Standards for social marketing take shape

New guidelines for best practice in social marketing are to be developed by the Marketing and Sales Standards Setting Body (MSSSB) after the Sector Skills Development Agency awarded them the project.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK said the new social marketing standards to be drawn up by the MSSSB will help marketers use marketing tools to promote a healthier society.

“Over the past few years there has been an explosion in social marketing and it is now a recognised area of expertise,” said Dr Chahid Fourali, head of MSSSB. “But the speed and extent of its development as a marketing tool highlighted the need to develop national standards for this area as many marketers feel it is a huge grey area in terms of responsible practice.” “Winning the project is a natural progression for us as we have already developed standards for marketing, marketing communications and sales, and we can draw on all the experience we gained from that process,” added Fourali. Social marketing has been significantly influenced by the rise in digital communication channels but they have the potential to be used to encourage socially responsible behaviour, particularly for health issues such as obesity and substance abuse.
Organisations that promote socially responsible practices, both externally and internally, are keen to have standards of best practice. Many recognise that it can add to the bottom line but there is concern over what the boundaries should be.

“It’s important we set standards for marketers to help them implement best practice, but it is also important because businesses need to understand how this channel of communication can and cannot be used. The profession also needs guidelines to ensure it does not lose public credibility,” said David Thorp, head of research and information at The Chartered Institute of Marketing, where the MSSSB is based.