Societal Marketing Concept: Benefits, and Real-Life Examples
Have you ever thought about how companies sell things? Most just want to sell and make money. But there’s a better way called the societal marketing concept. It is about prioritizing your customer more than just selling the product. This is an idea that lets businesses balance the three major things:
- Giving what the customer wants
- Selling the product
- And, helping the society develop
The societal marketing concept started in the 1970s, when organisations started depleting the environment. A new concept came that helped people make a profit along with keeping the planet safe. Philip Kotler, a marketing expert, said companies should ask themselves,
“What do customers want?” but also, “What is good for society?”
So, companies should sell products that make customers happy and also make the world a better place to live.
Why is the Societal Marketing Concept Important?
Nowadays, people want environmentally friendly products. They don’t just want to buy, they want the organizations to care about other important things like health, fair deal, and all these, without harming the planet. Companies that ignore this might lose customers and trust.
For example, a company selling tasty fast food might make customers happy now. But if that food harms people’s health or creates plastic waste, it’s a problem. The societal marketing concept asks companies to find better ways to make their products, ways that don’t hurt people or the planet.
What Types of Products Should Companies Make?
According to Philip Kotler, there are four types of products:
- Deficient products: These don’t make customers happy and are bad for society.
- Pleasing products: These feel good now, but may hurt health or the environment later.
- Salutary products: These might not be fun immediately, but they help customers or society in the long term.
- Desirable products: These make customers happy and also help society now and in the future.
Good companies try to make more desirable products. They might also change other products to be better for people and the planet.
Difference Between Societal Marketing and Social Marketing
They sound alike but are different. Societal marketing is how a whole company runs its business, balancing profits and social good. Meanwhile, social marketing is about influencing people to change their bad habits and take a step toward growth as a society. It can be done by campaigns like Quit Smoking, Recycling Plastic Waste, etc.
What Are the Goals of Societal Marketing?
Why should companies choose societal marketing? Here are the main reasons:
- To build trust and strong relationships with customers.
- To have a good reputation for caring about society.
- To help communities and protect the environment.
- To attract customers who value ethics and responsibility.
Pillars of Societal Marketing
Successful societal marketing stands on four pillars:
- Customer welfare means making products that meet people’s needs and do no harm to them. For example, a snack that tastes good and is healthy.
- Social welfare means companies should help communities and society. This could be fair working conditions or supporting local communities.
- Environmental welfare means making the business environmentally friendly by cutting down the plastic waste and recycling packaging.
- Profitability means making a profit that lasts. A company should grow considering the people and the planet, so that customers can trust the product and become its loyal customers.
Related: Why Faceless Digital Marketing Is the Future of Online Business?
What Are the Benefits of Societal Marketing?
Companies practicing societal marketing enjoy many advantages:
- People trust and like brands that care.
- Companies stand out from competitors.
- Customers keep coming back.
- Social and environmental benefits.
- Companies avoid legal or reputation troubles.
- Resources are used more wisely.
How Do Companies Put Societal Marketing Into Practice?
Here’s how companies make societal marketing real:
- Be honest and open with customers and workers.
- Support causes that matter to their brand and buyers.
- Make safe, green, and helpful products.
- Share true stories about how they help society.
- Invite customers to join in social or environmental efforts.
Examples of Societal Marketing in Action
Many big brands lead the way, for example:
- Patagonia makes clothes that will last longer, reducing clothing wastage.
- Ben & Jerry’s uses their ice cream to do social marketing activities.
- TOMS Shoes uses the “One for One” method, which means it gives one pair of shoes for free to the needy if one pair is sold.
- The Body Shop doesn’t use animals for testing their products.
- Starbucks buys coffee fairly and helps communities.
These companies show it’s possible to make money and help the world simultaneously.
Challenges of Societal Marketing
This approach isn’t always easy because:
- Some companies greenwash, pretending to be responsible without real actions.
- Sustainable materials and methods can cost more.
- It’s hard to measure how much good a company really does.
- Some customers doubt even if the company is genuine.
- Balancing doing good and making money is tricky.
Summary
Understanding the societal marketing concept can help a company grow while also caring for the planet we all share. And it is not just for businesses. As a shopper, the choices you make also matter. Supporting brands that care about people and the environment creates real change.
If you want to explore further, you can look into the holistic marketing concept. It goes beyond products and focuses on the bigger picture of how every part of a business affects the world.
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