Discussion: Using Media Advocacy in Social Marketing

Advocating for community health and well-being is at the core of a public health educator’s activities. One way for public health educators to engage in advocacy is through social marketing. Media advocacy, including the use of social media, is a technique used in social marketing. In this Discussion, you evaluate the use of media advocacy in social marketing to promote a health issue or agenda.

References:

The Guide to Community Preventive Services. (2010). Effectiveness of health communication campaigns that include mass media and health-related product distribution. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/health-communication-and-social-marketing-campaigns-include-mass-media-and-health-related

Korda, H. & Itani, Z. (2013). Harnessing social media for health promotion and behavior change. Health Promotion Practice. 14(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839911405850

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review this week’s resources on social marketing and media advocacy.
• Locate a social marketing campaign (that is no more than 5 years old) related to a health issue that uses social media (e.g., blogs, vodcasts/podcasts, social networking sites, etc.) as a strategy of media advocacy.
• Evaluate what you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign based on relevant criteria from the Learning Resources, for example:
  • Does the campaign focus on a specific population or target audience?
  • Does the campaign utilize multiple forms and channels?
  • Are the 4 Ps (product, price, place, and promotion) of the “marketing mix” used?
  • Are the materials appropriate for the target population?
  • Does the campaign focus on changing behavior or policy?
  • Does the campaign avoid using fear appeals or scare tactics?
  • Is the name of the campaign and its sponsor(s) clear?
  • How does the campaign address the monetary costs as well as other potential barriers associated with the health behavior?
  • How do the social media engage the target audience? Or do they?
  • Are the social media outlets frequently updated?
  • How could the message or the delivery channels be improved?

By Day 4

Post a brief summary of the social marketing campaign you selected, including an explanation of the media advocacy tools used to reach the intended population (e.g., public service announcements, social media, billboards, etc.). Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the social marketing campaign in reaching the target audience by using the bulleted list of items above. Provide at least one suggestion for enhancing and improving the message and/or the strategies used in advocating for this issue or policy.

Support your posting with information from the Learning Resources. Be sure to cite references in APA format.