Social Marketing and TCR... What does the Future Hold?

1. Dr. Ekant Veer, University of Canterbury Presentation given at Griffith University, Brisbane, 27th August 2012 Social Marketing and TCR...What does the Future Hold?

2. A little about me... • PhD at Auckland 2007 • Lecturer at University of Bath 2006-2010 • Senior Lecturer of Marketing, University of Canterbury since 2010 • Most of my research focuses on consumer welfare and impact of identity on consumption choices • Social media’s impact on contemporary consumer culture • Editor of JRC, editorial board of JCB, CMC, IJEM • On the Transformative Consumer Research Advisory Board, Chaired by David Glenn Mick • ACR’s Communications Co-ordinator

3. Why am I here? • What does the future hold for Social Marketing/TCR style research? • Is there a future in this field? • How can we ensure we all have jobs? • How can we ensure we have meaning in those jobs? • Answer questions/dispel myths...

4. Social Marketing & TCR • Social marketing is the use of contemporary marketing technologies to affect the voluntary behavioural change of consumers to improve their lives and the society of which they are a part (Adapted from Andreasan, 1994) • TCR involve “investigations that are framed by a fundamental problem or opportunity, and that strive to respect, uphold, and improve life in relation to the myriad conditions, demands, potentialities, and effects of consumption.” (Mick, 2006) • Or, more simply put, “Research that focuses on improving the lives of consumers”

5. Social Marketing & TCR Public Policy Research Social Marketing TCR

6. Tensions... • We have knowledge, skills and perspectives in marketing, consumer behaviour and business in general that can add to the debate • We have a passion for this type of research and impacting a wider population • We see a greater purpose to our roles as academics (consciences of society) • There are greater opportunities for external funding • Pressure to publish • We have an ‘outsider’ stigma and, especially in marketing, deemed to be part of the problem, rather than the cure • We lack a track record • We lack a community. Although, this is improving On the one hand... ...but, on the other

7. What’s the problem? • Our engagement in the wider field is loose • Individuals have strong relationships, but as a field, we are separated if not stigmatised • Our access to the success and fortunes afforded to the wider group is tenuous • Our work, ultimately, is ignored by those outside our field • Our careers suffer...

8. So, why am I here? • To resolve tension? • To broadcast our availability to a wider population? • To convince everyone to do more social marketing/TCR style research? • To steer you away from SM/TCR? • To identify areas of opportunity and help you frame your research to target them... • To add meaning into your jobs...

9. Are there such things as ‘Hot’ topics? • Yes and no... • General consensus that the best received topics are ones that make a contribution to knowledge and have an impact on society • TCR and Social Marketing excel on societal impact • But...can suffer on contribution to knowledge • Can be difficult to fulfil the promises we make

10. What’s the plan? • Career focused? • Stick to what you’re doing and what you’ve been told • Publish rigorous/tight experiments with counter intuitive findings • Publish qualitative work with explanatory power on interesting contexts – the more deviant, the better • Submit them to marketing journals • Repeat

11. However... • A career focused approach can turn you into a publishing machine, but can affect the impact of your work beyond the field • It can build an indifference for the population being investigated and an excessive focus on the means of getting published, rather than the role of dissemination

12. Betterment Focus • “If I made one person’s life better, and never published an internationally recognised journal article, I can die happy” • Laudable pursuit, but affects your career progression • Not a good thing, as career & status does affect your ability to gain external funding

13. Finding Balance • Look to where you add value • Look to where you offer greatest impact • Look to publish in forms that achieve both career and external impact criteria

14. What do people value from marketing academics? Promotion, Entrepreneurship, Marketisation/Market entry strategies, Cultural & experiential meaning, Consumer activism, Alternative Perspective Experiments Clinical Studies Methods Impact studies Behavioural impact Social Psychology Critical Studies

15. Publish in forms where you’ll make the greatest contribution • Obviously, ranked journals • Easiest to hit marketing ones • Find areas you can add value to non-marketing journals • Journals that are interdisciplinary • Journals that offer alternative forms of publication • POLICY DOCUMENTS! For you For your area of investigation

16. So, what does the future hold? • Integration and collaboration • A silo approach will never impact the wider field • We can offer value, but it must reflect our areas of perceived excellence • Mercenary approach to tackling social problems – we can’t do this on our own

17. What is being done... • More and more TCR style work is being submitted to and published in top CB outlets • HOWEVER, the most impactful research is being submitted to cross-disciplinary outlets (not just in I-factor scores) • Funding is available to support efficacious projects (from TCR, ACR and traditional funding bodies) • Frame your projects to exploit areas of specific advantage, not replicate what is being done in other fields

18. Questions/queries/ worries/concerns/ dissenting voices?