is frequently affected by focusing on
changing the attitudes that influence the
observed behavior.
Past social marketing campaigns have
targeted at influencing attitudes towards
safe sex, prenatal care and family planning
among other healthcare initiatives. Other
campaigns have focused on discouraging
drunk driving, gender based violence and
substance abuse.
Why focus on attitude change? Attitudes
are a manifestations of inner feelings that
reflect whether an individual is favorably
or unfavorably inclined to behave in a
positive or negative way with respect
to a given matter or situation. Attitudes
commonly encompass three components
- awareness, beliefs and action tendency.
Notably, attitudes are a consequence of
psychological processes and are therefore
not directly observable but must be
inferred from what people say or do.
Social marketing researchers assess
attitudes by asking questions or by making
inferences from behavior. Attitudes are
generally learned, meaning that they are
formed as a result of direct experience
with an issue, information acquired from
others and exposure to mass media or
social media.
In today’s connected world, it is imperative
to reach diverse target groups with
tailored messages spoken in a language
they understand and showing context they
can relate to. One of the notable changes
associated with the transparency brought
about by connectivity, is that some of these
groups do not listen well to authority
figures. For example, research indicates
that social circles are a major source of
information and influence on attitude
and behavior change for millennials and
generation Z.
Research suggests that some of these
groups require peer to peer messaging for
them to not only comprehend, but also to
change their attitudes and behavior. They
tend to attach greater value and trust in
what they hear from their social circles.
They ordinarily take advice from their
friends, peers and communities on
social media more than communications
from governmental officials. Research
shows that some consider governmental
authorities, like some of their parents and
church leaders as talking at them and not
with them.
With this shift in sources of influence,
no one can claim to have full control
over conversations or dialogue about any
subject. To succeed in influencing attitude
and behavior change, governments and
public health officials need to collaborate
with the relevant influencers to reach
diverse target groups. Some of the
influencers for some of these social groups
include media personalities, entertainers,
musicians, comedians and religious leaders.
In designing strategic behavior change
communication, social marketers use
research data in order to carefully
target societal groups on the basis of
their demographics, psychographic or
geodemographic profiles. Social marketing
can go a long way in supporting public
health education initiatives to promote
social distancing as a way of preventing the
spread of Covid-19 disease.
Dr Catherine Ngahu is a passionate
researcher, brand strategist, trainer
and entrepreneur. She is the founder
and Chairman of SBO Research.
You can commune with her on this
or related matters via email at:
[email protected]. Search
Catherine Ngahu on YouTube.
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