What are the key criteria that act as the predictors of success in a social marketing campaign?

The study examines the theory and practice of social marketing and aims to identify key criteria that are linked to the successful outcome of social marketing campaigns. The premise underpinning the thesis is that although theory and the definition of social marketing are still being discussed, the practice is expanding rapidly around the world, with many campaigns being launched in attempts to tackle a whole range of issues. There is therefore a need to understand the efficacy of the use of benchmarks and marketing strategies employed during campaigns and to consider how these are linked to success. In order to identify and evaluate success and the various relationships with these core variables, the study utilizes a mixed method analysis of a sample of global social marketing campaign case studies from both statutory and non-statutory organizations. The research was undertaken in two stages: stage one was a qualitative survey of twelve campaigns that identified key benchmarks and strategies; stage two was a quantitative survey of one hundred case campaigns which sought to statistically assess the importance of the benchmarks and strategies.

The study identified key benchmarks and strategies that could help to develop more efficient campaigns in a climate of time and budgetary constraints. The study provides one of the first frameworks for developing future campaigns and for assessing those already undertaken. However, only a small number of benchmarks were found to be significant and no specific strategies were found to be statistically significant with regard to success. The main limitation of the study was relatively small sample size and future research should attempt to evaluate a larger sample so that a more robust statistical analysis can be undertaken.

The original contribution to knowledge that this research has generated lies in the identification of a framework for social marketing campaign design. This research presents a significant step forward in understanding the essential components of successful social marketing campaigns and identifying benchmarks that are important for success.