Changing The Way We Change Hearts And Minds

The way social marketers try to change behavior is itself changing – with new technologies and techniques promising to transform society.

“Now more than ever we can effectively communicate information and inspiration. And those are the ingredients that change and save lives,” says Billy Warden, account director at strategic communications agency Capstrat.

Warden will join Chief Creative Officer Todd Coats on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the 2007 PRSA International Conference in Philadelphia to discuss how Capstrat is combining social marketing with social networking. Social marketing refers to efforts that change behavior on a mass scale. Social networking includes an array of marketing tools, some old (word-of-mouth) and some new (blogs, viral e-mails, podcasts).

“Social marketing is always a big challenge because you’re asking people to change something important about the way they live. It’s personal,” says Coats. “Social networking techniques are also personal – meaning targeted and interactive. The upshot is, our messages have the potential to reach and persuade many more people.”

When the subject is health, for example, persuading people to take better care of themselves could save billions of dollars and millions of lives.

For more information, please contact Billy Warden at (919) 882.1968.

• WHO: Todd Coats and Billy Warden of Capstrat
• WHAT: “Behavioral Influence: Social Marketing Enters a New Age”
• WHERE: 2007 PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) International Conference National Constitution Center, Philadelphia
• WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
• 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

About Capstrat
Capstrat is a full-service strategic communications firm with offices in Raleigh, N.C. and Washington, D.C. The company’s services include public relations, public affairs, marketing communications and interactive communications.