Abstract
Background. The shortage of organ donations in in IRAN is a significant challenge that can be addressed through effective communication interactions. The dimensions of social marketing can positively impact people's behavior about organ donation. This study aimed to identify the effective components of the promotional advertising aspect of organ donation based on these dimensions.
Methods. This research was a scoping review to examine studies conducted in reputable databases from 2020 to 2024. This study sought to address the following question: What are the components and touchpoints that effectively contribute to increasing organ donation? A total of 83 articles were selected for inclusion in the study. Subsequently, thematic analysis was employed, focusing on components and themes influencing behavior change related to organ donation. Necessary coding was extracted to be considered an effective touchpoint in organ donation.
Results. From the 83 articles, three main domains, 12 components, and 120 codes were identified in the promotional advertising aspect of organ donation. Based on the research findings, the three important domains included factors affecting message effectiveness, types of messages, and communication channels. Regarding factors influencing effectiveness, four components were identified: message format, message sender, message recipient, and message evaluation. In the domain of message types, four components were identified: persuasive messages, informational messages, self-determination messages, and emotional messages. Regarding communication channels, four components were identified: event-based media, print media, digital media, and audiovisual media.
Conclusion. The present study demonstrated that using social marketing principles, particularly focusing on the needs and values of the audience, can increase awareness and participation in organ donation. This scoping review identified several factors that contribute to successful outcomes in increasing organ donation. However, these factors have rarely been studied in combination, indicating a gap in the literature. To enhance the effectiveness of campaigns in this field, future planning should place greater emphasis on designing long-term strategies and monitoring the effects of these initiatives.
Extended Abstract
Background
Organ donation is a vital method for saving lives, crucial in improving public health and reducing mortality caused by organ failure. However, the main barriers to increasing organ donation rates in many societies, including our own, include cultural, social, and perceptual challenges; a lack of public awareness; the gap between positive attitudes and actual intent to donate; and psychological factors. Currently, in our country, 25,000 patients are waiting for organ transplants, and every two hours, a patient in need of one loses their life. Meanwhile, 6,000 transplantable organs are buried annually. In 2020, Iran ranked 30th globally and first in Asia in terms of organ donation rates.
Social marketing is an approach that applies commercial marketing principles and techniques to influence the behavior of target audiences. It aims to promote social and individual well-being and create positive social behavior changes, including organ donation. The social marketing mix includes multiple dimensions that help design and implement effective programs for social behavior change. These dimensions include product, price, place, and promotion. Promotion refers to the methods of informing and communicating to encourage the audience to take action.
A key aspect of this field is identifying the effective components and touchpoints for delivering promotional messages that can best influence the target audience. Touchpoints refer to all interactions and communications that individuals or target groups have with messages, programs, or promotional activities related to organ donation. They play a significant role in shaping attitudes, increasing awareness, building trust, and ultimately encouraging individuals to take action, such as registering for organ donation. Properly designing touchpoints while considering social and individual values and concerns can significantly impact the success of advertising and social marketing campaigns in this field.
Therefore, this study aims to identify and analyze the components and touchpoints of promotional advertising from the perspective of social marketing in the context of organ donation. The results can contribute to the design of more effective advertising campaigns and increase participation rates in organ donation.
Despite extensive research on organ donation, comprehensive and integrated analyses identifying the key components of effective promotional advertising for organ donation are lacking. Most existing studies have focused solely on tools such as mass media, online advertisements, media campaigns, and social networks. While social marketing emphasizes effective communication with diverse target groups, the simultaneous use of multiple communication channels and the identification of the optimal combination of these touchpoints have been less explored in research. Therefore, there is a clear need for studies that evaluate the effectiveness of promotional advertising by identifying key components and touchpoints. This research can aid in designing appropriate strategies tailored to different cultures and, consequently, provide practical solutions for increasing organ donation rates in various communities.
Methods
This study aimed to identify the components, concepts, and key touchpoints in the promotional advertising aspect of organ donation in different regions of Iran and the world. To achieve this, we conducted a scoping review search to collect studies related to organ donation. We employed a scoping review, a systematic method for identifying and mapping existing studies in a specific field. This method allows for a comprehensive examination of the scientific literature and helps researchers understand the topic under study.
The study follows the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for conducting scoping reviews and adheres to the reporting standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Extended Version for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).
The studies were searched through reputable databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Emerald, and SID. Keywords related to organ donation and social media were used. Considering the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, this search strategy was designed broadly to yield more results and allow for a more focused and thorough article selection process. The inclusion criteria for studies in the scoping review encompassed all types of studies, gray literature, and various languages. Extracted studies were organized using EndNote software. Considering the volume of data and the aim to publish a systematic review, only studies published since 2020 were included.
All studies identified from the search were screened by title and abstract review. Studies not meeting the inclusion criteria were excluded. Subsequently, the content of the remaining studies was reviewed, and those meeting the inclusion criteria (with access to the full text) were included in the review.
Information related to touchpoints and key points concerning organ donation was extracted from each study included in the scoping review. The extracted data were analyzed using MaxQDA and Excel software. Thematic analysis is a qualitative method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data. In this method, data are meticulously reviewed, and important and recurring themes are identified and categorized.
To ensure the validity and reliability of the study, two independent researchers screened the articles, and any discrepancies were resolved using Rayyan software and input from academic supervisors. Limited access to the full text of certain articles was a constraint at this stage, but efforts were made to mitigate this issue to some extent.
Results In the initial search, 1797 articles were identified. Considering the existence of systematic reviews in the relevant field and the abundance of resources, 976 articles published between 2020 and 2024 were included. After excluding articles based on title, abstract, and lack of touchpoints related to the promotional advertising dimension, 83 articles were included in the study.
Of the total of 83 articles, 3 domains, 12 components, and 120 codes were identified within the promotional advertising aspect of organ donation. According to the study findings, three key domains in this area include factors influencing the effectiveness of messages, types of messages, and communication channels.
· In the domain of factors influencing effectiveness, four components were identified: message format, message presenter, message audience, and message evaluation.
· In the domain of message types, four components were recognized: persuasive messages, informational messages, self-determination messages, and emotional messages.
· In the domain of communication channels, four components were identified: event-based media, print media, digital media, and audio-visual media.
Conclusion
This study aimed to identify the components and touchpoints of promotional advertising within the social marketing framework to enhance awareness and participation in organ donation. The results revealed that message format, message source, and attention to the target audience are key components. Additionally, event-based media, print media, digital media, and audiovisual media were identified as crucial touchpoints for effective message delivery and community engagement. Emphasis on persuasive, informational, self-determination, and emotional messages- tailored to cultural and social values- is vital in message design.
The findings demonstrated that applying social marketing principles, particularly focusing on the needs and values of the target audience, can significantly improve awareness and participation in organ donation. Effectively utilizing research data to create credible and persuasive messages that can shift individuals' knowledge and attitudes toward behavioral intentions is essential.
Considering these insights and existing research findings, more effective communication strategies can be designed and implemented to promote the culture of organ donation and save lives. To enhance the effectiveness of promotional campaigns in this field, policymakers should focus on developing long-term strategies and continuously monitoring the impacts of these initiatives.
Practical Implications of Research Based
on the research results, it is suggested that the responsible organizations in organ donation pay more attention to the influential features of organ donation communication channels in order to witness more effective behavior change towards more organ donation.