“Fifty years ago, the word “marketing” belonged only to the world of cigarettes, junk food, sneakers, and cereals—not to the world of nonprofit social service agencies or substance misuse prevention. Today, as the science of marketing has evolved, social marketing has come to play an important role in health and social service efforts. Social marketing can offer tools and techniques that prevention professionals can use to help improve prevention activities in their communities. If it’s clearly understood, adapted with care, and carried out professionally with research to back it up, social marketing can be a very useful tool for prevention professionals.” (http://www.samhsa.gov/capt/tools-learning-resources/understanding-social-marketing)
PYDC, in collaboration with the Plymouth Cluster, often uses Social Marketing in order to increase awareness and education around substance use prevention. The coalition works with students across the cluster to develop an advertising campaign that will be utilized within their communities. The campaigns are often advertised through many channels such as print, social media and video.