Social Marketing in the Caribbean: Philosophy, Programs, Projects, and Pedagogy

This article chronicles a brief history of social marketing practice in the Caribbean by reviewing the thinking that led to the introduction of social marketing in the region. The early years of social marketing in the Caribbean were characterized by donor-funded programs and projects that addressed social issues such as environmental protection, family planning, contraception and fertility control, and sexual and reproductive health matters. Various examples of Caribbean media campaigns and interventions that have utilized social marketing principles are presented. While these initiatives have made a contribution, perhaps the strongest impetus for sustaining social marketing practice in the region has been the introduction of education and training in social marketing in Caribbean academia. With the increasing institutionalization of social marketing, Caribbean researchers and practitioners of social marketing are now poised to make a further contribution to the field