Where is our Coke?

“Where is the Coke?” was the question posed by seasoned social marketer Dr Bill Smith (Executive Vice President, Academy for Educational Development) at the World Social Marketing Conference, held in Brighton in September 2008.1 The ‘Coke’ in question referred to the ‘product’, one of the four key elements of the traditional marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion), which are used to achieve marketing objectives. His remark reflects a growing recognition that despite the apparent simplicity of the ‘4Ps’ tool and the value it brings to marketing efforts, many ‘social marketing’ initiatives focus on producing message campaigns, without first ensuring that the right product is offered at the right price in the right place.