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AC7027 – Managing health improvement through social marketing

University

Subject

FACULTY OF HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES

Module Code

AC7027
AC7027 - Managing health improvement through social marketing

Welcome everybody! We are looking forward to working with you on this module
which we know you will enjoy. This handbook is designed to provide you with an
overview of the module. As such, it complements, and should be used in
conjunction with various other information which can be found at your ‘My
Northumbria’ site. It is important that you read carefully certain documents such
as the Programme handbook, the University Handbook of Student Regulations.
Please ask for clarity as required.
WHAT WILL I LEARN ON THE MODULE?
In this module, you will learn how to critically consider managing health
improvement through the use of social marketing techniques and approaches.
You will explore understanding what social marketing consists of and how it can
be used in managing health improvement practice .The module will enable you to
identify and critically reflect on the main theoretical principles underlying the
practice of health related social marketing and critically apply these to improving
health and reducing health inequalities. You will examine how marketing
techniques can be used to influence behaviour change, health promotion and
positive social change. You will learn how to effectively solve real-world problems
and develop skills to enable you to plan implement and evaluate appropriate
social marketing health interventions. Key topics you will study include:-
• Overview of social marketing in the context of health improvement
• Conceptual models of social marketing for health
• Planning a social marketing intervention
• Evaluating social marketing for health interventions
• The application of social marketing for health in practice
• Key models and approaches of health promotion
• The application of communication techniques in social marketing for health

HOW WILL I LEARN ON THE MODULE?
You will engage in a range of learning and teaching activities including lectures,
tutorials, and seminars and guided learning. You will undertake classroom/online
based discussions and case study analysis using contemporary literature and
research to facilitate your active learning, discussion and critical thinking.
Through directed and independent study you will be encouraged to integrate
contemporary social marketing for health theory, policy and practice, and to
present your findings to both peers and tutors by engaging in debates on key
social marketing for health topics. Collaborative learning will be facilitated to

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enable you to learn with, from and about each other to promote an ethos of
collaborative working for health improvement and social marketing. Peer learning
offers you opportunities to explain concepts to each other within a framework
provided by staff, and to extend your learning in a team approach. Technology
Enhanced Learning (TEL) will be integral to the module in order to enhance your
learning journey. The module will be supported by the E Learning Portal and
other online resources such as websites, which allow access to a range of
material. Your lectures will be recorded and stored within the e-learning portal for
you to visit again if you wish. The module will use electronic digitised reading
lists, electronic assessment submission and the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software
that is also used as a formative learning tool.

How will I be supported academically on this module?
The module lead will provide guidance and support for the duration of the module
and help you in relation to your academic progress. You are given ongoing
guidance about issues such as assessment requirements, monitoring your
progress, timetabling and room changes. The module tutor will provide you with a
one to one tutorial to ensure you have an opportunity to ask questions and
explore any issues that you feel need clarified or where you want to share your
thinking on a subject. The tutorial will also give you the opportunity to probe and
explore the concepts and theories discussed in the teaching sessions. Contact
details for all academic and administrative team members are available for you in
the programme and module handbooks on the e-learning portal. Electronic
teaching and learning materials are also provided and updated on the e-learning
portal. This includes assessment information, PowerPoint presentations, activity
sheets, exemplars, instructional materials, module evaluation materials and
relevant web links. Reading lists will be available electronically and web based
resources) will provide support materials. All of these online resources are
available out with the scheduled teaching sessions. The University libraries offer
generous opening hours and an award winning range of services. In particular,
you might find the Skills Programme and online multimedia ‘SkillsPlus’ resources
helpful. If English is not your first language, you will also have access to the
Academic Language Skills (ALS) module to help you further develop academic
writing and study skills.

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Module Abstract
The overall aim of this module is to enable you to critically consider the
complexities of managing health improvement using social marketing techniques
and approaches. It explores theories of social marketing for health and the
application of those theories to health improvement practice. This module will
enable you to identify the main theoretical principles underlying the practice of
health-related social marketing and critically apply these to improving health and
reducing health inequalities. The module examines how marketing techniques
can be used for health promotion and positive social change and you will learn
how to effectively solve real-world problems and develop appropriate social
marketing initiatives.

