A Chronology of key events and publications in the development of Social Marketing Theory and Practice

The table is an attempt to capture significant events and publications associated with the development of the application of social marketing since the 1960s. The chronology table does not attempt to represent the development of the social marketing concept itself. The table does, however, illustrate that social marketing has developed into a broad community of practice and research with global reach.

For the sake of brevity, the table does not record the opening of every specialist academic center or every major social marketing program or even the many key academic papers that have helped to shape contemporary practice.

Readers interested in a fuller exploration of the significance and development of social marketing theory and practice may wish to read:

• French, J. (2015). The Unfolding History of the Social Marketing Concept. In D. Stewart (Ed.), The Handbook of Persuasion and Social Marketing (Vol. 2: Conceptual, Theoretical and Strategic Dimensions). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
• French, J. (2015). The Importance of Social Marketing History. Social Marketing Quarterly, 21(4), 191–193.
• Merritt, R. K., Kamin, T., Hussenöder, F., & Huibregtsen, J. (2017). The History of Social Marketing in Europe: The Story So Far. Social Marketing Quarterly, 23(4), 291–301.