The nature, role and value of marketing within the road safety team in a City Council: A social marketing approach
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to supplement the growing literature on social marketing by reflecting on the kinds of social marketing activities undertaken in one area of a public service administered by a large City Council in the UK. The study sought to consider the extent to which traditional theoretical ideas on marketing can be coupled with current contributions in operational terms in practical situations.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is based on anecdotal data and the critical reflections of the principal researcher concerning current and recent activities in the area of interest within the council. For this purpose, traffic services and management within a City Council was chosen, an area in which the first author of the paper has considerable experience and expertise.
Findings
People engaged in the type of work examined here, in fact, undertake social marketing, although they do not readily recognize the activity in these terms. Concerning road safety, the majority of resources and effort is directed at children on a specific issue (that is, pedestrian safety). Little is done to reinforce the importance of the notion of road safety or branding as individuals move through life. Illustrations and cases are used to highlight the key findings.
Originality/value
There are relatively few studies highlighting the working of social marketing and very few in the particular context of this paper. As such, the paper provides a useful and novel contribution to the literature.
Keywords
Citation
Boyle, D. and Proctor, T. (2009), "The nature, role and value of marketing within the road safety team in a City Council: A social marketing approach", Management Research News, Vol. 32 No. 8, pp. 707-715. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170910977924
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited