Social Marketing & Behaviour Change for the common good.
We help executives, public bodies and organisations in Greece and Cyprus use social marketing to influence behaviour in ways that create value — and earn citizens’ acceptance.
The Institute — what it is all about
The Social Marketing Institute is an institute of Mindspark+. It was created to advance the field of social marketing among executives and organisations in Greece and Cyprus — through information sessions, training programmes, and access to contemporary knowledge and methodologies for applying a social marketing approach.
Our objectives include primary and secondary research on initiatives that embody the social marketing methodology, writing scientific articles based on empirical findings, and publishing them in international academic journals and conferences.
SMI Greece is also a scientific bridge connecting Greece with the international social marketing community, including the International Social Marketing Association and the European Social Marketing Association.
Why social marketing matters for society and governments
The basis for understanding social marketing is that it is mainly about influencing human behaviour in a way that creates value and wins citizens’ acceptance.
Social marketing is not new. For more than fifty years, people and governments around the world have used it to develop and deliver programmes tackling major social challenges — disease prevention, family planning, environmental protection, economic development, crime reduction and regulatory compliance.
In Greece, its first appearance is often credited to Kapodistrias, who — understanding Greek behaviour and culture — found an ingenious way to persuade citizens to add potatoes to their diet.
Learn more about social marketing →Our work, published
We document what works. Our flagship case study was published in Social Marketing Quarterly and recognised at the World Social Marketing Conference.
Trikala Quits Smoking
A citizen co-creation programme designed to enforce the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in Greece.
The case describes how Trikala — recognised three times as a smart city since 2009 and one of the most digitally progressive municipalities in the country — set out to establish new social norms against the national indifference toward the indoor smoking law. It outlines the process and lessons learned in protecting adults and children from second-hand smoke by shifting the perceptions of the community, businesses and local government.
Read the case study →Delivered by the people of the initiative
Past workshops and events on social marketing — in Greece, Romania, Scotland and beyond.
Trikala 2.0 Workshop
Social Marketing for Social Enterprises
StartUp4Good: Explore the Mindset
Marketing for Good, Part 2
Εργαστήρι Κοινωνικού Marketing με τον iSMA & Impact Hub Athens
Social Marketing as a Tool for Social Change
Society for Social Psychiatry & Mental Health
ΕΡΤ — Social Growth, Επεισόδιο 11: «Με εμπιστεύεσαι;»
In the eleventh episode of Social Growth, Arsenia Malakozi and Anna Tsiakiri present the Society for Social Psychiatry & Mental Health in Alexandroupoli, which since 1981 has provided services that improve living conditions for people with mental disorders, with a focus on vocational rehabilitation.
Leonidas Skerletopoulos, social marketing consultant mentoring social entrepreneurship in Alexandroupoli, explains why building customer trust is essential for a new business to succeed.
Who we are, and who we work with
A small founding team backed by internationally recognised academics and practitioners in social marketing and behaviour change.
Leonidas Skerletopoulos
Marketing & Communications expert specialised in Social Marketing & Behaviour Change. Board of Directors, International Social Marketing Association.
View profile →
Angela Makris
International Social Researcher, University of South Florida.
View profile →Partners
Professor Jeff French
Global thought leader in Social Marketing & Behaviour Influence. ESMA Board Member, CEO Strategic Social Marketing, Emeritus Professor King’s College London & Brighton University.
Dr Mahmooda Khaliq Pasha
Assistant Professor, University of South Florida. Associate Director, WHO Collaborating Centre on Social Marketing and Social Change.
Dr Ariadne Beatrice Kapetanaki
Lecturer in Marketing, University of York.
Dr Delia Stefenel
Social researcher. Co-founder, European Social Impact Institute; Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu.
Dr Ioanna Yfantidou
Lecturer in Marketing, Liverpool John Moores University.
Moments from the field
Workshops, conferences and keynotes from Trikala, Thessaloniki, Edinburgh, Antwerp and Sibiu.
Planning a programme that needs people to change behaviour?
Talk to us about training, research or a social marketing approach for your organisation.