In my opinion, social marketing is the "new" buzz word for propaganda.
The definition of propaganda is the systematic efforts to spread
opinions or beliefs; any plan or method for spreading opinions or
beliefs(World Book Dictionary...their sentence example is "The insurance
companies engaged in health propaganda.")  As I get older, I notice that
organizations use new words for old ideas in order to make it more
acceptable to people. Certainly, propaganda marketing would not do.  It
would not be a marketable idea.

Opinions/beliefs shape our consumer decisions.  Promoting ideas through
cups, pens, notepads or yes--educational material is part and parcel of
selling products.  These are some of the ways companies can make money
off an idea. Interestingly, some of the companies that make these items
are part of our multi-national companies(pharmaceuticals, etc.).

It is interesting to me that in order to remember an idea, we have to
have a "thing," a "token."  In my opinion, it shows how consumer-driven
our society has become.  I would like to believe that if an idea was a
worthy idea that it would be remembered.  I guess years ago people had
better memories.  Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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