NOTED: SOCIAL MARKETING IN THE NEWS
Promises to Keep
There is a crime and violence prevention component, which the [Jamaican] PM said would be carried out in collaboration with existing initiatives such as the Citizens' Security and Justice. While to some extent we can support the prime minister's belief that "we do not have a high murder rate because we are poor", we have to still ask ourselves why the glint of the gun is more appealing to our youth than the solidity of an honest job. To give the PM credit, he reminded us of the lukewarm reception he received when he announced his "Values and Attitudes" campaign, some years ago. But the government has a huge job of social marketing to do. They have allowed "badness" to be glamourised, so that an "informer" is now the lowest you can go.
UWI Media Training Institute Broadening Its Outreach Programme
The media training institute of the University of the West Indies is broadening its outreach programme to offer instruction in media and communication to workers and aspiring workers in the Caribbean…CARIMAC says it plans to follow this with a series of seminars and workshops in several countries of the Caribbean. "These will cover a range of media and communication areas, ranging from specialist reporting in business, tourism, the Caricom Single Market and Economy, through public relations and social marketing, to the use of new media." The Institute is acting on a growing demand across the region for increased and improved training in media and communication.
Condom Adverts Were At First Controversial
A World Bank report on social marketing campaigns published recently says advertising condoms in Kenya was practically impossible until 10 years ago. But not any more, the report says on the success of tools traditionally associated with commerce rather than health matters being adapted to combat Aids. The report reveals that funding for Aids prevention campaigns, specifically the expansion of social marketing programmes, has made condoms widely available and accessible. By 1996, social marketing campaigns were being conducted in 60 countries. Kenya is one country where millions of shillings are being used in a massive condom advertising campaign. The popular Trust una yako? campaign is a case in point.
Getting Tested: A New Start
The Society for Family Health (SFH) has launched a social marketing campaign for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) aimed at changing the perception that HIV testing is only for the sick and encouraging all South Africans to regularly test for HIV.
Miriam Mhazo, New Start Network programme manager, says: "One of the most innovative and effective public health approaches is social marketing - which is the use of innovative marketing campaigns for social goals.
Circle of Friends Working to Prevent FASD
The Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network (CFAN), in partnership with the Calgary Health Region (CHR), has developed a unique campaign for the Calgary area about friends helping friends avoid alcohol when pregnant. This cheerful, positive campaign is being expanded to the rural and Aboriginal communities. The main population of interest is over 244,000 youth, 16 to 24-years-old. The main messages are, “friends helping friends”, “no alcohol is best when pregnant” and “friends caring for pregnant friends.
Review of the Nigeria Image Project: Relevance of Communication Theories to Country Branding
Nigeria, being one of such developing countries, launched the Nigeria image project (recently renamed the heart of Africa project) in July 2003; the project is aimed at re-orienting Nigerians and also to promote Nigeria's Minster of information, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu while speaking at the launching of the project in Abuja, Nigeria described the project as both informational and orientational in nature involving both the print and electronic media, public relations practitioners and advertising agencies. However, the project has been criticised by Nigerians as a waste of tax payers money, some of the critics argue that the project may just be one of such several government projects used to siphon away public funds, they readily cite previous related efforts such as the war against indiscipline (WAI) Mass Mobilisation for Self-Reliance and Social Justice (Mamser) campaigns, both orientational and informational campaigns that were started and then abandoned by past Nigerian governments. This paper will attempt to review the Nigeria image project conceptualization and implementation, from the perspectives of the diffusion of innovation theory and the multi-step flow of communication theory.
MSU-Billings Students Create AIDS Campaign
Montana State University-Billings students in Sarah Keller's upper-class and graduate social marketing course have created a marketing campaign designed to raise awareness of personal risk of HIV/AIDS and to increase HIV testing among young adults. The "Get Tested" campaign will debut Saturday on the Bresnan Communication Cable System in the Billings area and will be seen on MTV, VH1, E! and Comedy Central channels.
Want to Call Dinky? Dial 1 for Tagalog, 2 for English . . .
What's it like to have a conversation with Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman?
Dial 931-8101, the trunk line of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and you'll hear this message:
"Mabuhay! Ito po ang inyong lingkod DSWD Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman. Kung gusto ninyo ang Tagalog, i-press ang 1. Kung English, i-press ang 2 (Welcome! This is DSWD Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman. Press 1 for Tagalog. Press 2 for English)."
The recording continues depending on the language you choose.
Soliman has recorded her own voice in the department's PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange) telephone system, a new feature which not only relays data faster but can handle more telephone calls at the same time. Soliman is the only Cabinet secretary to have made such a recording.
I cannot say kung dumami (if there are more) callers because I don't monitor," Soliman said with a laugh. "But I know it has made people feel closer to the department."
Susan Argel, chief of the DSWD Social Marketing Department, said some callers were pleased with the voice of the secretary.
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