MKTG90049 · Marketing, Society and Sustainability
Social Marketing and Behaviour Change
Week 5 defines social marketing (applying marketing to behavioural goals for social good — not social-media marketing) and its 7Ps mix, then teaches the two approaches to change: the behavioural SHIFT framework (White, Habib & Hardisty 2019) and the social-practice approach with its consumer-resistance caveat (Gonzalez-Arcos et al. 2021).
This is one of the most exam-heavy weeks: a short answer asks you to diagnose a behaviour's barriers and prescribe SHIFT-mapped tools, and the group report's intervention recommendations lean directly on the 7Ps and SHIFT.
What this chapter covers
- 01Social marketing (NSMC): systematic marketing for behavioural goals and social good — not social-media marketing
- 02Social vs traditional marketing: both change behaviour, but toward social benefit vs market share/profit
- 03The 7Ps social marketing mix: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Partnerships, Policy
- 04SHIFT framework (White, Habib & Hardisty 2019): Social influence, Habit, Individual self, Feelings & cognition, Tangibility
- 05Key SHIFT sub-concepts: descriptive vs injunctive norms, licensing effect, reactance, loss framing, self-efficacy
- 06The attitude-behaviour ('green') gap
- 07Social-practice approach: materials, meanings, competences; carriers; consumer resistance ('How do I carry all this now?')
Short answer: barrier diagnosis + SHIFT tools to move commuters from car to bike
- +3Name the behaviour and the gap (about 3 marks). State the target behaviour (car → bike commuting) and identify the attitude-behaviour (green) gap: positive intentions that do not translate into behaviour. This frames the diagnosis.
- +6Diagnose 2-3 barriers via SHIFT lenses (about 6 marks). Habit: driving is an automatic behaviour in a stable context. Individual self / Tangibility: the personal benefit feels abstract and distant, and self-efficacy is low ('I can't arrive presentable'). Feelings: perceived effort and risk. Map each barrier to its SHIFT factor.
- +5Prescribe exactly two SHIFT-mapped tools (about 5 marks, ~2.5 each). Tool 1 — Habit + make-it-easy default: an employer scheme with secure storage, showers and a trial 'try it for two weeks' prompt to break the driving habit. Tool 2 — Social influence + descriptive norm: publicise how many colleagues already cycle, plus feedback on personal CO2 saved (Tangibility). Each tool is explicitly linked to the barrier it removes.
- +1Close (about 1 mark). One line: match the tool to the barrier, not a generic 'run an ad campaign'. Keep to ~300 words.
Key terms
- Social marketing
- The systematic application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals for social or public good (NSMC). It is not social-media marketing; it aims to change behaviour to benefit society rather than to grow sales.
- The 7Ps social marketing mix
- Product (the desired behaviour/change), Price (monetary and non-monetary costs), Place, Promotion (audience, message, medium), People (who delivers and surrounds the consumer), Partnerships (stakeholders in an integrated effort), and Policy (social and legal mechanisms).
- SHIFT framework (White, Habib & Hardisty 2019)
- Five psychological factors that act as levers or barriers to sustainable behaviour: Social influence, Habit formation, Individual self, Feelings & cognition, and Tangibility. A behavioural (individual-focused) approach to change.
- Descriptive vs injunctive norms
- Two social-influence tools: a descriptive norm communicates what others actually do ('most guests reuse their towels'); an injunctive norm communicates what others approve of. Both are levers within SHIFT's Social-influence factor.
- Licensing effect
- Where a prior good deed licenses a later lapse ('I recycled, so I can fly'). A Self factor risk within SHIFT; countered by asking for meaningful commitments rather than token acts.
- Social-practice approach
- An alternative to the behavioural approach that targets practices, not individuals. A practice is composed of materials (objects/infrastructure), meanings (ideas/symbols) and competences (skills), and interventions change one or more elements while addressing the practice's carriers.
Social Marketing and Behaviour Change FAQ
Is social marketing the same as social-media marketing?
No — this is a favourite exam trap. Social marketing is the systematic use of marketing concepts to achieve behavioural goals for social good (reducing smoking, increasing recycling), and it can be run by governments, not-for-profits or firms. Social-media marketing is simply marketing on platforms like Instagram. They are unrelated ideas that happen to share a word; the subject expects you to define social marketing as behaviour change for social benefit and explicitly distinguish it.
What does SHIFT stand for and how do I use it?
SHIFT (White, Habib & Hardisty 2019) is five psychological factors: Social influence, Habit formation, Individual self, Feelings & cognition, and Tangibility. In an exam you use it two ways — as a diagnostic (which factors are blocking the behaviour?) and as a toolkit (which lever removes each barrier?). For example, to shift a behaviour you might use a descriptive social norm (Social influence), a make-it-easy default (Habit), and vivid local-impact feedback (Tangibility). The key skill is mapping each recommended tool to a specific SHIFT factor and barrier.
What is the difference between the behavioural and social-practice approaches?
The behavioural approach (SHIFT) targets the individual's psychology — norms, habits, feelings — to change their choices. The social-practice approach targets the practice itself, seen as a bundle of materials (infrastructure/objects), meanings (symbols/ideas) and competences (skills); you change one of those elements and address the practice's carriers. The subject also flags that top-down interventions can provoke consumer resistance (Gonzalez-Arcos et al.'s 'How do I carry all this now?'), so a good answer considers both approaches and the risk of backlash.
Can AI help me with the SHIFT framework?
Yes, as a study aid. Sia can drill the five SHIFT factors and their tools, help you diagnose a behaviour's barriers, and check that each recommended tool is mapped to a specific factor and barrier. Give it a target behaviour and ask it to structure the diagnosis-then-prescription answer step by step. It does not write your graded report or exam answer, and University of Melbourne academic-integrity rules apply.
Exam move
Week 5 is high-yield, so over-invest. Memorise the 7Ps and the five SHIFT factors closed-book, plus the key sub-concepts (descriptive vs injunctive norms, licensing effect, reactance, self-efficacy). Drill the signature exam move until it is automatic: name the behaviour and the green gap, diagnose 2-3 barriers each tied to a SHIFT factor, then prescribe exactly the number of tools asked, each mapped to the barrier it removes. Always keep social marketing distinct from social-media marketing in your opening line. Because the group report's intervention recommendations use the 7Ps and SHIFT, practising here pays off twice. Rotate behaviours (cycling, composting, reusable cups, meat reduction) so the framework transfers. When a tool feels generic, ask Sia to force it back onto a specific barrier; it teaches the method and never does your graded work. Confirm assessment details on Canvas.
Working through Social Marketing and Behaviour Change in MKTG90049? Sia is AskSia’s AI Marketing tutor — ask any MKTG90049 Social Marketing and Behaviour Change question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how MKTG90049 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
