Applying the Rossiter-Percy Model to social marketing communications

"Social marketing" is the application of marketing principles and tools to the achievement of socially desirable goals (Kotler and Zaltman 1971). In spite of the obvious need for persuasive messages in social marketing campaigns, there has been insufficient theoretical work to guide the development of such messages -- apart perhaps from the literature on "fear" appeals. One reason has probably been inattention to theory development that has taken place in commercial advertising. This paper presents the Rossiter-Percy Model of how advertising works as a suitable model for developing message strategies for social marketing communications. Various social marketing applications of the model are noted, with the case of drink-driving covered in depth.