Community Based Social Marketing

 

Information alone rarely changes what people do.

Most of us already know we should waste less, drive less, and recycle right. Knowing isn't the hard part. Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) starts from that observation and builds programs that change behavior where awareness campaigns stall.

What is CBSM?

CBSM is a research-based approach to fostering sustainable behavior, developed by environmental psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr. Its core text, Fostering Sustainable Behavior, is now in its fourth edition, coauthored by Jennifer Tabanico and Doug McKenzie-Mohr. Cities, utilities, and nonprofits around the world use it.

The approach is practical. Choose the behaviors with the greatest potential to make a difference. Find out what actually stops people and what would make the change more appealing. Then develop strategies, test them on a small scale, and expand only what produces measurable change.

“We know that knowledge by itself or having a supportive attitude rarely are enough to get people to engage in behaviors.”

Jennifer Tabanico, president, Action Research

Someone may care about water quality but have no practical alternative, worry about what the neighbors will think, or simply find the right choice inconvenient. CBSM is built to uncover and remove barriers like these.

Five steps

  1. Select the behavior

    Pick a specific, high-impact action, like "turn off the engine while waiting," not "reduce emissions."

  2. Identify barriers and benefits

    Ask and observe the people involved to learn what gets in the way and what motivates them.

  3. Develop strategies

    Match tools to the barriers you found.

  4. Pilot

    Test with a small group, compared against a group that doesn't receive the program.

  5. Implement broadly and evaluate

    Scale what worked and keep measuring.

The toolkit

Commitment
People who agree to a small step, especially publicly, are more likely to follow through.
Social norms
We follow what we see others doing. Making good behavior visible spreads it.
Social diffusion
New habits travel through friends, neighbors, and trusted messengers.
Prompts
Simple reminders placed exactly where and when the action happens.
Communication
Vivid, personal, specific messages from credible sources.
Incentives
Rewards or costs that tip the balance when motivation is low.
Convenience
Making the right choice the easy choice.

Sometimes the answer is physical

Not every barrier calls for a message. Some call for a change to the place itself.

“Sometimes it’s not marketing. Sometimes it’s just putting in more trash cans and making those trash cans more accessible.”

Jennifer Tabanico

CBSM answers why, and what's in the way.

Notice how often the answer depends on place: where the prompt sits, how far away the bin is, what people see around them. That's the bridge to GeoDesign.
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