The Marketing Book 5th Edition

Social marketing 713

new people, maintaining friendships and just
‘getting out’.
These benefit segments formed the basis of
a targeted strategy to encourage physical
activity.
The same research also examined per-
ceived and actual barriers to participation in
exercise. Again, it was possible to differentiate
between segments whose lifestyle, health,
health beliefs, personal circumstances and
awareness prevented their involvement in exer-
cise, to develop appropriate communication

and support strategies for each segment. Given

the type of ‘negative demand’ social marketers

often face (see ‘Departures from commercial

marketing’ above), barrier segmentationis per-

haps of particular value to social marketers.

It also suggests that social marketers

should go one step further and, despite the

potential philosophical problems noted above,

segment their markets in terms of need. As well

as bringing the standard segmentation benefits,

this will ensure that limited resources are used

most efficiently.

Case 6 The immediate environment: a case of candy

A recent attempt to redress the appalling oral health record of five-year-old children in west, central

Scotland examined one immediate environmental influence on confectionery consumption – the

availability of candy at supermarket checkouts.

Scotland is renowned for its sweet tooth and Scottish children consume 28 per cent more

confectionery than their counterparts in the rest of the UK. Candy is frequently used to reward or pacify

children, who come to associate comfort or praise with these sweet and familiar foodstuffs, thereby

reinforcing their liking for them. Children often successfully ‘pester’ their parents for candy in

supermarkets and shops. The strategic positioning of candy at the till-points greatly exacerbates this

problem.

Research was conducted to inform a policy which would address the problem of confectionery at

till-points. An audit of store policy and in-depth interviews with policy makers was conducted. This work

identified the group of decision makers within each organization and the criteria for making space

allocation decisions.

It was found that space planning decisions were rigorous and predictable: confectionery was placed

at the point of sale to maximize profits from the available space. Three broad groups with an interest in

confectionery policy were identified – marketers, space planners and buyers – and the barriers to

adopting a confectionery policy reflected each party’s needs. The research concluded that any initiative

must demonstrate customer loyalty (to satisfy marketers), be profitable (to satisfy space planners), and

offer long-term profitability for the products and alternative merchandising arrangements (to satisfy

buyers). As a result, possible initiatives to reduce confectionery from the immediate environment are

being explored, including endorsement schemes, community partnerships and public opinion surveys.

Marketing staff Space planners Buyers

Exchange Customer loyalty Profitability Supply relationships

Intervention Endorsement schemes Economic benefits Long-term profitability

Public opinion surveys Competitive advantage Alternative merchandising

strategies