Social marketing refers to the use of marketing techniques to motivate behavioral change for the well-being of individuals, communities, or society. Social marketing may be undertaken by governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), or, less commonly, by businesses. Well-known targets of social marketing campaigns include behaviors related to public health and safety, environmental health, and community involvement. Examples include anti-smoking, anti-obesity, and responsible drinking campaigns. Social marketing occasionally addresses topics that are culturally sensitive, such as AIDS prevention, organ donation, and family planning and contraception.

Social marketing is one essential element of sustainable marketing. In their book Sustainable Marketing, Diane Martin and John Schouten describe sustainable marketing as both marketing sustainably (i.e., conducting marketing activities according to principles of environmental and social sustainability) and marketing sustainability (e.g., using ...