What Is The Societal Marketing Concept? Find out more in this article.

The societal marketing concept focuses on the needs or wants of target markets as well as delivering value better as opposed to competitors that preserve the consumer’s and society’s well-being.

The societal marketing concept was a branch of the marketing concept in which an organisation believes in giving back to the society through producing better products which are targeted towards society welfare.

Some have begged the question as to whether the marketing concept is an appropriate philosophy in an age of environmental deterioration, resource scarcities, unpredictable population growth, world hunger and poverty, as well as neglected social services:

• Are organisations that effectively satisfy consumer wants necessarily acting in the best, long-run interests of consumers as well as society?

The marketing concept sidesteps the prospective conflicts among consumer wants, consumer interests as well as long-run societal welfare. However, some firms and industries are criticised for rewarding consumer wants at society’s cost.

What These Situations Call For

Such situations call for a new term which expands on the marketing concept. We suggest calling it the societal marketing concept, which maintains that the organisation’s task is to ascertain the needs, wants as well as interests of target markets.

In addition, the societal marketing concept aims to deliver the desired satisfactions more efficiently and effectively as opposed to competitors in a way that protects or improves the consumer’s and the society’s well-being.

The societal marketing concept is calling on marketers to develop social as well as ethical considerations into their marketing practices. They must balance as well as juggle the often-conflicting criteria of:

• Company profits,
• Consumer want satisfaction, and
• Public interest.

However, a number of companies have achieved notable sales and profit gains by adopting and practising the societal marketing concept.

What Is Cause-Related Marketing?

A number of companies practice a form of the societal marketing concept called cause-related marketing. This is as an activity by which a company – with an image, product, or service in the market –  builds a relationship or partnership with a ‘cause,’ or several ‘causes,’ for mutual benefit.

It is seen as providing an opportunity for organisations to enhance their corporate status, increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, build sales in addition to increasing press coverage. It is believed that customers will increasingly look for demonstrations of good corporate citizenship.

Smart companies will respond by adding “higher-order” image attributes than simply rational and emotional benefits. Critics, however, complain that cause-related marketing might make consumers feel they have fulfilled their philanthropic duties by purchasing products rather than donating to causes directly.

Thus, societal marketing concept as related to cause-related marketing differs mainly as, here, the company makes a positive effort to give back to the society.

However you look at your business, marketing is a fundamental part as if people don’t know about your business – and what you sell – they won’t come to you.

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