Should we “sell” the issues of environment the way we sell soap?

Mugira Fredrick

Environment is a concept of external factors that act on system and determines its course and form of existence (Wikipenda Encyclopedia: 2005). It can be summarized as man and his surroundings which encompass ecological, economical, aesthetic and ethical concerns.

Social marketing is a process of influencing human behavior, using marketing principles as a move intended to benefit the community. It utilizes techniques drawn from commercial advertising and market research and the social sciences (Mody, 2003)

Communication is the act of transmitting information, ideas and attitudes from one person to another. While tackling this question, I will base myself on Osgood and Schram (1954) Model of Communication which describes communication as an interactive act. This model describes communication as a process of exchange of knowledge between the source and receiver and that it is interactive and has feedback. (Mcquail, 2003)

The act of selling soap belongs to commercial marketing which is aimed at mostly profits making while the act of selling environment issues belongs to social markets which aims at social benefits.

Should we sell issues of the environment the way we sell soap?
Yes, it is important that similar techniques be used to sell the two products though they belong to different segments in marketing because the two are essential to man. Man can not live without using soap to wash and bathe as move designed to help him keep sanitation and hygiene similarly he needs environment to be able to get food, income, oxygen and several others necessary for him to live.

Secondary, successful marketing of the soap alike that of environmental issues base on a good program design, careful implantation, sufficient documentation and systematic evaluation to access success and failures. It would be unfair to base on these techniques when marketing soap and neglect them when marketing issues of environment. This would mean that this the campaign to conserve environment might fail.

Thirdly, in both types of marketing, you offer to the audience something they value in return. In the case of soap, a consumer pays his money in return for better quality of soap. This also applies to selling issues of environment. In selling issues of environment, the marketer and in this case who might be an n Environmental Organization offers to the targeted audience benefits that are valued by the community in return for their conservation efforts. An example is a campaign against degradation of Wetlands. Encroachment on wetlands causes water shortage because the water catchment areas are destroyed. Therefore an environmental campaign that successfully convinces the community to restore the degraded wetlands rewards the local people there with increased water supply as a result of presence of wetlands.

More still marketing of soap in the same like marketing of issues of environment calls for identification of audience that is being targeted. In marketing soap, a marketer identifies his audience who are capable of buying product soap and goes ahead to entice them to buy it, likewise in marketing environment issues, the environmental organization selects target audiences stakeholders who are affected by the problem and goes ahead to work with them to finds solutions to the problem. He or she, “must know how the audience is connected to the problem, and their current experience and knowledge of problem” (Susan, 1999; 87). This justifies why if I feel when marketing the two products, similar techniques should be taken because they have a targeted audience.

Furthermore, marketing of both products necessitates planning for the competitor. In marketing soap, the marketer plans for how to win his competitors who also sell the same products. For example if one is marketing Geisha soap, he will plan for how to over compete other brands of soaps like imperial and Detal soaps , equally in marketing environment issues, an environmental Organization plans for not duplicating services which are being offered or had already been offered by other organizations. The NGO does so by offering services that are different or enhanced more than other social workers/ NGOs are offering.

Besides, in both types of marketing, messages consist of both information and persuasion. “Persuasive elements of message” while selling a product such as soap “incorporate tactics such as fear, sexiness, or humor to influence their customers” (Susan, 1999,92), similarly as Susan goes ahead to write , this can work effectively in selling environmental issues:
Surprisingly, many environmental Organizations provide only information and neglect to include persuasive arguments in their massages. Persuasive arguments can work for conservation causes. Environmental organizations may exploit public fear by emphasizing the negative effects of not heeding their messages. (ibid)
Therefore if marketing of soap and issues of environment use the same techniques of persuading and information, why not sell them alike.

In addition, when one is marketing soap, he /she aims at the influencing the targeted audience to take action. Such action means the buying of soap by the targeted audience, likewise, in marketing environment issues, Environmental Organizations, want the audience to take action. Here, the action is conserving environment or restoring what has been degraded. This suggests that it is possible to market the soap and issues of environment using the same techniques.

Marketing of both soap and environment issues incorporate a range of similar tactics and approaches knows as “market Mix’. This involves identifying the place where to sell your product soap or environmental issues, secondary the cost that would be paid by the people buying soap or conserving the environment, whether the audience is capable of affording it and lastly a product which in this case is soap or issues of environment. If the market mix in marketing these two is the same then it can be possible to market them in a similar way.

Lastly, media, the channel of communication used in selling the either soap or environment issues does not segregate between the two. Both soap marketer and environmental organizations use similar techniques while dealing with the media as a tool of publicity to inform and persuade the audience what they are offering. They both have to use a channel of communication that is received by the targeted audience. There is also the use of a language which the targeted audience is well conversant with. This also indicates that it is possible to market soap and environment issues using the same techniques. (Susan,1999)
On the other side, it can not be taken for wholesomely that Soap and Issues of environment can be can be sold in a similar ways because whereas in marketing soap , a marketer aims at selling his product which is soap, in selling environment issues , Environmental organizations , aim at changing the audiences knowledge , attitudes and behaviors.

Secondly, in selling of issues of environment, one focuses on biological problems, and the solutions lie with people who are audience, whereas in commercial marketing, there are no problems which one is aiming at combating but rather aims at selling off his product and incase the targeted audience refuses to buy the product, it will only affect the profits of the marketer but not the entire community that was targeted like it is incase of selling environment issues.

In marketing environment issues, one can be compelled to use punitive measures if need be for example if the audience does not take hid however, in marketing soap, this is not applicable.

More still, soap is tangible and the consumer can see what he is buying there and then however in selling environmental issues, the consumer does not immediately get a tangible product in return for services. It takes years to realize the benefits such as if the campaign is on planting trees, it may take years for trees to grow and give returns to the audience.

Lastly, it is easy to frequently package soap and brand it in new forms which can attract the buyers however this is difficult in selling environmental issues because the good being traded is not tangible.

In conclusion, like soap is essential to man, environment is essential too. This makes me to strongly believe that we should “sell” issues of environment the way we sell soap. It would be catastrophic if marketers concentrated on using the best techniques in marketing of sell soap and Environmental NGOs neglected the similar techniques in selling issues of environment. This would mean that the campaign to conserve environment would fail, which could subsequently lead to degradation of environment.
References

Leslie R (2003) Development Communication Campaign, in Bella Mody (ed) International and development communication. A 21st century Perspective, Sage publication, Inc London.

Mcquail D,(2003) Mcquail’s Mass communication Theory, 4th edition , Sage Publication London.

Susan J, 1999 Communication skills for conservation professionals. Island place New York.

www.en.wikipenda.org/wiki/environment (accessed on 31st October 2005)