue to guide her with your spirit of love that is very well defined.
Loving daughter to James he misses the times you intertwined,
He sees your love living on in each twinkling star that brightly shines.
There is a beautiful star in Heaven that to him alone has been assigned.
You live on in your family forever dwelling in their hearts and minds.
you’re their guardian angel and their greatest hero and gift divine.
We must never forget. I rented United 93 to watch tonight. Let the hurt begin.
Technorati Tags: 9/11, 911, September 11, 2996, united 93
by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 8, 2006 | Blog, Social Media
Fard Johnmar of Envision Solutions and HealthCareVox has created a fantastic e-book called “From Command & Control To Engage & Encourage: a new healthcare communications strategy for a social media world.” It’s available as a free download from his site.
This clear, prescriptive e-book lays out a strategy for healthcare-based organizations (though it’s applicable to all companies) to move from the traditional marketing activities of “Command and Control” — developing content and retaining careful control over how the messages are presented — towards “Engage and Encourage” in bringing social media into an effective marketing program. Since users of social media are likely to get involved at some point in the marketing process with or without your consent, you are much better off starting with the assumption that it’s going to happen and figuring out how to use social media in a way that encourages accuracy and positive dialogue.
This e-book is a must-read for marketers trying to figure out how to blend a social media approach with their more traditional marketing program. This aspect of marketing is not something that can be ignored, and when done well, can enhance your current efforts.
by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 8, 2006 | Blog, Social Marketing, Social Media
The social marketing vs. social marketing story has received coverage from across the blogosphere, with most bloggers who have commented firmly on our side. Here are a few excerpts:
From Alison Byrne Fields of We’ll Know When We Get There:
I’m a solid column one person: social marketing is using commercial marketing strategies to promote positive behavior or attitudinal change.
To be honest, I can’t believe this is even a topic of debate — it makes the social media folks who are pushing the issue look a little idiotic. You’re capable enough to respond effectively to a revolution in what it means to be a customer and you can’t come up with your own name? It’s like picking a URL for your new site, kids. This one’s already registered.
Francois Gossieaux of Emergence Marketing does not like the new usage of the term social marketing, and he’s concerned that these new “social marketers” are going to focus on the hype without including the critical ethical considerations and understanding of the fundamentals:
Using “social marketing” as a catch-all category for the (not-so-new) marketing techniques which include viral marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, community marketing, consumer-generated-content-based marketing, and other social media-based marketing “techniques,” not only “hypes up” the value of those methods unnecessarily – it also engenders the danger for misuse, abuse and the ultimate destruction of those marketing techniques for everyone.
Many clueless and panicky marketers, who have witnessed the decline of marketing programs like email marketing and other interrupt-based marketing methods – which incidentally they destroyed in the first place – will now jump on this latest craze and screw it all up! As usual, they will throw dollars and especially technology at the issue without understanding the underlying fundamentals and ethical considerations that allow those methods work in the first place.
And Tara Hunt of HorsePigCow gets it and has an interesting idea for our social marketing community to consider.
On first glance, you may say, what’s the big deal? Well…
It’s almost an issue of trademarking (which she may consider doing…maybe a community mark?). If someone came along tomorrow and said that Pinko Marketing was the practice of painting everything pink or creating viral campaigns, I would take issue, too. Especially if it was someone with a far reach like Jupiter Research.
I looked into this idea of Community Marks, which is a concept Chris Messina came up with to protect the integrity of a non-commercial brand that is created collaboratively by a loose volunteer community, such as Bar Camp or Spread Firefox. It’s not quite a trademark, but more formal than doing nothing. The community itself is responsible for enforcement of the mark. An interesting idea for the social marketing community to consider — we are not as a whole technically savvy enough to enforce this as a community but ideally members of our community will speak out when they see the term being misused.
UPDATE (9/8/06): Carol at Driving in Traffic adds her two cents to the discussion:
Some have argued that the traditional notion of Social Marketing has lost its umph because the emergence of social media has muddied the semantic waters. To a certain extent, I agree. Others trivialize Social Marketing because, to date, its successes have come in under the radar when compared with the long touted product campaigns of Nike and Apple. With the emergence of the CDC’s National Center for Health Marketing and the organized push they are about to embark upon to meet the goals of HealthyPeople 2010, things are about to change for the better.
However, if my thoughts are right– which they may not be and everyone is welcome to help me refine them through civil discussion— all marketers are going to be utilizing the new technologies and social media platforms. Perhaps it is then wise if we all work diligently to be more clear about what we say we do.
Technorati Tags: social marketing, community mark, social media
by Nedra Weinreich | Sep 6, 2006 | Blog, Social Marketing, Social Media
At the suggestion of Carol Kirshner of the blog Driving in Traffic, I have created a chart to help elucidate the differences between authentic social marketing and the new use of the term to mean “social media marketing.” As organizations like Jupiter Research continue to knowingly or unknowingly use the term incorrectly (see backstory here), confusion will reign as people try to figure out what each other is talking about. This chart, which I hope will be a collaborative work-in-progress, can serve as a touchstone for continuing the conversation among marketers of all kinds.
Social Marketing vs. “Social Marketing”
|
Social Marketing |
“Social Marketing” |
| AKA |
Social Marketing |
Social Media Marketing |
| Usage Started |
1971 |
Approx. 2005 |
| Definition |
The use of marketing techniques to promote the adoption of healthy or pro-social behaviors |
Marketing via online tools and platforms that people use to share information with each other, such as blogs, social networking sites, wikis, podcasts and shared media sites |
| Purpose |
Changing individual behaviors to improve their own health or well-being, or to help society for the greater good |
Involving consumers in marketing efforts designed to generate positive word of mouth or personal investment in the brand |
| Who Uses It |
Nonprofit organizations, government agencies, other organizations working toward health or social change |
Companies or other organizations that want to add an online peer-to-peer or participative component to their marketing |
| Who “Profits” |
Individuals or society |
The organization doing the marketing |
| Target Audiences |
Individuals at risk for a particular health or social problem, those who are likely to adopt positive behaviors to help society |
Tech-savvy consumers who are already using social media tools, whether as a creator or consumer of content |
| Related Fields/Terms |
Nonprofit marketing, cause marketing, health marketing |
Social media optimization, social network marketing, word of mouth marketing, viral or buzz marketing, citizen marketing, community marketing |
| Examples |
Verb Campaign, truth Campaign |
Snakes on a Plane, Chevy Tahoe |
| For More Info |
Wikipedia, Squidoo, Social Marketing Wiki |
Wikipedia, SEOMoz blog, Marketing with Social Media |
Whether you are a social marketer or a social media marketer, I invite you to add your comments and modifications to this chart to make it helpful to everyone in the marketing field. I will post updates as the chart evolves by blogsourcing a la David Armano.
UPDATE (9/6/06): I added the year the usage of each term first appeared. Kotler and Zaltman coined the phrase in an article in 1971. I don’t have a historical source for the “other” social marketing appearing in 2005, but that’s when I remember first seeing it.
UPDATE (2/21/07): Added “community marketing” to the “related fields” list.
Technorati Tags: social marketing, social media, jupiter, blogsourcing
Nedra helps nonprofits and public agencies create positive change on health and social issues through social marketing and transmedia storytelling strategies at Weinreich Communications since founding the company in 1995. She helps organizations make a difference for the populations they serve by strategically designing programs that draw on state-of-the-art behavior change techniques, digital media approaches and the power of stories. 
