The ESMA board

It is a great honour to be elected to continue my work on the ESMA Board. I am a social marketing specialist, researcher and teacher with a long-standing interest in social change. Throughout my studies and career, I have been committed to supporting the advancement of social marketing as illustrated by my contributions to theory, practice and the development of the ESMA community.

I have been involved in ESMA since its creation, holding different positions on the Board. As a founding member, volunteer and secretary I contributed to the creation of the Association’s branding and website, setting up the membership and managing the ESMA communications. As a member and Chair of the ESMA Board I have contributed to the expansion of our community, development of services for our members, new alliances and affiliations with regional and national social marketing associations, delivery of learning, training and networking opportunities including two Critical Social Marketing Symposiums, three European Social Marketing Conferences, and one World Social Marketing Conference.

I am keen to use my networks, expertise in social marketing, equality, diversity and inclusion and professional association work experience which have given me rich insight on the needs of ESMA to continue to further develop the association and our community. I work with the Board to expand the impact of ESMA in mobilising our community of practice to support collaboration on social change programmes across Europe and beyond. Another aim is to develop accessible networking and knowledge sharing opportunities at the local and regional level and support early career social marketers by facilitating their involvement in ESMA projects and creating opportunities for their professional development.

Social marketing is a core part of my professional identify, both in terms of teaching, research, peer-review, conferences and connections with practice.

Social marketing offers a unique approach to solving social, environmental and public health problems that impact on us all. It does so by using the same methods of communication, branding, product and service development as commercial marketing, and then combining this with a deep insight into social and behavioural sciences. As a discipline, social marketing has recently turned 50, but the approach continues to develop at pace to adapt to the constantly changing nature of society. I find this to be such a fascinating and effective way to address societal issues and am delighted to use my position as ESMA Board Member to further strengthen the role of social marketing across Europe.

I have published on a number of social marketing topics, including theory, ethics and more applied research into alcohol advertising and graphic health warnings on tobacco products. My research is currently focusing on consumer dominance in social marketing and how individuals self-organise into social groups that drive societal and environmental change from the bottom up.

I am a social marketing researcher, passionate for social causes and projects with the purpose of improving the welfare of society. Following social marketing experience at the Portuguese Ministry of Health, in the National HIV/AIDS program, I became a marketing scholar at the University of Minho (Portugal), with special research interests in the field of social marketing. I participated in the initial discussion meetings around ESMA’s identity and statement purpose and I have spoken and presented at a number of ESMA and iSMA events.

As an ESMA board member, I aim to help the organisation strengthen the connections between scholars and practitioners, in order to promote theoretically-based good practices and research into relevant topics for practitioners. I also believe that it is important to strengthen the positioning of social marketing in the marketing field, by promoting the research impact of the discipline in a growing number of research journals and achieving greater media coverage, particularly in the digital environment. Finally, I believe it is important to promote the growth of the ESMA community through events and learning initiatives. It is vital that the lessons of social marketing application during the pandemic around the world should be systematised in order to provide guidance for future applications.

I am a researcher and project manager at Jean Monnet University in Saint-Étienne, France. With a multidisciplinary background in health psychology and public health, I integrate social marketing into my work to address pressing public health challenges. My research focuses on the influence of media on population health behaviors, with a special focus on adolescents—particularly regarding tobacco and alcohol use. I work closely with practitioners to develop evidence-based preventive and educational programs for schools.

Recently, in collaboration with two other teams, we secured national funding to develop a network of diverse stakeholders in France aimed at researching and raising awareness about the commercial determinants of health and their impact on addiction.

I love attending ESMA and WSMC conferences, which have always been invaluable sources of inspiration and collaboration. They offer great opportunities to network and discuss social marketing with fellow colleagues. As a member of the ESMA Board, I am committed to fostering connections between researchers and practitioners, supporting early-career professionals, and helping to advance the field of social marketing across Europe and beyond.

Gonzalo Díaz Meneses (1966) is a dedicated and interdisciplinary full professor of Marketing at Las Palmas of Gran Canaria University (Spain). His commitment to the field is evident in his extensive academic journey. He earned his PhD in Marketing (ULPGC) with a thesis focused on social marketing for recycling. This research aimed to understand consumer recycling responses and develop practical implications for encouraging this socially desirable behaviour through optimized campaigns.

Gonzalo Díaz Meneses is a highly qualified academic, holding an impressive array of degrees. He has an MSc in Market Research (UNED), an MBA (EAE & UB), a diploma in Datamining (UNED), an MSc in Digital Marketing (UOC), and degrees in Politics and Sociology (UCM) and Geography and History (UCM). He is finishing a Diploma in EMI (ULPGC) and starting a new master’s in Strategic Business Analytics (EAE).

His research, with a strong focus on marketing, has led to more than 160 scientific publications in social marketing, consumer behaviour and tourism. He is a member of several journal scientific boards, such as The International Journal on Public Policy and Nonprofit Marketing, The International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, The Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing, The Journal of Social Marketing, the Journal of Fashion Marketing & Management, Tourism Critiques: Theory and Practice, and Tourism Analysis.

Gonzalo Díaz Meneses’ academic journey has taken him to various European and American universities, where he has shared his knowledge and expertise. He has taught at institutions in Lieja, Lathi, Byalistok, Bolonia, Bicocca, Siddansk, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Oxford Brookes, Leeds, Bremen, and Berlín, as well as UCA, UAP, Temuco, and Lethbridge.

Finally, he is a paid-up member of the Spanish Association of Marketers (AEMARK), the European Social Marketing Association (ESMA), and the International Association on Public and Nonprofit Marketing.

