Using Social Marketing For Public Emergency Preparedness

Less than half of the public in the U.S. have taken the three steps to prepare for emergencies that are recommended by FEMA and the Red Cross: having a 3-day emergency kit, a family communication plan, and knowing where to get information during an emergency. Although emergency managers attempt to train the public, often they are only able to distribute brochures and make public notifications. For a variety of reasons, the public frequently ignores this guidance, leaving people more vulnerable during emergencies. This book applies the process of social marketing, which has been used widely in public health and other disciplines, to the lack of public preparedness. Written for emergency managers in government and non-profit agencies, students, and volunteers, the book provides enough background and resources to enable the user to carry out an effective emergency preparedness campaign in their community and maintain it over time. Unlike preparing one message for everyone, social marketing involves working with smaller communities to identify what and how people want to learn, training them, and then maintaining that relationship to insure their preparedness. Because most emergency management agencies lack resources to take on such an initiative, the book provides readers with low cost methods to begin a social marketing program. Review: How refreshing and encouraging to have an entire book focused on applying a social marketing approach to impact one major social issue. The book not only inspires; it also instructs. It doesn't just cover what to do to influence emergency preparedness in communities; it walks you through the steps to base unique and comprehensive strategies on unique priority audiences. In the end, readers will understand how to develop a strategic social marketing plan that will provide the highest return on investment of resources. -Nancy R. Lee, University of Washington and Social Marketing Services, Inc. Nancy Meyer-Emerick provides an evidence-driven primer that outlines the core concepts and methodologies behind social marketing applications in emergency preparedness program management. From behavioral change models to social capital to program planning, this text outlines the fundamental components for leveraging modern messaging technologies to move the public from complacency to readiness. The content will be immediately applicable for any administrator interested in expanding their knowledge of the evolving and dynamic field of emergency management. -Lauren Ohl-Trlica, Arlington County Office of Emergency Management Using Social Marketing for Public Emergency Preparedness tackles the real-world issues of blending the best of 'textbook' social marketing with the practical realities of applying it in communities. It provides an excellent guide and case study for any social marketer who wants to understand how to transform theory and evidence-based research in social marketing into real-life, practical solutions. -Craig Lefebvre, RTI International