Societal marketing concept focuses to balancing three ways that is consumer’s wants, society’s interest and company profit. When organisation setting their marketing strategies. It should determine the needs, wants, interest of target market and bring value to customer to maintain and improve the consumer’s long term interest and to satisfy customer needs. At the same time, organisation also should take into account the society’s well being such as participant or sponsor project of charities and environmental protection. Apart from that, company profit also should be considered when making marketing decisions.
Example1. DiGi
DiGi is a leading mobile communications company, it providing a wide range of affordable, convenient and easy to use wireless services to simplify and enrich the lives of its customers. DiGi create value for their customers by selecting the most appropriate cutting edge technology so that they benefit from products and services that give them choice, convenience and control. Under this excellent operates, DiGi’s revenue has more than RM4.9 billion in the last five years.
Throughout the years, DiGi has recognized that they are part of the community, so they have the responsibility to make better the lives of those around them and share alike the concerns and cares of the community. DiGi take part in many of the projects associated with charities, such as in particularly projects aim to educate young Malaysians on the impact of climate change, and on energy efficiency and waste management. Apart from that, DiGi also support for specific medical issues that place vulnerable groups in our community.
In 2007, during a renovation project, DiGi donated more than over 200 units of used furniture items from our office to the local community. In addition, DiGi donated more than 230 used laptops to the local schools and charity homes in our local community in Selangor and Sabah. Moreover, since 2008, DiGi continued with organizing a D’Spring campaign across these offices in Malaysia. The purpose of this campaign is instilling the importance of environmental protection to DiGi’s employee.
Example 2. The Body Shop
The Body Shop is a cosmetics company that being more than 30 years in over 55 countries. The Body Shop aims in using natural ingredients to produce high quality of products to satisfy consumer’s needs. Apart from that, customer will receive different grades of gift from employees when purchase product for about hundred ringgit and above. Therefore, customer will attract by the attractive gifts and willing to purchase much more goods.
The Body Shop is not only focus on selling products, they are also concerned with human welfare, Support Community Trade is them commitment to trading fairly and responsibly with suppliers. They actively seek out small-scale farmers, traditional craftspeople, and even rural cooperatives to using them highly skilled experts at their work, at the same time to help them improve standard of living. Moreover, The Body Shop created a global campaign that calls “Stop Violence in the Home” and it’s operates in 56 countries around the world (included Malaysia) to inspire customers and employees to get active against domestic violence. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue and collects funds to help those affected.
In addition, The Body Shop’s policy is ‘Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.’ It avoids excess packaging whenever possible. In fact, we’re currently introducing bottles made from 100% post consumer recycled plastics. Whether seeking out renewable resources, sustainable raw ingredients, or finding better ways of protecting the rainforests,
Example 3. Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd is another company that implement the societal marketing concept. The organisation realized that global warming is a serious issue in now. Therefore, Panasonic uses their inverter technology to produce products which can be greatly reduced the total consumption of energy and the cost of electronic charges that consumer need to pays. Inverter technology can be used for various electronic devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners and microwaves.
Moreover, Panasonic aims to step up its social contribution activities. They are now conducting ocean preservation activities, and they especially try to protect coral, which faces difficulties to survive, adding that Panasonic sends a team once a year to the coast of Terengganu to clean the ocean and build artificial reefs to encourage the growth of coral.
In addition, Panasonic are also conducting learning sessions with local primary schools on how important the ocean is for us, and how we can protect it. Panasonic is working closely with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and the Marine Parks of Malaysia on these initiatives.