positive social impact from marketing

If marketing is spreading the word about a certain product, service or issue, then surely this power can be equally harnessed for good as it has been for over-spent, over-produced and over-analysed advertising campaigns?

If you take marketing to its most BASIC principles, it is about discovering what people want and need, and giving it to them.

Right now, there are many people who are in need. Perhaps even more than are in want.

I believe marketing can induce positive social impact in many ways. These are the (arguable) top 3:

1. Spreading the word. Knowledge and understanding are the first steps in creating change. People don’t donate or contribute to a cause if they a) don’t know about it and b) do not understand it.

2. Engaging people. Marketing uses tools to help people connect with brands, companies and organisations. The more engaged people are, the higher propensity they have to donate or volunteer. Each new person who is engaged can then lead to many more eventual contributors.

3. Understanding. Marketers have skill sets developed to understand customers and their potential revenue. This skill set can also be applied to understand the needs of communities and their stakeholders and the potential impact of a project. Instead of potential revenue as a measure, there can be education level achieved, small businesses started or simply happiness! If a country, Bhutan, can do it…

Some amazing, world changing organisations that are using the power of marketing to spread positive change include Kiva, Project H, Ted and Akoha

Or marketing campaigns such as Buy Pink and Red

This thinking is not new. However, I feel that the last people to actually realise this power are marketers themselves.

Do you have any great examples? Disagree?

(13 April, 2009)