I am honoured to be elected for a second time to serve on the ESMA Board. I was one of the founding members of the association and have served on the Board since its inception. I have helped to develop the association and its services into a significant champion for social marketing across Europe.

I am a passionate advocate for social marketing and have through my professional and academic contributions I believe made a positive contribution to the theoretical and practical implementation of social marketing in Europe and internationally. I believe I can continue to make a positive contribution to its work to capture and spread good practice in social marketing.

I volunteer to represent ESMA on the Board of the International Social Marketing Association, the planning committee for the European social marketing conference and to represent ESMA on at least one other working group.

Joining the ESMA Board is a natural step in my commitment to the promotion of social marketing. For many years, I have contributed to this field in France, both as a researcher specializing in individual and collective behavioural change, and as chair of Institut du Marketing Social (IMS) that I have co-founded in 2021 to promote social marketing in the French-speaking area. I currently represent ESMA in France and co-authored in 2019 the first French-language book on social marketing, which has become a key resource for practitioners and academics.

I am driven by the desire to contribute as a member of the board to advancing social marketing as a powerful force for change in Europe. More precisely, I am already highly involved in the success of ESMC26 in Montpellier. I have been involved in many networks and events, at a national and international level (see my resume) and I would like to share my expertise and skills honed through my role at IMS and my academic career.

Furthermore, I shall propose establishing a focused ESMA group to address the specific development of social marketing in Southern Europe. Through exchanges with colleagues from Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Slovenia, I have identified critical similarities in our political, social, cultural, and economic contexts that require tailored strategies. This initiative will complement ESMA’s existing programs by providing targeted support to a region with unique needs and significant potential for growth in social marketing impact.

It is a great honour to be elected to serve on the ESMA Board.

With a background in marketing communication and management, I have been developing and implementing social marketing strategies within national health promotion programmes in Slovenia. These experiences have given me insight into the challenges of applying social marketing to public health, particularly in under-resourced settings, and into building capacity among health professionals.

Slovenia’s social marketing community is small but highly committed, and the Balkan region more broadly remains underdeveloped in this field despite growing needs. I am eager to strengthen ESMA’s role in supporting professionals in such contexts by fostering collaboration, advocating for evidence-based, user-centred interventions, and promoting professional development opportunities, especially for early-career social marketing practitioners.

I look forward to contributing to ESMA’s mission by building connections, advancing innovative approaches, and extending ESMA’s reach and impact in the Balkan region and across Europe.

As an Associate Professor at the University of Alicante (Spain), I currently conduct research into social marketing in relation to pro-environmental and addictive behaviours (alcohol, Internet, etc.). Regarding addictive behaviours, I am an evaluator of the Spanish Ministry of Health in the National Drugs Plan. Furthermore, I have also an extensive expertise in the field of sustainable tourism and behavioural change. Since I have been in academia, I have witnessed the important role of social marketing in international marketing forums and top journals, where I have published my research.

However, my interest in social marketing dates back to when I started volunteering for the Spanish Red Cross and Ayuda en Acción. In the latter, while studying my degree in Business Administration at the university, I taught women at risk of social exclusion how to create business plans with a social purpose. It was a very enriching experience to help many women grow as professionals and achieve financial independence. It became clear to me that I wanted to focus my personal and professional efforts on social marketing.

Since I became aware of ESMA, I have wanted to have an active voice in this organisation to help it grow and gain recognition worldwide. I am currently designing, along with other colleagues, a project to create an organisation of social marketing researchers and professionals in Spain, since there is currently no such organisation in my country.

I am an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Alicante (Spain), focusing strongly on social marketing, particularly in pro-environmental behaviour and addiction prevention. My academic journey in social marketing began with my master’s thesis on binge drinking among youth, later published in the Journal of Social Marketing. Since then, I have consistently worked at the intersection of behavioural change and public interest communication.

I currently serve as an evaluator for the Spanish Ministry of Health’s National Drugs Plan (PNSD), contributing to the design of evidence-based health strategies. My research spans sustainable tourism, climate-related behaviour, and youth engagement. In recent years, I have collaborated with NGOs such as Ayuda en Acción, leading projects on climate change awareness, climate anxiety, and migration narratives. I am also involved in a European partnership with IMT Lucca, the University of Florence, and AVIS, aimed at promoting voluntary blood and plasma donation.

As an ESMA member since 2021, I co-translated both the Global Consensus Definition of Social Marketing and the Key Concepts in Social Marketing course into Spanish to support wider access. I also serve as Co-Chair for Professional Development at iSMA, where I co-developed the Social Marketing Course Accreditation Services with Jeff French. Additionally, I am proud to be Co-Chair of the 2025 World Social Marketing Conference to be held in Alicante.

I joined the ESMA Board to help strengthen the link between research, practice and policy, and to foster wider adoption of social marketing approaches to address Europe’s pressing societal and environmental challenges.

A late arrival to social marketing after a previous career in the transport industry, I have worked for the UK National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC) since 2014. My work largely involves conducting research with hard-to-reach communities and providing practical social marketing training courses to public and private organisations, as well as NGOs, across the world.

Through my work at the NSMC I have seen the power of social marketing to change people’s lives and I am committed to the growth of the social marketing community across Europe. Whether it’s working to improve the access of hard-to-reach communities to vital health services in the UK or reducing gender-based violence in South Sudan, social marketing gives the marginalised a voice and the policy makers a chance to develop more customer-focused and innovative solutions to the challenges they face.

As Secretary to the ESMA Board, my primary responsibilities are to ensure the smooth operation of the Board and that members are kept in touch with our work. In particular, I am committed to increasing the participation of our national reps in the work of ESMA and to share amongst ourselves the great social marketing work going on around Europe.