West Coast Roadshow: Edith Cowan University Public Seminar
Public Seminar in WA: Evidence Based or Ideologically Driven? The dividing line between Social Marketing and Political Marketing
Date: Tuesday 4 August
Time: 12:00- 1:00pm (lunch provided)
Venue: Room 2.443 Edith Cowan University, Joondalup.
Public Seminar in WA: Evidence Based or Ideologically Driven? The dividing line between Social Marketing and Political Marketing
Evidence based intervention has become the touchstone phrase for social marketing, public health and policy development in Australia in the recent years. At the same time, the increasing political centrality of the major political parties is suggesting “evidence based intervention” is a politically neutral position in pursuit of a common “social good”. Yet the experience of the New Zealand social marketers suggests that a change of government can quickly change what constitutes the “evidence” in an “evidence based intervention”, and alter the landscape for social marketing’s application in govnerment.
Similarly, political marketing’s role as a centralizing force in political party policy, products, and candidates belies the very real prospect of ideology returning as a significant force – in part due to the adoption of the whole of marketing approach that features products, positioning and differentiation.
The presentation discusses the intersection of social marketing and political marketing as competing forces for social change. Based on data collected through personal interviews with Australian social marketers, outcomes of the International Non Profit and Social Marketing conference, and from observations of events unfolding in the application of social marketing in the political, government and non-profit spheres, this paper opens the debate on the neutrality of “evidence driven” interventions, politically aligned social change campaigns, and whether the return of ideology to the political arena presents an opportunity or threat for future government led social marketing campaigns.
