Health promotion meets social marketing: the Monash Preschool Dental Program (MPDP)

Social marketing principles have long been employed in the field of health promotion, although often without full and strategic inclusion and integration of all elements of the marketing mix. Typically, large population segments are targeted for behavioural change via mass media campaigns. A recent study concluded that while professionals self-identifying as ‘health promoters’ can enhance their effectiveness by such increased strategic inclusion and utilisation of mix elements, they can also offer models of social marketing practice from which other marketers can learn. The Monash Pre-school Dental Program (MPDP) is offered as a case study exemplifying the successful application of a ‘community development’ approach we can recognise as incorporating strong elements of relationship marketing, within social marketing principles. Marketing network theory is suggested as one key framework that may be expanded through further study of such cases. The case exemplifies the mutual learning available between health promoters and other marketers.