The new Healthy People 2020 objectives rolled out yesterday. And in them are objectives for social marketing for the first time ever! You can go to http://bit.lyhLN62e, and read objective HC/HIT-13 for more information.
This came about through the dedication and work of a number of people, especially Bob Marshall and Craig Lefebvre. Thanks are also due to the people who spoke in favor of the inclusion of social marketing during the comment process.
This does not quite reach the level of endorsement that Great Britain gave social marketing by selecting it as THE preferred health behavior change strategy. (See their National Social Marketing Centre.) However, with the multiple levels of review and clearance the objectives received, this gives social marketing great cache. (And we know that policy is a determinant of behavior, right?!)
So, if your colleagues or your agency are hesitant about adopting social marketing, you can now respond, "But dude (or dudette), it is in the Healthy People 2020 objectives!"
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