A presentation on
THE SOCIAL MARKETING OF
RURAL SANITATION
By
Mr. DAVID AMISSAH NUNOO,
Hygiene and Sanitation Education Snr Program
Officer (CRS)
September, 2007
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
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The meaning of social marketing
Social Marketing Processes
Scope of sanitation marketing and
promotion
Issues to consider in sanitation
marketing
Social marketing an indispensable
input
What is Social marketing?
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The Design, implementation and control of programs
calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and
involving considerations of product planning, pricing,
communication, distribution and marketing research. Thus it
is the explicit use of marketing skills to help translate present
social action efforts into more effectively designed and
communicated programs that elicit desired audience
response. (Kotler and Zaltman)
In other words, marketing techniques are the bridging
mechanisms between the simple possession of knowledge
and the socially useful implementation of what knowledge
allows
What is Social marketing Cont’d
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social marketing as the use of commercial marketing
techniques to promote the adoption of a behavior that will
improve health or well-being of the target audience or of
society as a whole. (Wienreich, 1999)
What is Social marketing OF Sanitation?
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It is the use of commercial marketing concepts and tools to
influence the voluntary adoption of adequate sanitation by
households. (Trend Group)
Note: Sanitation here refers to the disposal of human excreta
The Social Marketing Approach to sanitation
promotion
This approach differs from other approaches. In some
key areas:
1.
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It seeks to respond to consumer demands :
Demand based approaches focus on what people
want, but are limited by what they know. This
implies a need for a two-stage process
Establish demand: assessments(formative
research) need to be made to see whether
households want improved sanitation; where people
do not show through their actions that they want
sanitation it will be necessary to stimulate demand
through promotion campaigns
Inform demand: demand may not be realistic once
it has been established. Potential users may have
an incomplete understanding of options open to
them, the likely costs and benefits. Unrealistic
expectations about who pays for the desired service
will also need to be addressed
The Social Marketing Approach to
sanitation promotion
2.
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It focuses on sanitation promotion and
marketing.
The common elements of sanitation promotion initiatives
include the following
Identifying key target groups to be reached
Identifying core messages to be communicated
Awareness of the prevailing socio-cultural framework, to
understand what motivates people to invest
Consideration of sanitation as a consumer good, not just as
a potential health benefit
Using a mix of communication methods, with simple
language and clear messages.
3.
Promotion/marketing strategies are based on motivation
for improved sanitation rather than on subsidies for latrines
acquisition.
4.
It involves working closely with stakeholders to minimize
barriers to acquisition of sanitation facilities.
The Social Marketing Processes
Social marketing involves five major steps
1. Planning
 Formative research (motivators and barriers)
 Analysis
 Audience segmentation
 Strategy development
2. Message and materials development
 Identifying appropriate channels
 Developing effective messages
 Producing creative executions
The Social Marketing Processes Cont’d
3. Pre-testing
 Conducting the pre-test
 Using the pre-test results
4. Implementation
 Developing an implementation plan
 Planning and buying media
 Generating publicity
 Monitoring implementation
The Social Marketing Processes Cont’d
5. Evaluation and Feedback
 Evaluation design
 Evaluation methods
 Using feedback to improve the
programme
The scope of sanitation marketing and
promotion
Marketing and promotion involve a wider
scope of activities

Understanding motivations and barriers
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Providing the right products
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Setting appropriate prices and payment
options
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Arranging local sources of financing
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Identifying places where customers can
get information
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Mobilization of a wide range of
stakeholders (communities, DAs,
artisans, rural finance institutions, CBOs,
etc)
What do we need to market sanitation?
Social marketing uses marketing approaches
to match available resources with social
needs. The basic characteristics are defined
by the four P's.
 Product: decide what is the product and
how it can be presented in terms of
‘packaging’ and characteristics.
 Price: what is the consumer willing to pay
both in terms of direct and indirect costs.
 Place: where will the product be available;
are there display or demonstration facilities.
What do we need to market sanitation
cont’d
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Promotion: how will the consumers
know that the product exists, what it
costs, what its benefits are and
where they can get it from.
So is social marketing an indispensable input?
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World vision is yet to provide a definitive
answer
However, experiences from other developing
countries such as Mozambique and
Bangladesh indicate that it is a more
effective strategy for tackling the challenges
of sanitation.
Subsidies may be required for the poorest
populations in rural areas.
End of presentation
THANK-YOU