What is Societal Marketing Concept?
If you read the daily headlines, one decision that might cross your mind as a small business owner is to use the societal marketing concept. It elevates a business’s social responsibility above its profit.
The largest challenge you may have is choosing which social cause to support. Issues ranging from climate change to immigration to substance misuse dominate headlines.
The social marketing concept seeks to ascertain clients’ requirements and desires and then meet them better than competitors.
Most corporations and organizations today embrace this concept, but it was not always the case. The marketing concept’s main points are as follows:
- A proper target market identification
- Understanding the needs and desires of the target market’s clients,
- Customer-specific products or services,
- Customer needs and desires should be met better than those of competitors.
- Keeping the business profitable and achieving the objectives
What is the Societal Marketing Concept?
A societal marketing concept’s primary objective is to be responsive to customers’ needs before focusing on profit.
This notion focuses on companies fulfilling their social responsibilities consistently to ensure a sustainable business model.
In addition, the marketing strategies of businesses and firms should consider both customers and society.
A societal marketing approach assumes that organizations must serve their customers’ needs and desires but in a way that considers society’s long-term interests.
However, the terms social media marketing and societal marketing are not synonymous, and they deserve their distinct characteristics.
Instead, the marketing strategy emphasizes public relations to increase sales and social responsibility to enhance social responsibility.
We live in a challenging world today due to many factors, including global warming, which halts glacier growth and causes sea levels to rise.
Corporations should therefore be held responsible for community and environmental issues in addition to client needs.
The goal is to ensure a long-term sustainable future for future generations. Sociological marketing is already being recognized as a valuable strategy by companies.
However, the commitment levels of some people vary from 100 percent to 50 percent.
According to societal marketing, marketers should provide products and services to fulfill the wants and needs of consumers, the requirements of companies, and the well-being of society.
A business must strike a balance between consumer satisfaction, profitability, and the community’s long-term health.
Objectives of Societal Marketing Objectives
Societal marketing has the following objectives;
- A business should employ marketing that influences people’s behavior to change their attitudes and beliefs about the environment.
- Marketers should alter the standard marketing mix (products, prices, locations, and promotions) to increase their influence in society.
- Businesses should market their products while educating consumers about the environment they operate in.
- Businesses and individuals should start taking environmental stewardship seriously through societal marketing campaigns.
- Market share and a consumer base are expected to grow as a result of societal marketing.
Importance of Societal Marketing Concept
We all know that marketing and business go hand in hand. Every business’s goal is to sell products and services, earn a profit, and meet the demands of its customers.
Of course, the aim should be to do whatever is possible to reduce pollution, but it is also essential to consider the needs of society and the environment.
A business generates and circulates economic activity in society. Business owners, manufacturers, and marketers make up society.
The effects are felt not only by the members but also by the entire societal environment.
It’s impossible to separate the commercial sector from the environmental sector.
Thus, businesses and corporations should embrace socially responsible marketing methods instead of purely commercial ones.
Ford said he wanted to enrich society through automobile production, not to make money.
Mahatma Gandhi believed that enterprises should use their wealth to benefit society and that wealth should serve as a trustee for society.
Wealth refers here to the kind of society that society desires, not profitability.
Consider that it is a society that offers land, resources, and other necessities to businesses for them to be successful.
So, its marketing strategy and commercial approach should be considered in light of society’s well-being as a whole.
A business should emphasize social responsibility and provide value to customers so that both parties benefit.
A societal component has been incorporated into the marketing strategy. The aim is to eliminate all forms of inequity.
Business should shift their focus from transactions to connections to adopt societal marketing concepts.
Advantages of Societal Marketing
- Societal marketing allows companies and businesses to send a clear message that their actions are environmentally responsible.
- You have an advantage over the competition if you use an eco-friendly approach.
- An eco-friendly company will increase its customer retention rate if it offers eco-friendly products and services.
- Customers loyal to a particular brand are more likely to purchase products and services from that company.
- The sales increase so that businesses can grow and expand.
- The company would be able to use economic resources with a societal marketing system efficiently.
- Economic resources will result in more employment opportunities and a rise in people’s living standards as well.
Disadvantages of Societal Marketing
- According to Kotler, the company cannot satisfy the customer’s needs and requirements when it produces products and services that are good for society.
- In reality, a company cannot pursue profit and social responsibility at the same time when it adopts a societal marketing concept. Thus, the societal marketing concept has yet to be adopted by businesses and companies in developed countries. As such, you could say they have not matured yet.
- We all know that cigarettes, coke, whiskey, and brandy are unhealthy. Yet, the cigarette companies themselves print on their packets that cigarettes are harmful and fail to stop selling them. As a result, people still smoke cigarettes, even though smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases.
- In the tobacco and cigarette industries, manufacturing and selling continue to satisfy the needs of customers. But, unfortunately, it tends to cater to people’s wants instead of meeting the needs of society as a whole.
A Philosophical Approach to Societal Marketing
Societal marketing relies on the idea that a company’s decision-making process can be influenced. Societal marketing, however, impacts the following sectors:
Consumer Requirements
Businesses compete for customers’ business, but they should also create value for society as a whole.
Therefore, produce and deliver what the consumer needs, instead of simply producing the things they desire, since what is healthy for them and what they want are two different things.
Welfare of Humans
A society’s welfare comprises all the goodness, justice, and wellbeing that it possesses. Therefore, marketers shouldn’t include anything that threatens the freedoms and liberties of society in their marketing efforts.
For example, the pollution of lakes and rivers may occur due to noise, air pollution, acid discharge, etc.
Profit/Company
The more businesses provide products and services that benefit both customers and society, the more they establish a profitable long-term relationship with customers and the company.
Examples of Societal Marketing Concepts
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola is the world’s largest soft drink manufacturer and is committed to societal and environmental responsibility, boasting a product mix that appeals to people of all races and cultures.
Adidas
Adidas is one of the world’s leading athletic apparel companies. Adidas strives to produce products that are reusable over and over again.
Kia’s “Hero Journey”
Kia’s ‘hero journey’ demonstrates its devotion to society by eliminating the use of spirit throughout the firm.
Final Word About Societal Marketing Concept
The transition to a societal marketing strategy may seem difficult at first, but some of the world’s most successful companies have already taken the first step. Businesses should follow suit.
Businesses and organizations are also using the slogan to raise awareness and to market their products. However, the world’s businesses should be compelled to adopt societal marketing practices soon.
