Picking Up the Beat: Social Marketing Academic Course Offerings and Trends as the Discipline Marks 50 Years

Abstract

Background The availability of formal academic training is essential to the development and professionalization of any discipline. Previous research described the worldwide availability of social marketing academic course offerings and their accompanying pedagogical approaches. This research has been demonstrably appreciated by the social marketing community, resulting in calls for its continuation. Focus of the Article We present an update to and expansion upon prior research, and identify patterns and trends observed over the past decade. Importance to the Social Marketing Field As social marketing continues to expand in its scope and uptake, an update to prior research has become increasingly relevant and necessary. Further, limited attention has been paid to social marketing pedagogical approaches. The patterns and trends identified through this research represent an updated baseline that can be used to assess and guide the discipline’s ongoing advancement. Methods Research was carried out via an online survey that was open between Fall 2019 and Fall 2021. In addition to general information about their university’s course offering(s), respondents were invited to share their course syllabi. The survey was promoted via online networks and academic conferences. Resulting data were cross-referenced with the outcomes of a prior study to identify patterns and trends. Results This research resulted in a listing of academic courses that can now be found on the Web site of the International Social Marketing Association (International Social Marketing Association, 2022). Over the past decade, we identified an upward trend in course availability alongside shifts in the disciplinary and other contexts associated with the courses. We also described instances where social marketing courses were eliminated or scaled back and the apparent reasons for those occurrences. Finally, geographic disparities were evident in course availability between Global North and Global South countries. Recommendations for Research or Practice Recommendations for increasing social marketing academic course offerings are presented within a systems framework focusing on targeted strategies for audiences and contexts such as university students, faculty, instructors, and administrators; accreditation bodies, and practitioner settings. We also call for increased collaboration between academics and practitioners in general, but specifically in the Global North and Global South in order to address issues of equity and diversity. Limitations A key limitation to this study is the fact that the survey was developed in English, thus introducing a bias towards Western academic settings. We also acknowledge the difficulty in searching online for courses using the term “social marketing” due to the pervasive confusion with “social media.” Finally, we only obtained 31 syllabi (from the total 104 courses reported via the survey), thus the pedagogical analysis should be considered incomplete and not fully representative of current practices.