The Canadian Social Marketing Story

Abstract

This article presents Canada’s major social marketing achievements and contributions to date, the strengths of the Canadian social marketing field, and the challenges it currently faces. As an early adopter of social marketing, Canada has been integrating this unique form of marketing into its public health and environmental strategies for over 40 years. The Canadian track record includes successful initiatives, major events, seminal publications, high-quality training programs, as well as academic and professional centers that have had an impact in Canada and around the world. The field is currently facing some challenges, however. If this remarkable story is to continue, Canadian social marketing leaders will need to rally around a number of collective initiatives to advance the field, promote its value, mobilize resources, and attract a renewed network of practitioners and academics.