Course

Leveraging Social Marketing for Sustainable Practices

Time limit: 90 days

$830 Enrol

Full course description

About this course

This online course has been designed to provide a clear, structured, and practical introduction to social marketing, with a specific focus on its application in promoting sustainable tourism and responsible behavioural change.

Purpose and Rationale

The course aims to explain social marketing by addressing common misconceptions, particularly the confusion between social marketing and social media. While often misunderstood, social marketing is a powerful discipline that leverages marketing principles to drive positive social and environmental outcomes. By educating a broader audience, including professionals, policymakers, and grassroots change agents, this course empowers learners to become effective architects of behaviour change initiatives that are both strategic and sustainable.

Focus Area: Sustainable Tourism

One of the key themes explored throughout the course is the intersection between social marketing and sustainable tourism. Learners will examine how social marketing can be used to:

  • Encourage responsible travel behaviours.
  • Support local communities and economies.
  • Preserve cultural integrity and protect natural environments.

Through a tourism lens, learners will gain hands-on experience in applying social marketing principles to address real-world challenges, such as over-tourism, environmental degradation, and cultural exploitation.

What You Will Learn

The course combines foundational knowledge with applied practice and is structured to support a diverse range of learners seeking to make a meaningful impact. Upon completion of this micro-credential, participants will be able to:

  • Understand and apply the core principles of social marketing to guide the design of behaviour change programs.
  • Conduct stakeholder-oriented research to uncover insights into behaviours, motivations, barriers, and contextual influences.
  • Identify, segment, and prioritise target audiences within broader populations to tailor strategies more effectively.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate social marketing interventions that offer mutual value, creating win-win outcomes for individuals, communities, and ecosystems.
  • Assess the competitive environment to ensure that social marketing programs are not only appealing but also viable and resilient in complex settings.

Learning Approach

This course adopts a learner-centred, interactive approach. We believe that the most effective learning occurs when individuals engage with complex ideas, reflect on different perspectives, and apply theory to practice. You will have opportunities to:

  • Work through real-world case studies and examples from sustainable tourism.
  • Apply social marketing frameworks to design your behavioural change initiative.
  • Complete assessments and earn a micro-credential that verifies your skills and knowledge.

Course Aims

By the end of this course, participants will be equipped with:

  • A deep understanding of how to apply social marketing as a structured, evidence-based methodology for behavioural change.
  • Practical tools and techniques to support change efforts across tourism and other social or environmental contexts.
  • The confidence to lead or contribute to behaviour change programs that are ethical, effective, and sustainable.
Duration
Complete in 90 days
Schedule
Self-paced learning
Delivery
Online
Cost
$830

Course Snapshot

What are the course learning outcomes?

After completing this course, you will be able to:

·        Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the principles of social marketing

·        Explain the benefits of Social Marketing in sustainable business practices

·       Develop and implement sustainable business practices in your work using key methodologies from this course.

What core topics are offered?

This course is structured into modules, covering:

Module 1: Introduction to Social Marketing – Thinking Like a Marketer

In this foundational module, you’ll explore what social marketing really is and what it is not. You’ll learn how to think like a social marketer by understanding what truly motivates people and how to place citizens at the centre of social change efforts. The focus is on empowering communities, fostering participation, and bringing people along with you through the social marketing process. This module lays the groundwork for creating inclusive, people-first programs that deliver impact.

Module 2: Tackling Complex Problems with Complex Solutions

Social issues are rarely simple, and neither are the solutions. In this module, you’ll dive into the complexity of behavioural challenges and learn how to approach them strategically. Through real-world case studies, you’ll examine how social marketing principles are applied to co-design programs with communities, rather than for them. This module highlights the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and systems thinking in driving meaningful change.

Module 3: Creating Win-Win Solutions Through Co-Creation

This final module brings everything together. You’ll explore the differences between expert-led and co-created approaches, and why mutual value is crucial to achieving sustainable impact. By developing innovative, win-win solutions, you’ll learn how to design programs that benefit individuals, communities, and the broader system. This is where you put your learning into practice, translating theory into action and designing your behaviour change intervention.

Who is this course suited to?

This course is designed for a broad audience seeking to drive meaningful, sustainable behavioural change through the lens of social marketing. It is ideally suited to:

  • Griffith University students interested in developing practical, real-world skills in social marketing, sustainable tourism, and behaviour change theory.
  • Griffith University staff across academic and professional services roles who are looking to deepen their understanding of social marketing and apply it to engagement, outreach, or program design.
  • External organisations and industry partners involved in tourism, sustainability, community development, or behaviour change initiatives who wish to upskill their teams with evidence-based approaches.
  • Community-based professionals and practitioners working in health, education, environmental conservation, or social services who want to enhance their impact through structured behaviour change strategies.
  • Independent learners and professionals seeking professional development or a micro-credential to demonstrate expertise in social marketing and responsible tourism.

Whether you're designing programs, delivering services, or influencing change in policy, this course offers practical tools and insights to build programs that work for people, places, and the planet. No prerequisites needed for the course. 

What are the course credentials?

Each participant who finishes the course and receives 80% or more on the final quiz will receive a micro-credential badge. 

What does my course schedule look like?

This is a self-paced learning course with three modules. The modules are presented through a narrated PowerPoint that offers an in-depth discussion of the assigned chapters, along with detailed descriptions and case studies that complement the Social Marketing framework.

Who are the course facilitators?

Dr Jessica Harris is an Aboriginal researcher, lecturer, and behavioural change specialist with expertise in Indigenous engagement, social marketing, and systems-based program design. She leads national and international projects focused on creating impactful, community-led solutions, most recently in the areas of youth sexual violence prevention, Indigenous employment, and sustainable tourism.

Dr Harris has contributed to tourism initiatives that embed social marketing principles to promote responsible travel, support local economies, and protect cultural and natural heritage. Her work bridges behavioural science and community knowledge to design tourism programs that deliver mutual value for both visitors and host communities. She has collaborated with local governments, NGOs, and Indigenous businesses to build culturally safe, sustainable tourism strategies.

A recipient of the 2024 Indigenous ARC and multiple academic excellence awards, Dr Harris brings a unique combination of cultural insight, academic rigour, and practical experience to her work. Her approach centres on empowerment, co-creation, and long-term impact.

View Dr Jessica Harris' Profile