Introduction
Social marketing is a phenomenon that aims at achieving socio-economical, political, and business objectives. According to Domegan (2021), this form of marketing promotes behavior change among consumers and the general public. Currently, the internet has become a significant platform to educate the general public about protection against Covid-19. The Extra Mile-:30 campaign ad is a current example of social marketing whose link.
The Extra Mile-:30 Campaign Ad As a Social Marketing Example
The main goal of social marketing is to promote behavior change and encourage people to change their attitudes towards some aspects. The Extra Mile-:30 is a campaign ad that has been created by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) to educate parents and the public about the importance of having children aged 5 years and above vaccinated to protect them from Covid-19. Earlier, the health department was advocating for vaccination among adults, remaining silent about vaccinating children. The ad falls under social marketing because it helps people change their attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccination among children. Social marketing techniques focus on benefiting individuals and consumers for the greater social good which is the main purpose of the campaign ad. The ad uses consumer insight to deliver health information to the audience.
Application of the foundational marketing elements in the campaign ad makes it fall under social marketing. As is explained by Domegan (202), social marketing employs the 4Ps of marketing which include the product, price, promotion, and place to develop strategies that achieve its goal. The Extra Mile-:30 campaign applies the marketing element of the product by targeting a specific market segment of children that are 5 years and above. Price has also been incorporated in the social marketing example given parents’ willingness to pay for their children’s vaccine following the importance of protecting them against the virus. The campaign ad employs promotion by targeting advertisements on most social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The availability and distribution of the vaccine to reach the target market segment by HSS promote the achievement of the marketing element of the place. The HSS has provided guidance on a healthy market to promote the adoption of the Covid-19 vaccine to the target market segment.
The Target Market and Behavior Promoted By the Extra Mile-:30 Campaign Ad
The Extra Mile-:30 campaign ad mainly targets parents and guardians who have children 5 years and above. The educative advert informs parents that apart from protecting their children from cold weather and accidents through wearing warm clothes and protective gear, respectively, they also need to protect them from Covid-19 infection by taking them for vaccination. The advertisement is promoting cautious behavior among parents by letting them know that their children also face the risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus. The ad warns parents of the side effects that their children are likely to have if not vaccinated. Therefore, the social marketing example is encouraging parents to protect children from anything likely to harm them.
Conclusion
Currently, the internet remains the most used platform to create awareness and educate the public about Covid-19 prevention measures through the marketing of products and services that help control and manage the spread of the virus. The Extra Mile-:30 is one of the campaign ads that the US Department of Health and Human Services is using to change the attitude of parents and the general public towards Covid-19 vaccination among children. The ad falls under the social marketing techniques because of its ability to employ the 4Ps of marketing to achieve the greater social good. The social marketing example targets parents with the sole goal of making them more concerned about the effect of Covid-19 on their children.
Reference
Domegan, C. (2021). Social marketing and behavioral change in a systems setting. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 100 (275.), 1-6. Web.