What are the 8 benchmarking criteria of social marketing?
Posted by TeamPC on 7 Jun 2017
What makes a successful social marketing intervention? According to the NSMC (National Social Marketing Association), there are a series of key elements that need to be considered in planning, delivering and monitoring of a social marketing intervention. These are known as ‘benchmarking’ criteria.
8 integrated concepts, working together to achieve common goals
The 8 points support better understanding of core social marketing concepts and principles, they promote a more consistent approach to review and evaluation, and assist in the commissioning of social marketing services.
The benchmarks themselves are not a social marketing process in their own right, but core elements that work together to improve the overall impact (and accuracy) of a social marketing intervention.
Equally important are things like partnerships, stakeholder investment and strategic planning and delivery and, of course, ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
So what are the 8 elements?
Behaviour - the intervention is focused on influencing specific behaviours, not just knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. And it should have clear, specific, measurable and time-bound behavioural goals.
Customer orientation - focuses on the audience. Fully understands their lives, behaviour and issues, using a mix of data sources and research methods.
Behavioural theory - uses behavioural theories to understand target behaviour and ‘inform’ the intervention.
Insight - customer research identifies ‘actionable insights’ – pieces of understanding that lead intervention development.
Exchange - considers benefits and costs of adopting and maintaining a new behaviour; maximises the benefits and minimises the costs to create an attractive offer.
Competition - seeks to understand what competes for the audience’s time, attention, and inclination to behave in a particular way.
Segmentation - avoids a ‘one size fits all’ approach: identifies audience ‘segments’, which have common characteristics, then tailors interventions appropriately.
Method Mix - uses a mix of methods to bring about behaviour change. Does not rely solely on raising awareness.
How were these benchmarks established?
These benchmarks were arrived at as a consequence of reviewing successful social marketing projects, and identifying the common elements that contributed to their success.
These benchmark criteria are not designed to be a simple tick-box of subjects. Instead, they are more like a set of integrated concepts that exist alongside each other. For example, insight should evolve from customer orientation work, and exchange should be reflected in the price of the methods mix.
We’re Perfect Circle – an open and honest social marketing agency that delivers behavioural change for its customers. Visit us online at perfect-circle.co.uk
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