Social marketing in profit businesses : social responsibility or public image?

Abstract

The objectives of this dissertation were mainly to analyse and determinate how much the Profit Business Sector in Malta knows about 'Social Marketing' and what is its perception of this Marketing Branch. In addition, this dissertation explores what drives organizations to implement social marketing and how it is implemented. By analysing the knowledge of the people responsible of the Marketing Area in different organizations and also people responsible for the Corporate Social Responsibility Programs (CSR) through surveys and interviews; the author obtained a better understanding of why the concept is not fully understood in the Maltese business world and also what are the stimuli to implement it and the barriers to it. By gathering this information, the idea of Social Marketing being implemented as Social Responsibility Organization or for, Public Image was clarified. The sample analysed was very diverse and the organizations participating in the research vary from Manufacturing, Services, Retail & Wholesales and Food, Beverage & Tobacco, Financial Services to Insurance Organizations. To start the dissertation, the author covered the basic principle of marketing, and then moved to Social Marketing and how this has evolved along the years and its relevance in Profit Organizations. Social Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility relation as well as differences are also explained and since the author aimed to understand whether Social Marketing is used for Public Image, Brand and its relationship with the customers is also discussed. Subsequently, when analysing the results the author goes into the details of the knowledge of the topic within organizations in Malta; their understanding of the relation between Social Marketing, CSR and Marketing and an What was found was surely very interesting, the study results showed that the lack of knowledge and understanding about Social Marketing are the main problem, and the reason it is not used broadly to change behaviours on the Maltese society. It was also interesting to see how the terms Social Marketing and Social Media Marketing were mixed up by the Marketing responsible in certain organizations; giving the author the impression that the people taking care of it are not prepared enough or the marketing decision in organizations are taken by the CEO, owner or sales oriented people, which can be due to the lack of funds to invest in a proper marketing department.