Analyzing Way2Go! Social Marketing Campaign For Girls' Active Transportation To School

A series of social marketing campaigns aimed at children and/or active travel to school have been identified.

Your task is to apply the NSMC criteria and undertake a critical review of ONE campaign to assess the extent that social marketing has/has not been used. 

The Importance of Social Marketing

Marketing is the initiative of the sellers to lure the buyers through strategies. In this process, the main aim is to ensure the social wellbeing. However, this is not an easy task, as the behaviour of the people differ according to its range and intensity. Measurement of these behaviours is assistance in terms of estimating the impact on the community development (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019). This essay aims to analyse a campaign on “Way2Go! Social marketing for girls' active transportation to school” through the incorporation of NSMC criteria. Within this, the focus is on the initiatives undertaken for bringing the social change. Along with this, the assignment also focuses on the steps taken for making the necessary improvements.

In the competitive pace, proper frameworks are lacking in terms of governing the educational establishment of the children. This is especially in case of the girl children residing in the communities amidst shabby surroundings, which acts as a compromise into the fulfilment of the basic needs for survival.

According to the article, “Way2Go! Social marketing for girls' active transportation to School, Active Transportation to school (ATS) is one of the recent trends for increasing the physical activities. Girls and young women are exempted from the usage of ATS from the categories of physical, mental and community health benefits. Social marketing is one of the effective frameworks in understanding the perspective of the girls (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019). The activity of developing these frameworks can be considered as a collaborative approach towards campaigning for improving the health of the public domain. Experimentation on 79 girls between the age group of 7 and 15 years in Spring, Victoria is the typical evidence behind this.

According to the thematic analysis, participants from the elementary school preferred health and fun while the middle school participants favoured socialization for enhancing their academic establishment and development. Segmentation of the audience into different groups was an initiative towards gaining a deeper understanding into the behaviours upon receiving the information and messages. For addressing the issue, Way2Go project was funded by Victoria Capital Regional District. Typical component of this project was peer to peer promotions, where the participants stressed on the fun, which was reflected from the light messages. This acted as an initiative towards encouraging ATS (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019).

In comparison to this, the article, Assessing the Impact of a Social Marketing Campaign on Program Outcomes for Users of an Internet-Based Testing Service for Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections: Observational Study is considered for analysing the different ranges and intensity of the behaviours, which the people exposed in a given situation or circumstance (Gilbert et al., 2019). 

Campaign Initiatives

Behaviour 

Most of the times the people perform the actions under the influence of the unconscious mind. Under the pressure of drab monotonous schedules, the people just concentrate on the ways to finish the task. Social marketing proves beneficial in terms of the measuring and influencing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the people. Mention can be made of the campaigns related to tests of sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne infections, which lack effective research in terms of evaluation. In this case, the reliance is on the process measures, which shapes the behaviours based on the achieved outcomes (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019). Web based campaigns and internet based health services are plans for upgrading the standards of living for the girl children living in the communities.

In case of the Way2Go project, schemes like PA benefits, mental health, carbon climate change and socializing seem beneficial in terms of luring the community people towards the academic services. Here, the focus is mainly on the involvement of the girl child of the community people into the projects. In this, promotional activities through games, competitions, peer to peer modelling helps in establishing strong contact with the community people. Ensuring that the communities have proper access to the networks is crucial in terms of luring the community people towards the marketing. Otherwise, they would lag behind in terms of the recent initiatives and the information (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019).  

For addressing this issue, SMART goals can act as an effective option. In case of ATS, 30 to 60 minute long seminars were conducted on the focus groups for assessing the perspectives and opinions related to the associated benefits, barriers and determinants. On the other hand, the method of GetCheckedOnline (GCO) was used for overcoming the testing barriers, which prevailed in the people with high infection rates. Typical components of this were risk assessment, laboratory requisition, specimen inspection in labs and online delivery of the results (Gilbert et al., 2019).  In this case, involvement of the users was the only means for assessing the approach of the users towards the initiatives undertaken. On the contrary, follow ups were conducted on the responses of the focus groups in case of Way2Go project. Poster presentation proved effective in terms of reflecting the responses of the groups regarding the attractiveness level of ATS. 

Customer orientation

Variation within the sources is vital in terms of assessing the attitudes and beliefs of the clients. In this context, interviews act as a cornerstone towards measuring the reason behind the exposure of certain behaviours. In the article about Way2Go project, the posters and visual data are the primary tools, which provides an insight into the underdeveloped condition of language and speech in case of the girl children residing in the communities (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019). Semantic stimuli technique was a typical component in the interview. In contrast to this, the other article mentioned about health initiatives for men, where the focus was mainly on upgradation of community based gay men’s health. This acts as a compromise with the health and educational needs of girls and women of the communities.

Strategies and Frameworks used in the Campaign

In case of the way2Go project, the 4 P SM framework proved effective in terms of assessing the involvement of the girls into the educational parameter. Commercialization of the behaviours of girls, in the perspective of education, is an initiative towards detecting the potential risks, which can hamper their educational establishment. Social marketing has upgraded the standards of living in case of the youths. The initiatives in this direction are reducing the instances of alcohol abuse, consumption of smoking and safer sex practices. On the other hand, JustMakesSense (JMS) campaign was used for increasing the convenience of the customers (Gilbert et al., 2019). This was through the means of social media, which enhanced the trafficking of the audience towards the services.

