Purpose

This study aims to provide empirical evidence and a different perspective on the relevance of the traditional marketing mix in social marketing programmes. This is a response to the ongoing debate about the (in)compatibility of the traditional marketing mix (the 4Ps) in the field of social marketing. In doing so, this study examines the important role that the stages of behaviour change play in influencing the effectiveness of traditional marketing mix elements in the context of recycling in South African households.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows a quantitative method, relying on a survey of 699 heads of households in South Africa. Multigroup analysis and structural equation modelling were applied to test the impact of stages of changes on the potential effect of marketing mix elements on the intention to recycle household waste.

Findings

The results established that although the traditional marketing mix elements have a marginal effect on the intention to recycle household waste, further analyses revealed that this impact of the marketing mix is contingent on the stage of change in which the target audience is found. Thus, the findings indicated that the marketing mix elements significantly influence the intention to recycle when the target audience is at the contemplation and preparation phases.

Originality/value

Whilst both critics and proponents of the adoption of the traditional marketing mix in social marketing initiatives have provided relevant arguments, the debate had remained largely theoretical. This study discusses the limitations of the traditional marketing mix in behaviour change programmes and the need for a segmented approach based on the stages of behaviour change when using the 4Ps. However, given the hegemony of the 4Ps in the social marketing literature, this study sheds light on the appropriate “Ps” to activate to influence recycling behavioural intention at different stages of change.

中文翻译：

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调查传统营销组合在不同变化阶段的相关性：来自家庭回收的经验证据

目的

本研究旨在为社会营销计划中传统营销组合的相关性提供经验证据和不同视角。这是对社会营销领域关于传统营销组合（4P）的（不）兼容性的持续争论的回应。为此，本研究考察了行为改变的各个阶段在南非家庭回收利用的背景下对影响传统营销组合元素有效性的重要作用。

设计/方法/方法

本研究采用定量方法，依赖于对南非 699 位户主的调查。应用多组分析和结构方程模型来测试变化阶段对营销组合元素对回收家庭废物意图的潜在影响的影响。

发现

结果表明，虽然传统的营销组合元素对回收家庭垃圾的意愿有边际影响，但进一步的分析表明，营销组合的这种影响取决于目标受众所处的变化阶段。因此，研究结果表明，当目标受众处于思考和准备阶段时，营销组合元素会显着影响回收意愿。

原创性/价值

虽然在社会营销计划中采用传统营销组合的批评者和支持者都提出了相关论点，但争论仍然主要是理论性的。本研究讨论了传统营销组合在行为改变计划中的局限性，以及在使用 4P 时基于行为改变阶段的分段方法的必要性。然而，鉴于社会营销文献中 4P 的霸权，本研究揭示了在不同变化阶段激活适当的“P”以影响回收行为意图。