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Put social marketing into practice

            LONDON - Health services should borrow marketing ideas from big companies like Nike and Coca-Cola to improve people’s health, Newswise reported from an issue of BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal).

            Known as social marketing, the concept applies commercial marketing strategies to social good and has been shown to be effective in changing health behavior. The U.S. , Australia , New Zealand , and Canada have social marketing embedded within their health services, and the government is about to develop the first social marketing strategy for health in England .

            Studies show social marketing efforts are successful at the population level - i.e., tackling alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. Health-care professionals play a crucial role in developing and using these projects. Tthe West of Scotland cancer awareness project to encourage disadvantaged people with symptoms of bowel or mouth cancer to seek advice quickly, involved more than 2,000 health-care professionals.

            Like commercial marketing, social marketing should aim to build ongoing, mutually beneficial relationships, authors say. For years, the health sector has watched as big companies have used marketing to wreak havoc on public health, write the authors. Social marketing enables us to fight fire with fire.

            Health professionals can reinforce social marketing messages in direct and indirect contact with patients, the authors conclude.

            The full paper is at press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/may/