Regional Associations - International Social Marketing Association (iSMA)

iSMA Regional Associations

As regional and local social marketing associations have formed around the globe, implementing social marketing frameworks that incorporate vested behaviors to promote health, environment, policy, and finance improvements in their respective regions, the role of the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) serves to connect and support each of these associations.

The Social Marketing Association of North America (SMANA) was established in June 2016 to unite and empower behavior change agents in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and the United States. SMANA’s members are change agents from all sectors: social marketers, behavioural scientists and economists, conservation psychologists, environmental educators, behaviour change communicators, entertainment educators, health communicators, design thinkers and more, all working to advance behaviour change for social good.

The Latin American Social Marketing Association (LAMSO) promotes social marketing research and practice in Latin America by providing a platform for exchange and mutual learning among professionals, academics and students interested in promoting social change in the region. Formal conversations to create LAMSO began after the 2017 World Social Marketing Conference in Washington, D.C. The Association aims to respond to the needs and realities of countries sharing a cultural, social, political and economic legacy and horizon, using marketing tools and theory to encourage behaviour changes for social good.

The European Social Marketing Association was founded with the aim to connect social marketing people, research and practice at the European level. By creating a community where people practicing and researching social marketing in Europe can connect with other colleagues to share experiences, knowledge, findings, methods, and practices ESMA endeavours to contribute to the development, evidence base and promotion of the social marketing discipline in Europe.

The Australian Association of Social Marketing (AASM) commenced in 2009 after discussion amongst the Australian Social Marketing academics attending the 2009 International Nonprofit and Social Marketing conference – INSM (now known as the International Social Marketing conference – ISM). As the peak body representing social marketers in Australia, AASM aims to provide support for social marketers throughout the country and act as a central resource for those engaged in, or interested in, social marketing practice and research.

The Northwest Social Marketing Association is an organization made up of members of the social marketing community across the northwestern United States and western Canada. Its purpose is to promote the general advancement of the application and practice of social marketing; advance the interests of social marketing professionals; facilitate training, education and research; provide a forum for exchange of information related to the practice; and promote understanding and education about social marketing among the general public, as well as policymakers.

The African Social Marketing Association (AfSMA) is a growing community of professionals and academics across the continent who are enthusiastic and passionate about social marketing and social and behaviour change, leveraging social marketing techniques in addressing the numerous social challenges bedevilling Africa and Africans.

The AfSMA has a focused agenda of bringing together social marketing (SM), and social and behaviour change (SBC) practitioners, academics, researchers, and policy makers including macro stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations, and donors. The association seeks to help build capacity and nurture the social marketing space in Africa, creating an output which would be a sustainable cadre of expertise to support the scale of more effective social marketing programs and interventions on the continent.

Asian Social Marketing Association (ASMA) is a non-political, non-religious association established to bring together academics, students, policymakers, and practitioners from the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors to promote the effective use of social marketing to address social problems across Asia (Asia as defined by the UN Statistics Division M49 Standards, that ranges from Türkiye and Cyprus in the West, Japan in the East, Mongolia in the North, and Indonesia and Timor-Leste in the South). Its core aim is to raise awareness of social marketing, facilitate networking, and support the adoption of the evidence‑based behaviour change framework. ASMA will share best practices from across the continent, amplify Asian wisdom for social change, build decolonised knowledge, contribute to social marketing theory and practice, strengthen the capacity of professionals working in communities, and ensure that activities and partnerships align with the Sustainable Development Goals. ASMA will function as an apex coordinating body, working with country‑level and regional Asian associations. ASMA is committed to being of the Asians, by Asians, and for Asians.