Events

  Marketing Moral and Cultural Values
     If we can sell soap,
     why can’t we sell non-violence?

An International Seminar on Social Marketing was held at St Anne's Generalate, Tarnaka, Secunderabad, 21-23rd September. About 105 media experts from 16 countries of Asia and India participated. It was organised by Signis, an International Media Organisation. Signis is engaged in radio, television, cinema, print media and other communication arts throughout the world. Signis has consultative status with UNICEF, ECOSCO, and the Council of Europe.

John Froz SJ attended the seminar and sent in this report.

THE Social Marketing concept has evolved from the earlier concepts of production, product, sales and marketing. Social Marketing calls for a change in attitude leading to change in behaviour. It takes serious planning to evolve such programmes and actions.

In the recent past massive social changes were brought about by force and violence, war and revolutions. Social marketing tries to bring out change through persuasion, through planned, voluntary and nonviolent change.

Dr. N. Casimir Raj, S.J. Director of XLR1, Jamshedpur, one of the top five management institutions in the country, gave the keynote address. He said , "It is easier to market anti-social values than social values. These human and social anti-values seem to be inherent and pervasive. This is called stealth marketing or gorilla marketing. Social marketing calls for a change in attitude leading to change in behaviour. As a result, it may take time, may involve a series of programmes and actions. In the Old Testament, Prophets did social marketing. In the New testament Jesus Christ and His followers did social marketing."

Social Marketing is social-change management technology involving the design, implementation and control of programmes aimed at increasing the acceptability of a social idea or practice in one or more groups of target adopters.

At the inaugural session, Dr. Marempudi Joji, Archbishop of Hyderabad said, "We Catholics should use the media not only to project moral, religious, and social values, but also to counter-attack the evils that are projected through the media.

“Media needs to effect a change and bring about the transformation of society according to the values of the kingdom, which is the ultimate goal of Signis. Evangelisation, which aims at the preaching the good news of the kingdom and its establishment in the world, would call for social marketing of the gospel values of love, justice, liberty and peace following the communication methods of Jesus who is the word and symbol of God."

The Times of India Group Training and Development guru Mr. Conrad Saldanha spelt out the Social Marketing Strategy. "Social Marketing's intention is to produce social change. It involves influencing the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of individuals or organizations for a social benefit. In the case of Consumer Marketing the focus of the organization is to deliver the desired consumer satisfaction for commercial benefit in a way that enhances the consumer's as well as the society's well-being. There are some key differences between Consumer Marketing and Social Marketing."

A group of four panelists spoke of "Success stories in social marketing" particularly through Radio, Television, Cinema and other Media production. A daylong sharing of experiences by Signis Asian delegates on the various success stories in Social Marketing boosted the sagging morale of many members whose productions are not a success in the market.

Prominent Signis World leaders addressed the seminar include Mr. Augy Loorthusamy (World President) and Mr. Marc Allen (World Secretary). This seminar explored the various strategies to promote values in our people especially the younger generation through the media.