Assessing the Effectiveness of the Marketing Mix in Social Marketing
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Assessing the effectiveness of the marketing mix in social marketing Ville Veli Lahtinen Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons), Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Vantaa Master of Marketing (Hons), Griffith University Department of Marketing Social Marketing @ Griffith Griffith Business School Griffith University Griffith Business School and Population & Social Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date and Time: 14th March 2018 1 Abstract This research investigates whether a program utilising a full commercial marketing mix (4P) is more effective than a program using a promotion-only approach in increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of children. Additionally, this research examines the effectiveness of the parental component of the same program examining the attitudes, subjective norms, behavioural control and intentions of parents for serving more fruit and vegetables to their children. Finally, the last study investigates the benefits and barriers of parents for serving fruit and vegetables, as separate groups of food, to their children as a first step to enhance the effectiveness of the parent component of the program. This research program responds to previous criticisms in social marketing about the relevance of the marketing mix. While social marketers such as Gordon (2012), Peattie & Peattie (2003), Wood (2008) and Tapp & Spotswood (2013) have criticised the marketing mix their criticisms are not founded on empirical data examining the effectiveness of the 4Ps. Further, systematic social marketing literature reviews show that most social marketing programs do not use the full marketing mix (4P) and most programs rely on promotion strategies (Carins & Rundle-Thiele, 2014b; Kubacki, Ronto, Lahtinen, Pang, & Rundle-Thiele, 2017; Kubacki, Rundle-Thiele, Lahtinen, & Parkinson, 2015; Kubacki, Rundle-Thiele, Pang, & Buyucek, 2015). Therefore before one can criticise the marketing mix or develop new models (see Tapp & Spotswood, 2013) and move beyond the 4Ps altogether, fundamental field experimental research is required to test whether a 4P approach is superior to a 1P approach. As a result, the first research question in Study 1 is: RQ1: Is an intervention using 4Ps more effective than an intervention using only 1P in increasing FV intake for Finnish children? The study demonstrated that the program using a full commercial marketing mix (4Ps) was more effective than the program using a promotion-only approach in creating behaviour change. The children participating in the 4P program showed a significant increase in FV intake at breakfast and breakfast and dinner combined. The children in the 1P program and control group showed no significant differences. Future research could benefit from empirically testing alternative marketing mix models. 2 The second study aims to expand views beyond the downstream audience (children) and focus on an important midstream audience, the parents, who have a significant impact on their children’s FV intake. The social marketing discipline has been known for focusing on downstream audiences, while the importance of midstream and upstream audiences has been recently acknowledged (Gordon, 2013; Hoek & Jones, 2011; Russell-Bennett, Wood, & Previte, 2013). To contribute to the midstream literature in social marketing, the second research question asks: RQ2: Can a social marketing FV campaign increase the attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intentions for parents to serve more FVs to their children? The results of the study showed some promising effects for the parent component, as there was a significant increase in subjective norms and behavioural control towards parents serving more FV to their children. The control settings showed significant decreases in attitudes and subjective norms of parents when considering to serve FVs to the children. While the results showed some promise, future research is needed to build a more effective parent program component. Finally, Study 3 investigates the barriers and benefits for parents for serving fruits and vegetables for their children. While the previous literature has examined the barriers and benefits of fruits and vegetables as one single group; this study aimed to understand if the barriers and benefits were different for fruits and vegetables. This led to the last two research questions: RQ3a: What are the perceived benefits and barriers for Finnish parents when serving fruit for their children? RQ3b: What are the perceived benefits and barriers for Finnish parents when serving vegetables for their children? The results showed that the benefits and barriers are very different for fruits than they are for vegetables. Additionally, most of the benefits and barriers were fruit or vegetables specific, and cannot be generalised to a whole fruit or vegetable category. Limitations of the research and future research directions are outlined. Keywords: Social Marketing, Marketing Mix, Fruits and Vegetables, Midstream, Children 3 II Acknowledgments Professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele and Dr. Timo Dietrich, I want to thank you both for the amazing support throughout this journey. Your endless support, guidance and words of encouragement through the ups and downs of this journey have been exceptional. Sharyn Rundle-Thiele was the first one to introduce me to the field of social marketing and the whole academic journey. We have gone a long way since that Master of Marketing class back in 2011, completed several papers and projects together. Sharyn has been a remarkable mentor. I want to thank her especially for the support during my medical problems in 2015 that left me feeling unwell for over a year. Me and my family are forever grateful for everything you did during that time. Thank you Dr Timo Dietrich for your amazing support since 2011. I can still remember how it all started, sitting in a sauna at your place. Since that sauna chat we have exchanged thoughts almost on a weekly basis and you are one of the main reasons I took on this PhD. This PhD would not have been completed without your help, guidance and support. Thank you for the endless philosophical discussions, lunches, 20 min whatsapp voice messages and hour long phone calls. You are not only a great mentor but also a true mate. I would like to acknowledge the financial support that I have received throughout my candidature by the Emil Aaltonen fund, which supported the design, delivery and evaluation process in Finland. Their financial support not only enabled me to focus on my studies, but also on building my very own social marketing program that affected over 2000 children in Finland. They also enhanced my candidature by allowing me to do better research and to attend domestic and international conferences. I would like to express my gratitude to the many schools, teachers and schoolchildren who have made this research project possible. In particular I would like to thank Kimmo Lukkarinen, who was my principal in primary school (1994-2000) and over 2 decades later the first principal accepting the Viisi Per Päivä program in this very same school. I also want to thank Marita Räsänen and Terttu Huupponen from the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences for providing me with enthusiastic nursing students to help in the execution of Viisi Per Päivä program. I also want to thank all of the nursing students for all the help and especially I want to thank Henna Sipinen, Sanni Halme, Salla Heiskanen and Hanna Wierenga for showing excellent commitment in the Viisi Per Päivä program. My thanks also go to Jinny Hayman for professional assistance with editing and proofreading. 4 I would like to thank my parents, Timo and Raija Lahtinen for their love and support throughout my life. You both supported me in the decision to further my studies in Australia, which has shaped my future for the better. You are both an inspiration to me. I will also like thank my brother Matti Lahtinen for all the support in life, and of course for teaching me to ride (and crash) a motorcycle. Special thanks goes also to the most critical thinker I know, my godfather Kauko Koivuniemi. I want to thank you for pushing my critical thinking further, and of course all the Mamma Rosa lunches we have had together. I also want to thank my best friends in Finland for making time to see me every time I came home to Finland. Thank you Joonas Konttila, Janne Takainen, Joonas Kairajärvi, Juha Ahlgren, Janne Kalliala and Tiina Pesonen. We have so many good years ahead of us. I also want to thank the people who have enabled me to live the Australian lifestyle outside the PhD. Thank you Samantha Spence for introducing me to Australia in 2006 and taking me under your roof when I arrived back in 2011 to do my Masters of Marketing at Griffith University. Thank you Aonghus Thomas Angelo for introducing me to the art of surfing. Surfing with you has given me so much joy during the tough times. Thank you Wade Richardson for being there, whether it was surfing, camping or motorcycle rides. Finally and most importantly, I want to thank my partner Emilia Forsman for her continuous support and her belief in me. She has moved to Australia, then to Finland and again back to Australia to be with me. She has given me endless strength when I have been stressed and haven’t known what to do. 5 III Statement of Original Authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signature Date 14th of March, 2018 6 IV PhD Specific Publications Journal articles currently in review Lahtinen, V., Dietrich, T. and Rundle-Thiele, S. (Under review, submitted 20.10.2018), Long live the marketing mix.