Abstract
Social marketing plays an important role in promoting urgent issues in the healthcare field. In this project, increased diabetes prevalence is the major social issue for consideration. Various demographic and social factors contribute to disease development, prediction, and management. The target audience is the representatives of racial minorities, namely Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics, who have poor awareness of diabetes. They need to understand what it means to be diabetic and if it is possible to predict this condition in their lives. The diaTrive Foundation is the organization that implements an educational intervention for local citizens to educate them and explain how to manage diabetes within the budget of $50,000.
Background, Purpose, and Focus
Despite multiple intentions to manage and predict diabetes, the prevalence of this complex and chronic condition continues to increase. At this moment, more than seven billion people have already been diagnosed with diabetes, and a higher part of patients are racial minorities, including Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans (Aguilar, 2019; Pinchevsky et al., 2020). There is no clear explanation of what causes this disease, but excess weight, physical inactivity, and family history are the main contributing factors (Pinchevsky et al., 2020). Educational and occupational statuses significantly affect people’s predisposition to diabetes (Hill-Briggs et al., 2020). Not many individuals recognize their roles in predicting this serious condition. Thus, the purpose is to improve the population’s awareness of this health problem and develop easily accessible programs to educate people and promote healthy lifestyles at schools and workplaces.
Situation Analysis
The diaTribe Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims at solving diabetes-related challenges today. The team believes cultural and political shifts could reduce diabetes burdens, promotes new educational programs, and advocates for action and lifestyle changes (The diaTrive Foundation, n.d.). This organization implements interventions to understand diabetes better and helps the population do the same. The following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats allow describing the current position of the diaTribe Foundation.
Target Audience
The main target population of this social intervention is the representatives of racial minorities (Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics) who are at higher risk of having diabetes. It is expected to attract students (15-20 years) and adults (25-35 years), but if a person of any other age is willing to join, this choice is appreciated. Pinchevsky et al. (2020) reveal that better-educated individuals are eager to support their health and may be earlier referred to the disease course. They are usually eager to cooperate and join communities to share similar interests and values. More than 15% of diabetic patients have cardiovascular problems, about 50% develop renal complications at a young age, and approximately 18% are at mortality risk (Aguilar, 2019; Pinchevsky et al., 2020). Geographic access to care services defines the quality of care and diabetes management (Hill-Briggs et al., 2020). Online communication, conferences, and dialogues may be distantly organized for all participants. Membership size does not matter in this case because people who face diabetes need to know they can be supported.
Marketing Objectives and Goals
The target audience will be influenced in two directions: improved awareness of diabetes and positive lifestyle changes (physical activity and dietary habits). The objective of the current marketing plan is to attract people’s attention and help individuals better understand diabetes and take healthy action. There are two SMART goals to quantify desired behavior outcomes and change knowledge:
- In six months, people demonstrate their awareness of diabetes causes, outcomes, and management techniques due to visiting one-hour meetings once a week with lectures and free communication;
- In six months, participants can control their weight (no obesity) by following healthy diets and completing regular physical activities.
Target Audience Barriers, Benefits, the Competition, and Influential Others
Although people are aware of social, economic, and personal factors contributing to obesity and diabetes, they continue making wrong or inappropriate decisions. Perceived barriers include easily accessible fast-food restaurants, a lack of sports grounds for physical activities, and fewer educational ads about diabetes and the existing threats. People should have an opportunity or a unique benefit to understand what can promote diabetes, the primary signs of this condition, and the steps to be taken. The participants of the offered intervention address such forces as personal choices and preferences: instead of visiting a local fast-food restaurant, they go to the nearest sports ground or eat vegetables/fruits and drink fresh juices. Others who have an important influence are families, friends, and community members who share the same lifestyles and interests.
Positioning Statement
We want to see racial minorities of all ages as individuals who are properly aware of diabetes as a serious health problem and manage obesity as a critical diabetic factor by communicating, visiting meetings, and choosing healthy diets and physical activities.
Marketing Mix Strategies
The core product of the offered approach among the target audience is no diabetes to be diagnosed if basic healthy behaviors and choices are made. The actual product is what the organization offers to people – regular meetings, education, and information about local sports courts for free visits. The augmented products include individual communication, printed guidelines for personal use, and illustrative books about diabetes management and healthy lifestyles.
Any educational intervention is associated with certain monetary and non-monetary costs. At this moment, it is offered to work within the offered budget of $50,000. The current project covers time costs (salary for people who educate participants), products (diagnostic kits, monitors, printed brochures, and books), and professional training for the company’s employees. Attracting new partners on a voluntary basis can be applied to reduce costs. Cooperation with local Black communities allows for finding more people who need additional help with diabetes education and management. Not all individuals understand when to address professional health care, and the task is to talk and inform about diabetes-related threats. The promotion of knowledge is a core strategy for the diaTrive Foundation. Real-life contact and finding effective media channels need to be supported. For example, at least two billboards should be located in the city to inform the population about the threat and contact information. One of the easiest ways is to randomly offer coupons for meetings and distribute them on the streets.
Plan for Monitoring and Evaluation
The purpose of the evaluation plan is to analyze if improved education for ordinary citizens and the promotion of healthy lifestyles reduce obesity as the main diabetes risk factor. The intervention stakeholders are the employees of the diaTrive Foundation, who analyze annual reports about obesity rates within the local community. The representatives of racial minority groups introduce the major input of the program: they complete self-reports to demonstrate their current level of knowledge, dietary habits, and physical activity interests. The program’s output is also based on self-reports and observations of the organization. The differences in numbers will be measured to reveal a change and if it is positive or negative. The outcomes will be checked in terms of the current numbers of diabetic or pre-diabetic individuals (Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics) and their overall knowledge about diabetes. Finally, the expected impact is that people know what diabetes is, how it can be predicted, its primary signs, and what steps to take to control the disease.
Budget
At this moment, it is planned to educate at least 100 individuals who address the diaTrive Foundation during the first month of the program initiation. In the table below, there are approximate numbers to be considered for budgeting the educational intervention:
Plan for Implementation and Program Management
References
Aguilar, D. (2019). Improving outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(4).
Hill-Briggs, F., Adler, N. E., Berkowitz, S. A., Chin, M. H., Gary-Webb, T. L., Navas-Acien, A., Thornton, P. L., & Haire-Joshu, D. (2021). Social determinants of health and diabetes: A scientific review. Diabetes Care, 44(1), 258-279.
Pinchevsky, Y., Butkow, N., Raal, F. J., Chirwa, T., & Rothberg, A. (2020). Demographic and clinical factors associated with development of type 2 diabetes: A review of the literature. International Journal of General Medicine, 13, 121-129.
The diaTrive Foundation. (n.d.). Our mission. diaTribe. Web.