An overview of social marketing in Türkiye


ERDOĞAN B. Z., UMUT M. Ö.

SOCIAL MARKETING QUARTERLY, 2024 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/15245004241290224
  • Journal Name: SOCIAL MARKETING QUARTERLY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Psycinfo, DIALNET
  • Anadolu University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background of the Country The Republic of T & uuml;rkiye, is a transcontinental country located in East Thrace in south-eastern Europe and on the peninsula of Anatolia in southwestern Asia. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which was an immense power in Eurasia and Africa from southeast Europe to western Asia and North Africa, and the proclamation of the Republic in 1923, the Turkish people gained the right to self-government for the first time in centuries. With an amendment to the Constitution of the Republic, T & uuml;rkiye became governed by a new system in which the president has executive powers. T & uuml;rkiye ranked 48th out of 191 countries in the 2022 Human Development Index.Primary social Problems in the Country Unemployment has been a major socio-economic problem in T & uuml;rkiye. Other important social issues include the integration of irregular migrants into social life, education inequality, violence against women, and forest fires.Use of Social Marketing Although they have not been found to be sufficient to solve the fundamental social problems there are projects that have been carried out in T & uuml;rkiye for many years. These projects are corporate social responsibility initiatives that focus on market research to solve a fundamental social problem, in a select target market in a bid to change behavior through effective communication.Academic Stakeholders and Activities The few social marketing projects carried out in T & uuml;rkiye have been funded by marketing academics and have focused primarily on the development of environmentally friendly behaviors. Social marketing courses are included in the curricula of a small number of universities in T & uuml;rkiye. It can be stated that the concept of social marketing in T & uuml;rkiye is not clearly understood by practitioners. However, efforts to develop behavior change for the benefit of society seem to have started with charity and evolved into corporate social responsibility projects.Discussion and Conclusions Despite not being deemed sufficient to solve the fundamental social problems, there are projects that have been ongoing in T & uuml;rkiye for many years. These projects are corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at addressing crucial social issues. Social marketing has been used in T & uuml;rkiye for four decades but still has not achieved its full potential. Because social marketing is a concept similar to the understanding of the philanthropy that existed in Turkish culture many centuries ago, it can easily be adapted to the Turkish market. It is recommended that the government of T & uuml;rkiye use social marketing to promote behavioral practices that benefit society.