Module Learning Outcomes
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. You will be able to demonstrate
your knowledge and understanding
of a range of contrasting
perspectives about social marketing
for health and its role in managing
health improvement.
2. You will develop a systematic
understanding and critical
awareness of key insights relating to
behaviour change, communication
theory and health promotion
models.
Intellectual / Professional skills &
abilities:
3. You will critically review the
concept, principles and theoretical
models of social marketing for
health including the concepts of
ethical challenges and social
responsibility, marketing, health
promotion and communication.
4. You will be able to critically evaluate
social marketing approaches, based
on the best available evidence and

How will I be assessed?
Formative
Your knowledge and understanding,
learning needs, and academic progress on
the module is monitored by a short multiple-
choice test and a group discussion in class
on an example of a social marketing
intervention on a health improvement topic
of interest. These formative activities will
feed forward into your summative
assessment by enabling you to make a
judgement about your level of knowledge
and understaffing of key concepts and
principles in social marketing for health and
their application within a health
improvement context. (All MLOs)
Feedforward and feedback are given
verbally following your short test by the
module tutor. Peer and tutor verbal
feedback will be part of the group
discussion.
At the end of the module the assessment to
evaluate your achievement of the learning
outcomes is a 3,000 word written structured
proposal for a health improvement social
marketing intervention which critically

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research.
.
Personal Values Attributes (Global /
Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity)
(PVA):
5. You will develop and reinforce the
characteristics of a Northumbria
graduate as you consider the values
that underpin the use of social
marketing as an approach in
tackling health improvement and
reflect on how they link with your
own values.

analyses management implications and the
application of social marketing for health.(
summative assessment) (All MLOs)
In your final assessment, written feedback is
provided using a marking grid with specific
marking criteria.

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HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

Hand-in date: May 23 rd 2023
Word length: 3,000 words (total)
Presentation: 1.5 line spacing, minimum font 11, use subheadings for different
sections and PRINT WORD LENGTH at end of work
To confirm: A 3,000 word individual assignment will be submitted on May 23 rd
2023
Please submit electronically using turnitin on the elp site under the assessment
tab on the module elp site.
Please ensure that you always keep a copy of your work.
The assessment is a 3,000 word written structured proposal for a health
improvement social marketing intervention which critically analyses
management implications and the application of social marketing for
health. The proposed intervention should be focused on a health-related
issue that is suitable for using social marketing as an approach to change
an identified behaviour for health improvement.
The aim of the assignment is to:
Enable students to demonstrate a critical understanding of the main
theoretical principles underlying the management and practice of health-
related social marketing within a health improvement context.
The proposal should include discussion of:
 What is social marketing for health and why is it considered a useful
approach to health-related behaviour change
 The key concepts and principles underpinning social marketing for health
and the application to a chosen intervention.
 Appropriate methodologies and planning processes/tools for developing
health improvement related social marketing interventions.
 An outline plan for a proposed social marketing intervention.
 The strengths and limitations of using social marketing as an approach
within health improvement.
 The management issues associated with the use of social marketing for
health.
It is expected that discussion of these points will include:

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 Critical analysis of the application and management of social marketing
techniques and principles in a health improvement context .
 Critical analysis of the systematic process of developing, planning and
managing health-related social marketing interventions.
 Critical debate of the strengths and limitations and management issues
associated with the use of a social marketing approach to tackling key
health improvement issues.
Helpful tips
 You need to choose a behavior change that will be the focus for your
proposed intervention. This should be an intervention that is promoting a
behaviour change that is focused on an appropriate topic e.g. smoking/
obesity/ screening , and target audience e.g. women of a certain age/
patients with a particular condition etc. You must decide.
 This is a structured proposal so use sub-headings in your assignment to aid
structure and coherence
 Use a social marketing planning tool to help structure your work
 Draw on the extensive range of social marketing literature
 Apply theoretical frameworks to actual practice – use examples where
possible
 Check reference citations and listings (Harvard style please)
 Avoid plagiarism