Applications of the marketing perspective in nutrition education

The marketing paradigm is based on the premise of exchange of value, that is, value received for value given. The role of the nutrition educator as a marketer is to facilitate exchanges of value with consumers. To carry out this role, a strong orientation to the consumer, what she or he wants and needs and is willing to "pay," guides the development of the nutrition education mission, objectives, and strategies. The marketing paradigm calls for a marketing information system that includes internal record keeping, marketing intelligence gathering, and marketing research. The information is used in the marketing audit, which identifies organizational strengths and weaknesses and marketplace opportunities and barriers. Marketing objectives are formulated, and strategies for segmenting, positioning, and developing the marketing mix follow. These are translated in the marketing plan to an action plan, a budget, and profit and loss projections. Use of the marketing paradigm in nutrition education is not a panacea for organizational ills and marketplace problems. Instead, the paradigm raises issues to which nutrition educators must bring their expertise, commitment, ingenuity, and creativity.