20: Social Marketing of Alternative Transportation Modes

Researchers and practitioners working with travel demand management (TDM) seem to be increasingly interested in social marketing as a means for promoting non-car modes of transportation. However, as is true for social marketing in general, there is little clarity of the social marketing approach associated with TDM. Hence, it is not surprising that the effectiveness of this means is subject to considerable uncertainty. This chapter outlines the field and the definitions of social marketing as well as reviews the practical experience and the research on social marketing in TDM as a basis for evaluating the usefulness of social marketing in this area.