Objective: To list the features of social marketing, speculate as to why he
alth, educators have not embraced it more, and suggest future applications.
Methods: Although social marketing has been available as a health educatio
n tool for more than a decade, its incorporation in program planning and ex
ecution is still a rare phenomenon. some of the apparent reluctance to empl
oy it may be due to health educators' lack of a clear understanding of its
customer-driven nature, the segmentation of audiences, competing behaviors,
and key intervention components (product, price, place, and promotion). Re
sults: Previous social marketing interventions have resulted in significant
health behavior and social change in groups often described as "hard-to-re
ach," Conclusion: Improved understanding of social marketing's elements and
more experience with its application equip health educators with a valuabl
e intervention tool.