---
title: Are You Marketing for Good Effectively?
description: Marketing for good effectively applies commercial marketing thinking and techniques for social good. For example, 'social marketing' uses a new marketing mix.
---

[Change Conversations2 ](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2)

# [Are You Marketing for Good Effectively?](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/are-you-marketing-for-good-effectively)

 Written by [Pat Heffernan](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/author/pat-heffernan) | Jun 16, 2016

 It is easy to feel conflicted when you're marketing for good. Many nonprofits and public agencies feel the tension. On one hand, you know your organization’s sole purpose is *social good* rather than personal gain or profit. On the other hand, what you know of effective marketing and advertising is, to put it gently, not so good. You are what we refer to as a "reluctant marketer." There is an antidote for your discomfort — and it is called “[social marketing](https://www.marketing-partners.com/social-marketing-services).”

## The Social Marketing Concept

> “Social marketing applies *commercial marketing thinking, tools and techniques* to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Social marketing can encourage people to recycle waste, drink less alcohol, make better food choices and to help people to be more physically active. Social marketing can also be used to address more complex social problems such as human trafficking.”

Here's a brief video (less than a minute).

 

 

## The Marketing Mix: 4 Ps + 4 More

The classic commercial marketing mix relied on the 4Ps of product, place, price and promotion. Over time, the 4Ps evolved into a marketing mix of 7Ps for commercial marketing.

Four additional “P’s” specific to social marketing are “publics” (internal and external groups involved with an organization), “partnership” (joining with other groups with common goals), “policy” (media advocacy organizations can sometimes supplement social marketing schemes if policy change is necessary), and “purse strings” (funding, grants and donations from various programs and the government are necessary to help fuel social marketing plans).

Careful tending of these additional 4Ps is the key to marketing for good effectively. 

## Resources

[Behavior Change and Social Marketing: Common Pitfalls, Practical Tips](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/behavior-change-and-social-marketing-common-pitfalls-practical-tips)

[Changing Minds: Frames Matter More Than Facts](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/changing-minds-frames-matter-more-than-facts)

[The Dragonfly Effect: A Must-Read if You’re Selling Good](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/the-dragonfly-effect-a-must-read-if-youre-selling-good)

[Social Marketing and Social Change: Strategies and Tools For Improving Health, Well-Being, and the Environment](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16218734-social-marketing-and-social-change)

[Changing Minds: Social math, stories and framing](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/changing-minds-social-math-stories-and-framing)

[Social Norms: Harnessing Positive Peer Pressure for Change](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/social-norms-harnessing-positive-peer-pressure-for-change)

[Theories of Change: Social Marketing, Movements and Change](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/theories-of-change-social-marketing-movements-and-change)

 

 

 

[View full post](https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/are-you-marketing-for-good-effectively)

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