Social Marketing for Behavioural Research

The course has been designed and will be delivered by Dr Marco Bardus, a subject matter expert in social marketing, behavioural science, and public health, drawing on both academic research and applied fieldwork across international contexts. The course will run over three half-day sessions.

Social marketing has been identified as a key training priority within the behavioural research community. This programme is therefore designed to build research capacity and support participants in developing effective behavioural intervention plans.

By the end of the course, participants will:

Strengthen their ability to enhance the translational and societal impact of their research

Develop a group social marketing strategy, created across all three sessions, with feedback from peers and experts

Learn through a hands-on, interactive approach, focusing on practical application rather than passive learning

Apply current frameworks, behaviour change theory, and audience segmentation techniques

Gain insights aligned with competencies set by the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) and the European Social Marketing Association (ESMA)

The workshop sessions combine structured teaching with collaborative group work, practical exercises, and facilitated discussions. Participants form small interdisciplinary groups on Day 1 and work together throughout to develop a social marketing strategy for a behavioural research challenge of their choosing.

Each day builds progressively on the last — from conceptual foundations and audience insight, through campaign design and message development, to implementation planning, evaluation, and final group presentations. The format allows participants to apply learning immediately, supported by worksheets, tutor guidance, and peer feedback at every stage.

The course covers the following topics:

Monitoring, evaluation, and Implementation planning with limited resources (zero-budget approach)

Foundations of social marketing and their application in behavioural research and public health

Situation analysis, problem framing, and defining the target behaviour

Setting clear goals and objectives grounded in behaviour change theory

Audience segmentation: behavioural, demographic, and psychographic approaches

The social marketing mix and crafting persuasive messageswith generative AI using storytelling, social norms, and behavioural insights

Selecting communication channels and leveraging effective messengers

No formal academic qualifications are required

Participants must be 18 years or older

All sessions are delivered in English; a working knowledge of English is required

Prior knowledge of social marketing is helpful but not essential

This workshop is suitable for anyone working at the intersection of behavioural research and public health practice, including:

• Postgraduate researchers and PhD students studying behaviour change
• Government health officers and policy advisors involved in prevention, health inequalities, or sustainability
• Academic staff seeking to increase the real-world impact of their research
• NGO and third-sector professionals delivering behaviour change programmes
• Clinical, health, and social care practitioners with an interest in prevention
• Research analysts and planners in healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations

Participants will benefit from interdisciplinary exchange, with opportunities to learn from colleagues across academia, policy, industry, and civil society.

Centre-UB Students, Fellows, Leadership Team = Free (Proof of affiliation required) Places are limited, so please apply as soon as possible.

University of Birmingham Staff/Students = £100 (Proof of student ID required)
External Participants = £500 (Discounts of 15% available for booking 2 delegates; 20% for 3 or more, from the same organisation).

All participants will also receive complimentary access to the online course “Introduction to Social Marketing for Public Health” (worth £350). https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/short-courses/medicine-and-health/introduction-to-social-marketing-for-public-health-online

To register your interest, please email [email protected] before 24 June 2026, as places are limited. Once your place is confirmed, you will need to register/make payment via this link Social Marketing for Behavioural Research | University of Birmingham Online Shop by 24 June 2026.

Centre-UB PhD students applying for a free place, must confirm their student ID number and include a 200–300-word statement, explaining their interest in and suitability for the workshop please.