Using social marketing to develop and test tailored health messages

Objective: To advance and promote procedures to evaluate tailored health messages based on the 4 Ps of social marketing (SM). Method: Three studies are presented for heuristic purposes to show the evolution and application of a "research plan" to 3 phases of SM research that address the 4 Ps. Results: Qualitative and quantitative methods provide useful information to develop messages and to evaluate message efficacy for public health campaigns, to recruit participants to interventions, and/or to influence program adherence and participant retention. Conclusions: Formal, systematic research methods offer a viable means to evaluate the potential of SM constructs.