Introduction
Many public awareness efforts raise recognition of an issue yet leave smoking, speeding, handwashing, recycling or school attendance unchanged, because they broadcast information instead of targeting a specific behaviour and the barriers behind it. This Core Concept course gives campaign staff a practitioner method for social marketing and behaviour change campaigns: selecting a doable target behaviour, researching and segmenting priority groups, applying behavioural models, pre-testing messages, mobilising community and school channels, and tracking behavioural outcomes. Participants produce an Awareness and Behaviour-Change Campaign Plan for a case public issue.
Course Objectives
- Distinguish social marketing from commercial marketing and select a single, observable target behaviour for a public issue
- Diagnose the barriers and motivators behind a target behaviour using COM-B, the Health Belief Model and stages of change
- Segment priority groups from formative research and write a behavioural brief for each segment
- Design and pre-test messages, prompts and choice-architecture nudges that lower the cost of the desired behaviour
- Assemble a channel, partner and budget plan that combines community outreach, schools, digital media and trusted messengers
- Set behavioural outcome indicators and an evaluation design that goes beyond reach and recall
Target Audience
- Staff who plan and run public awareness campaigns for government bodies, municipalities and public services
- Health promotion and prevention officers responsible for lifestyle, screening or vaccination uptake
- Safety and risk-reduction personnel running road, fire, water or home safety outreach
- Education and student affairs staff who deliver awareness and guidance programmes in schools and universities
- Non-profit and community programme officers who mobilise volunteers and local groups around a social issue
- Communication officers who brief creative agencies and community partners on behaviour-change work
Course Outline
Day 1: Social Marketing Foundations and Behaviour Selection
- Social Marketing Versus Commercial Marketing: Social Good, Voluntary Exchange and Competing Behaviours
- Social Marketing 4Ps: Behaviour as Product, Barriers as Price, Access Points as Place
- Upstream, Midstream and Downstream Targets in the Socio-Ecological Model
- Target Behaviour Prioritisation Matrix: Impact, Probability and Penetration Scores
- Current Awareness Activity Review Using a Behaviour-Focus Checklist
Day 2: Behavioural Models for Diagnosing Barriers and Motivators
- COM-B Diagnosis: Capability, Opportunity and Motivation Barrier Mapping
- Health Belief Model: Perceived Susceptibility, Severity, Benefits, Barriers and Cues to Action
- Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change and Stage-Matched Campaign Tactics
- Theory of Planned Behaviour: Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Perceived Behavioural Control
- Nudge and Choice Architecture: Defaults, Social Proof and Salience at Practitioner Level
Day 3: Formative Research, Segmentation and Message Development
- Formative Research Toolkit: Intercept Interviews, Barrier Surveys and Observation Logs
- Priority Group Segmentation by Behaviour Stage, Readiness and Access Barriers
- Behavioural Brief Template: Desired Action, Key Benefit, Barrier Removal and Call to Action
- Message Pre-Testing Protocol: Comprehension, Relevance, Credibility and Unintended Reactions
- Community-Based Social Marketing Tools: Commitments, Prompts, Norms and Incentives
Day 4: Channels, Partnerships, Budgets and Ethical Risk
- Channel Mix Grid: Community Outreach, School Programmes, Mosques and Clubs, Digital and Out-of-Home
- School-Based Awareness Programme Design: Student Ambassadors, Parent Messaging and Classroom Activities
- Partnership and Trusted Messenger Selection: Clinicians, Teachers, Community Leaders and Content Creators
- Campaign Budget and Resource Plan Using CDCynergy Planning Phases
- Ethics Review: Autonomy, Fear Appeals, Stigma, Equity and Manipulation Risk in Nudging
Day 5: Case Study: Awareness and Behaviour-Change Campaign Plan
- Behaviour-Change Logic Model: Inputs, Activities, Outputs, Behavioural Outcomes and Impact
- Outcome Indicator Set: Self-Reported Behaviour, Observed Behaviour and Service Uptake Data
- Case Public Issue Workshop Using Road Safety, Obesity and Recycling Scenarios
- Awareness and Behaviour-Change Campaign Plan Drafting: Behaviour, Segments, Mix and Budget
- Plan Defence Against a Social Marketing Benchmark Scorecard
Skills You Will Gain
- Target Behaviour Selection
- Behavioural Barrier Diagnosis
- Formative Audience Research
- Behaviour-Based Segmentation
- Message Pre-Testing
- Community Channel Mobilisation
- Behaviour-Change Budgeting
- Outcome Evaluation Design
Why Attend This Course
- Leave with an Awareness and Behaviour-Change Campaign Plan for a case public issue that can be adapted to your own programme
- Stop funding awareness activity that raises recall but leaves the behaviour unchanged
- Report to sponsors on what people actually did differently, using uptake and observed behaviour data
- Exchange practice with health, safety, education and non-profit teams working on different social issues
Conclusion
Social marketing succeeds when a campaign is built around one doable behaviour, the real barriers of a defined priority group, and evidence of whether that behaviour moved. The week moves from the 4Ps and behaviour selection, through COM-B, the Health Belief Model, stages of change and nudges, to formative research, segmentation, message pre-testing, community and school channels, partnerships, budgeting and ethics. The final day assembles a logic model, outcome indicators and an Awareness and Behaviour-Change Campaign Plan ready for sponsor review.