Theory

Complex variations in the human behaviours necessitates the incorporation of theoretical considerations. This is not only in case of the marketers but also for the researcher intending to carry out further study on human behaviour. According to the article, Way2Go! Social marketing for girls' active transportation to school, socio-ecological and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) gains an important position. Along with this, theory of planned behaviour and social learning theory have been incorporated. 

Theory of planned behaviour is effective for the marketers in terms of introducing projects like Way2Go and campaigns for testing the effectiveness of internet based services in cases of sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne diseases (Gilbert et al., 2019). Conducting surveys and interviews on the participants help in detecting the behaviours of the users. The responses provided by the participants is assistance in terms of enhancing the knowledge, skills and expertise of the students, especially the girl children in the communities. The assumptions of the theory propose place the individuals in the same group, based on imitating others for exposing the reactions to a particular aspect. This imitation helps them in learning the concepts in a better manner. In this, the concept of classical observation can be infused. This is in terms of learning by observing others. Interactions between two individuals is the key towards assessing the behaviour and response of others (Sauvage-Mar et al. 2019). Planned behaviour of the marketers in providing access to the community people is assistance towards gaining an insight into their behaviours and intentions towards availing the services of education or health checkups.

Insight

Typical components of insight include the drivers behind fulfilling the targets. Semi structured focus groups were selected as samples for determining the factors related to school attractiveness. In this, modes of transport and involvement strategies gain an important position in case of Way2Go project. On the contrary, online checking methods were adopted for providing treatments for sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne infections. In this case, adopting social media assisted in gaining an insight into the behaviour of the users towards the levied services (Gilbert et al., 2019).

Theoretical Considerations

Exchange

Marketing is the exchange of goods between the buyers and the sellers with the intention of gaining trust, loyalty and satisfaction. In the Way2Go project, Capital Region District of Vancouver Island is the seller and the girls living in the communities are the buyers. In case of GetCheckedOnline, gay, bisexual men are the targets. In case of Way2Go, the open coding was conducted for maintaining the balance between the data across the age groups. The intention here was to develop relevancy between the propositions and the results. On the other hand, social media was the means for exchanging information related to the online checkups for sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne infections (Gilbert et al., 2019).

Competition

In order to maintain the pace with the contemporary brands, marketers intend to involve more and more customers. In this rat race, the marketers fail to delve deeper into the behaviour of the customers. For addressing the issue, flexible strategies are needed in terms of adding flexibility into the market position. Joint venture with the contemporaries is one of the wise steps towards averting the illegal instances. In case of Way2Go project, youth friendly tone was used for promoting the educational services. Development of the school based schemes, incentives acted assistance in competing with others in terms of ensuring the academic establishment of the community girls. On the contrary, concepts like “click through rate”, “cost per account” and tests are fruitful for fulfilling the needs of the gay, bisexual and other men (Gilbert et al., 2019). 

Segmentation

Segmentation of the participants helps in achieving an easy understanding of the needs, demands and requirements of the customers. Segmentation depends on lifestyle, location and behaviour towards possessing the quality and branded products. In case of the Way2Go Project, campaign segmentation has been applied for gaining an insight into the different attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of the girls regarding going to schools. Along with this, social marketing principles have been applied into the levels of attractiveness within the educational services. In this application, the awareness of the researchers about the standards and benchmarks have been enhanced. Through the application of this technique, it has been found that involving the audience into the campaigns create mass appeal for acquiring the transformation (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019).

As a matter of specification, the article selects demographic segmentation in terms of achieving an understanding about the attendance rates in the schools in case of the community girls. In comparison to this, the article online testing services for the sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne diseases, segmentation lacks any mention, as the services are directed towards the section of gay men in the community.

Methods mix

Marketing mix is an effective means for reaching to the specific needs, demands and requirements of the audience. Typical elements of this mix are product, price, place and promotion. This mix acts as an experimentation for the involving the customers in enhancing the brand image. Effective alternatives and backup plans makes the marketing practices sustainable (Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019). In case of the article on Way2Go project, the marketing mix can be described as follows-

Table 1- Marketing mix for Way2Go project

(Source- Sauvage-Mar et al., 2019)

Cost effectiveness, easy to access and frequent occurrence makes Way2Go project a recommended one for the upliftment and development of the girls belonging to the age group of 7-15 years. Agenda for change needs to be developed by the regional health authorities. This can be done through the adoption of strong and flexible marketing strategies like marketing mix, which would help in assessing the effectiveness, feasibility and appropriateness of the plans. This technique would act assistance in understanding the different behaviours and responses. Gaining an insight into the different attitudes and responses would help in developing customer oriented services, indicative of increasing the revenue share and profit margin.   

References

Gilbert, M., Salway, T., Haag, D., Kwag, M., Edward, J., Bondyra, M., ... & Ogilvie, G. (2019). Assessing the Impact of a Social Marketing Campaign on Program Outcomes for Users of an Internet-Based Testing Service for Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections: Observational Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(1), e11291.

Sauvage-Mar, C., Naylor, P. J., Higgins, J. W., & VonBuchholz, H. (2019). Way2Go! Social marketing for girls' active transportation to school. Preventive Medicine Reports, 100828.