“Why can’t we sell brotherhood the same way we sell soap?”
This is the concept behind social marketing. I believe we have a lot we can learn from the private sector approach to changing behaviors. We have seen successful changes in our behaviors including a precipitous decrease in cigarette smoking, a national commitment to recycling, and successful campaigns to ending drinking and driving. But organizations make the mistake that if we just educate the public they will change what they do. It may work for simple changes but complex issues such as sexual violence need a more sophisticated approach.