New ideas - fresh thinking: towards a broadening of the social marketing concept? (Editorial)

Recent commentaries (Donovan, 2011; Gordon, 2012; Spotswood et al., 2012), and discussion at the World Social Marketing Conference in Toronto in April 2013 have highlighted that there are a number of debates around the fundamentals of social marketing. For a number of years, scholars have been calling for social marketing to mature (Andreasen, 2003), spread its wings and develop its own theories (Peattie and Peattie, 2003). Furthermore, there is recognition that social marketing needs to demonstrate its legitimacy not only as an approach to social change, but as an academic discipline. Recently, these debates have intensified as those in the field discuss the merits or otherwise of singular definitions of social marketing, and the appropriate social marketing mix. Discussions on the utility of wholesale transference of marketing theory and concepts, services orientation, and value creation have also emerged. In addition, ideas on critical thinking and reflexivity in social marketing are increasingly prominent. These developments are concomitant with complex societal challenges. These include the global financial crisis, environmental sustainability, corporate malevolence, increasing economic, health, social, and cultural inequalities, ageing populations, migration and immigration issues, and the erosion of social welfare programmes