Social marketing: A critical appraisal

This article provides a critical analysis of the growing use of social marketing in the field of health promotion. In response to a recent article by A. Hastings and G. Haywood (Health Promotion International, 6, 135-134), three questions are asked about each of the proposed tenets of social marketing: are these ideas new? are they more effective than current health promotion practices? and do they raise any particular ethical concerns? On each of these counts, the analysis suggests that the purported benefits of social marketing might not be as great as proponents claim. There are also some problematic unintended consequences that arise from the use of social marketing methods. The narrow focus on individual behavior change and the potentially manipulative techniques for inducing behavior change are of particular concern. The paper concludes with a call for further discussion about the limits and potential iatrogenic side-effects of using social marketing strategies for health promotion. © 1994 Oxford University Press.