The diaspora has already begun

Purpose – In MIP, Vol. 25 No. 1, Mike Saren argued that academic marketers need to move beyond our “traditional managerial and business confines”. This paper aims to suggest that the discipline is already on the move in that direction, and that social marketing is in the vanguard. Design/methodology/approach – Commissioned as a viewpoint, with permission to “think aloud”. Findings – The paper starts by restating the simple premise that marketing’s core business is behaviour change. Marketers are highly skilled at understanding people and persuading them to do things, mostly, but not only to buy and consume products and services. Furthermore, one increasingly influences behaviour at the strategic level, addressing stakeholders as well as customers, and recognising the benefits of turning transactions into long-term relationships. Social marketers are demonstrating that these insights have obvious and invaluable applications far beyond the marketplace. Practical implications – As researchers, teachers and practitioners, one should recognise the opportunities presented by social marketing, and act on them as appropriate. Originality/value – A persuasive argument for an authoritative source.