During the mid-1990s, a social marketing program was implemented to increase enrollment and improve customer and employee satisfaction with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Texas. (Although this case is 20 years old, the approach used here is still relevant in today’s environment.)

Participant observation, in-depth interviews, telephone interviews, focus groups, and surveys were used to identify the needs, preferences, and characteristics of four target audiences: 

(1) Families eligible but not participating in the program, 

(2) Program participants, 

(3) Program employees, and 

(4) Professionals who refer people to the program. 

The results of this research were used to develop a comprehensive social marketing plan that included policy changes, service delivery improvements, staff and vendor training, internal promotion, public information and communications, client education, and community-based interventions. This plan was designed to change families’ perceptions of WIC as a welfare program that provided free food to low-income people by emphasizing nutrition education, health checkups, immunizations, and referrals. It included recommendations for lowering costs by repositioning the program as a temporary assistance nutrition and health program—“WIC—Helping Families Help Themselves”—in which families can maintain their pride and self-esteem as they earn their WIC benefits and learn about nutrition and other ways to help their families.

Questions 

1. Why did the operators of the WIC program feel it was necessary to obtain information concerning consumers who used and did not use its services?

2. What methods were applied to develop a profile of users and nonusers?

3. In what way did they position the program to make it more appealing to eligible beneficiaries?

4. How was the repackaged program promoted to the public?