Social Marketing

Population Services International's comprehensive malaria program uses social marketing and behavior change communication to increase use of insecticide-treated nets, improve care-seeking behavior, and promote preventive treatment. Active across sub-Saharan Africa with proven impact on malaria mortality reduction.

Egypt's national campaign to eliminate Hepatitis C, one of the world's most successful mass screening and treatment programs. Combined mass media awareness with community screening drives, treating over 4 million people. Used behavior change communication to reduce stigma and encourage testing.

A Nigerian social enterprise using cargo bicycles to collect recyclable waste from low-income Lagos households, exchanging it for cash, electronics, and household items. The program addresses the city's 14,000 tons daily waste generation while providing income to communities without formal waste collection.

A global social fintech enterprise enabling people in coastal communities to collect ocean-bound plastic waste and exchange it for money, school tuition, medical insurance, and essential services. Collected plastic becomes 'Social Plastic®' feedstock for manufacturing, creating a circular economy.

A national behavior change initiative using financial incentives to increase household waste sorting. The program decreased residual waste container sizes and offered lower collection fees for properly sorted waste, resulting in significant increases in recycling participation.

UNRWA's mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) program addresses trauma among Palestine refugee children in Gaza through counseling, recreational activities, and the innovative After School Activities (ASA) project. Counselors provide psychological first aid, guidance to parents, and individual counseling focusing on creating a sense of safety. Children engage in expressive activities like drawing, storytelling, relaxation exercises, music, arts, and sports. The "Back to Learning" program provides refuge from conflict through psychosocial activities and gradual reintroduction to formal education. The Community Mental Health Programme has reached 91,000+ parents and 100,000+ children. About 25% of Gaza children require psychological support.

UNICEF provides mine risk education to children in Syria through child-friendly spaces, specialized centers, and self-learning programs. In Mabrouka camp (north-eastern Syria), over 600 children participated in MRE sessions before families returned to heavily contaminated areas like Deir-ez-Zor and Ar-Raqqa. In Aleppo, UNICEF supports MRE for children with disabilities using sign language, demonstrating inclusive approaches. The Educate A Child Self-Learning Program in Qaramel village offers MRE to 230 children from nine villages alongside catch-up education. With 2.4 million Syrian school-aged children out of school and thousands of schools damaged, MRE integration into education programs reaches vulnerable populations.

The Gates Foundation supported development and scale-up of next-generation insecticide-treated bed nets to combat growing pyrethroid resistance in malaria-endemic regions. The Interceptor G2 net uses dual insecticides (pyrethroid + chlorfenapyr), reducing malaria infection among children by nearly half in trials in Tanzania and Benin. The initiative combines technology innovation with behavior change campaigns to ensure proper and consistent bed net use, partnering with countries for digitized distribution systems.

Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus) is USAIDs flagship private sector health initiative, making contraceptives and health products accessible through pharmacies and shops using commercial marketing techniques. Operating across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the project strengthens NGOs and private providers to address family planning, HIV, TB, and child health. SHOPS Plus developed sustainability frameworks for social marketing programs transitioning from donor funding.

Aflatoun delivers social and financial education to 33+ million children and youth annually across 102 countries through a network of 300+ partner organizations. The child-centered curriculum (Aflatot for ages 3-6, Aflatoun for primary, Aflateen for youth) uses games, songs, and experiential learning to build social skills, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

SanMarkS uses a market-based approach to sanitation, training local entrepreneurs to manufacture and sell affordable latrines through door-to-door sales and community events. Rather than giving subsidies, the program develops diverse price-point products, strengthens supply chains, and empowers micro-entrepreneurs as "last-mile marketers." Over 850,000 people gained access to improved sanitation in the first phase, with 213,000+ toilets sold.

Breakthrough ACTION is USAIDs flagship global social and behavior change program, launched in 2017 with a USD 300 million award and expanded with USD 204 million in 2021. Led by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, it operates in 40+ countries addressing family planning, maternal/child health, malaria, HIV, TB, and COVID-19. The program integrates communication strategies, behavioral economics, and human-centered design to promote healthier behaviors at individual, community, and structural levels.

Cool the Earth is a K-8 climate education program that has reached over 500,000 students and families across the United States. Using a child-driven model with classroom performances, coupon books for home energy actions, and family challenges, the program motivates 300,000+ personal energy-saving actions and builds climate literacy from an early age.

Since 1977, Rare has implemented 250+ Pride campaigns in 57 countries using social marketing to inspire conservation behavior change. Each campaign features a charismatic flagship species mascot to build local pride in biodiversity. The approach has protected coral reefs, forests, and endangered species by changing fishing, hunting, and land-use practices.

USAID Communicate for Health was a five-year project (2014-2019) in Ghana implemented by FHI 360 to improve health through social and behavior change campaigns. The project produced 154,000+ media spots in eight languages, developed enter-educate series YOLO and Maternal Health Channel, and reached 23 million people. C4H revitalized Ghanas GoodLife health promotion brand and built capacity of Ghana Health Service staff through Change Agent Development Program.