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This month's Marketer of the Month is Veronica Sharp. |
Veronica's professional and personal passion for social marketing led her to form The Social Marketing Practice in 2004. As Principal Director, Veronica specialises in consumer behaviour change, lifestyle trends and social marketing, with a particular focus on environmental and sustainable development policy. More recently her work has focused on bridging the link between sustainability, well-being and health.
Veronica is probably the UK's leading social marketing expert in pro-environmental behaviour change, and is DEFRA's expert adviser for the social science theme of their Waste Research programme.
Where did this journey begin?
“I have always had a real sense of our place in this fragile world and our duty of care for our planet” reflects Veronica. “As I was going through my marketing training and The Chartered Institute of Marketing's Diploma course over ten years ago now, I can recall how I was naturally translating in my mind how these techniques might be used to influence people's lifestyles and habits positively for the environment. I hadn't even heard of the term 'social marketing' in those days!”
The turning point for Veronica was when she developed a ground-breaking Culture Change toolkit for the Environment Council. “This was a real challenge. I had to research a wide range of behaviour change programmes in many different social policy areas, and then crystallise the learning into how we might apply it to pro-environmental behaviour change.”
From that point, the way ahead was clear for Veronica. “I knew right then that this would be my passion and vocation.”
Veronica has always believed firmly in the potential role that marketing has to play in a sustainable marketplace and society. Shortly after forming The Social Marketing Practice, Veronica contacted The Chartered Institute of Marketing, to explore setting up a Marketing and Sustainability Group. This group has flourished and continues to this day, its membership now includes three other professional marketing organisations and a number of sustainability experts.
In November 2006, The Social Marketing Practice led the formation of a National Social Marketing Standards Steering Group, involving a number of experts including The National Social Marketing Centre, The Chartered Institute of Marketing and the MSSSB. The purpose of the group was to identify the key issues, actions and programme for the development of national occupational standards in social marketing. Veronica was appointed as its first Chairperson.
The momentum of this group, along with other influencers, led to the announcement of a formal standards development process in September 2007. As Veronica comments, “This initiative is a world first for professional standards in social marketing - even though the States, Canada and Australia have been practising it for some time now. Experts, in the States in particular, are really interested in what we are doing and are now getting involved. I think the international arena is quite envious of what we have done in the UK.”
The Steering Group is now under the governance of the MSSSB as the standards are formally developed this year and will be launched at the World Social Marketing Conference in Brighton this September.
Since 2006, The Chartered Institute of Marketing has offered training courses in the Principles of Social Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility. Veronica, a member of The Institute's Faculty of Course Directors, is the principal trainer for these courses. “I am always in my element when sharing my knowledge and ideas in these areas. I get a real high from the energy that develops in a training room environment, especially when my students start to challenge my thinking. Then I know they've really grasped the ideas.”
Veronica is a firm believer that businesses have a significant role to play in social marketing.
“I'm a great supporter of the idea that business has a huge amount to offer in social marketing. What's important is that the company values are right in the first place and truly lived out. This has to come from the top. Companies can then go well beyond their corporate social responsibility and citizenship activities to align their values with society expectations. Corporate social marketing has the potential to enhance their brand value enormously.”
To help companies make this bold step is the next big challenge for Veronica and The Social Marketing Practice. |
