Use of Social Marketing Concepts to Evaluate Ocean Sustainability Campaigns

Abstract

The importance of preserving the world's oceans cannot be overemphasized. Part of the responsibility for the long-term sustainability of this natural resource lies in the hands of individuals and their communities. For the ocean-related issues of sustainable seafood, coastal pollution, marine protected areas, specific marine species preservation, and sustainable ocean use, campaigns have been used to increase awareness, knowledge, and conservation behaviors. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of rigorous reviews and meta-analyses of environmental campaigns in general, and ocean-oriented campaigns in particular. The goal of this literature review is to learn from the successes and failures of past marine-based campaigns in a methodical way to make recommendations for the design, implementation, and evaluation of ocean conservation programs. The review is organized according to the main components of social marketing: audience analysis and segmentation; consumer orientation; theory, appropriate, and realistic objectives; message and channel design; and evaluation research. Specific implications for campaign evaluation are emphasized.