Certified in Public Health (CPH) Practice Exam

Which term refers to a consumer-driven application of sales techniques to encourage positive health behaviors?

1. Health communication

2. Health promotion

3. Focus group testing

4. Social marketing

The correct answer is: Social marketing

The term that captures the consumer-driven application of sales techniques to encourage positive health behaviors is social marketing. This approach applies marketing principles and techniques to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good. It emphasizes understanding consumer needs and preferences, just as businesses do to sell products or services. Social marketing campaigns often tailor their messages to appeal to specific audiences, aiming to change behaviors related to health issues such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, or physical activity. This methodology goes beyond traditional health education by using insights from consumer behavior, ensuring that strategies resonate with the target population. While health communication and health promotion are also relevant terms in public health, they serve different roles. Health communication focuses on the dissemination of health information, while health promotion encompasses broader strategies to improve health, which may include social marketing but does not specifically emphasize consumer-driven methods. Focus group testing is a technique used to gather feedback on ideas and messaging, rather than a direct application of sales techniques for behavior change.