How Social Marketing Works

Abstract

Government policy and strategy is increasingly being reframed to focus much more closely on the basic needs and concerns of people. Alongside this, the focus at the local level is on ensuring that we can provide genuinely practical and supportive approaches to assist people in adopting and sustaining active and healthy lives. In October 2006, we launched Health Challenge England, igniting a new national debate about why there are such wide variations in people's health. It underlined how we are already rising to the challenges we face at individual and community level, but also set out the next steps in our strategy to support the changes we all need to make to enjoy the best possible health. The recent Small Change, Big Difference is just one example of how social marketing can be used on a national scale to understand the realities of people's lives and ensure interventions provide genuine support, motivation and encouragement. The days of simply trying to tell people what is good for them are over. The evidence is increasingly clear that if we help people make small manageable changes, over time we can have an increasingly positive impact on their health and wellbeing. At local level, we are also seeing examples of how a social marketing approach has the potential to impact enormously on not only the health of the individual, but also the wider community. Clearly, tailoring solutions to different local needs is crucial. This leafl et offers an introduction to social marketing for NHS staff. Your work has such an important impact on people's health, and in working with others across different sectors, you make a real difference to their lives. Health in the 21st century is everybody's business. A message from Dr Fiona Adshead, the Deputy Chief Medical Offi cer We know that the challenges to improve health and reduce inequalities are signifi cant at the local and national levels. We also know that if we invest in understanding what motivates people and address their everyday lives and concerns it is possible to make a real difference.