Community-Based Social Marketing

I am really excited about following the proposed approach to develop a course-based tool/assignment that enables students to design and implement campaigns. This program will enhance the learning outcomes of the course by equipping students to integrate their voices and skill sets in addressing a range of social and community issues. In addition, this advocacy-based, service-learning approach will strengthen the pedagogical strategies used in business education more broadly.

The purpose of this course is to learn about the benefits, structures, requirements and techniques of social marketing generally and CBSM specifically for both non-profits and corporations, and how these can vary for different types of institutions. Students will learn how to apply the marketing process to socially beneficial products or services so that non-profits and business organizations can engage in beneficial community-based positive shifts in behaviors and practices. You will not only be challenged to explore the concepts of social marketing generally and CBSM specifically as theoretical topics but will additionally be required to develop and apply those concepts via creation of a marketing plan for a local service organization or business that wants to enhance its role in developing the community in which it is located.

Student Learning Objectives (SLOs):

Students will be challenged to explore, analyze, and apply the concepts of social marketing in general and community-based social marketing specifically. Students in this course will learn how to:

1. Comprehend the history and development of marketing in socially relevant contexts/participation as opposed to purely financial/revenue driven ones.
2. Analyze a targeted local community in order to discover and prioritize community development goals/needs that marketing can play a role in achieving/realizing.
3. Expand their understanding of marketing that includes its role in developing communities and social good as opposed to merely developing businesses or institutions for financial gain.
4. Articulate the framework for social marketing generally and community based social marketing specifically.
5. Apply the marketing process, which includes the marketing mix (product, place, promotion, price) to non-profits, government and businesses that wish to partner with local area communities in order to support socially beneficial goals.
6. Analyze communities more effectively utilizing PESTLE so that CBSM strategies are relevant, as well as capable of provoking specific and targeted change for the social good of the community.
7. Utilize established marketing processes, techniques and technologies in order to draft CBSM marketing plans and apply them to specific and appropriate behavioral changes.
8. Present a community based social marketing plan in a professional way (written and spoken) to community leaders (business, government and/or nonprofit) and stakeholders.
9. Evaluate the implementation process of CBSM strategies within a community for effectiveness via appropriate measurement tools and techniques.

Shikha Upadhyaya

Associate Professor

Marketing

California State University, Los Angeles