New book from Wharton School Publishing offers 21st century solution to century’s old problem of poverty, via social marketing
New York NY – As worldwide conferences congregate this summer to examine the issue of poverty, many nations are wondering how they can effectively target poverty and aid the millions of people living in this state.
According to the World Bank in 2005, more than 1.4 billion people in the world live in poverty, surviving on less than $1.25 a day. Among developed nations, the United States has the highest level of poverty; approximately 37 million Americans (12% of the population) live below the official poverty line. They lack not only nutrition, clean water, shelter, and health care, but most importantly, the means to escape their circumstances. The problem is dire, and the call for a solution is urgent.
Many of the current proposed solutions fail to target the root cause of the problem, according to distinguished marketing expert Philip Kotler and social marketing innovator Nancy R. Lee. In their new book, Up and Out of Poverty: The Social Marketing Solution (Wharton School Publishing, ISBN 13: 9780137141005, $34.99, Hardcover, 368pps, July 2009), Kotler and Lee propose a radically innovative solution to poverty, from the unique perspective of a marketer. Using the same tools that so many business professionals have found successful, Kotler and Lee provide a plan that targets the key behaviors that perpetuate such an economic state for more than a billion individuals across the globe. The focus is on reeducation and sustainability, and the plan aims to teach the poor how to help themselves.
Kotler and Lee breakdown the social marketing plan into 10 steps. The following steps can direct a potential social marketer in the right direction, but also provide enough flexibility to fit the individual needs of different localities.
- Background, Purpose, and Focus
- Situation Analysis
- Target Audience Profile
- Marketing Objectives and Goals
- Factors Influencing Adoption of the Behavior
- Positioning Statement
- Marketing Mix Strategies
- Plan for Monitoring and Evaluation
- Budget
- Plan for Implementation and Campaign Management
Up and out of Poverty: the Social Marketing Solutionproposes a unique, new tool to combat poverty. The book identifies several worldwide success stories and explains what made them effective and wide-reaching. It is a must-read not only for those involved in anti-poverty, but also for those who want to understand how to target the root of the problem and how to eradicate the conditions that plague more than a billion people in the world today.
Contact Laura Czaja, PR Manager for Wharton School Publishing at 212.641.6627 or laura.czaja@pearson.com to request a copy of the book, excerpt or interview with the author
About the Authors
Philip Kotler is S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Hailed as the “foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing,” he is author of Marketing Management, the field’s definitive textbook. His research encompasses innovation, consumer and business marketing, services marketing, distribution, e-marketing, and social marketing. Kotler has consulted with companies ranging from IBM to Merck. He holds a Ph.D. from MIT and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.
Nancy Lee, President of Social Marketing Services, Inc. has 25 years of practical marketing experience in private, nonprofit and public sectors. An adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington and Seattle University, she teaches Marketing in the Public Sector, Social Marketing, and Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations. She has co-authored four books with Philip Kotler, including Social Marketing: Improving the Quality of Life.
About Wharton School Publishing
Wharton School Publishing is dedicated to presenting the world’s foremost business thinkers in print, audio and interactive formats. All titles must be approved by a senior Wharton faculty review board to ensure that they are timely, important, conceptually sound, empirically based, and implementable. The editorial focus on applicable knowledge, along with multi-media publishing, enables readers to gain new insights into the issues shaping the future of business, and plan and take action to achieve their goals. Wharton School Publishing is a partnership between Pearson, the world’s leading education company, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, reaches and engages today’s digital natives with effective and personalized learning, as well as dedicated professional development for their teachers. This commitment is demonstrated in the company’s investment in innovative print and digital education materials for preK through professional learning, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. The company’s respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley, Benjamin Cummings, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Wechsler family of assessments, SuccessNet, MyLabs, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, and many others. Pearson’s comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student at every level of education. Pearson’s commitment to education for all is supported by the global charitable giving initiatives of the Pearson Foundation. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to www.pearson.com.
Up and Out of Poverty
Philip Kotler / Nancy R. Lee
July 2009, 368 pp., $34.99
ISBN-13: 9780137141005