The Role of Social Marketing Activities in Increasing Organ Donation: A Field Research

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 1716 - 1742, 30.12.2025

Serap Aydoğdu , Mevlüt Türk

https://doi.org/10.18506/anemon.1614854

Abstract

The need for organs, which is a social problem, and the efforts made to overcome this problem require a multidisciplinary approach. The success of every step taken in the medical field also affects the quality of human life. Our country has managed to make a name for itself in the international literature on organ transplants. However, despite this success, transplants from donors diagnosed with brain death remain very low. Steps should be taken to increase this rate. A responsibility for these steps also falls on social marketing. The success of social marketing in the marketing of health services has shown itself with many applications. Why shouldn't it show a similar success in organ donation campaigns? Effective organ donation campaigns can increase organ donation voluntariness. Based on this assumption, a study was conducted to determine the effect of social marketing activities on organ donation behavior. The main population of the study consists of individuals over the age of 18 residing in 11 central districts of Izmir. The study was completed by collecting survey data from a sample group of 1111 people. The hypotheses established in the study were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program. According to the correlation analysis findings; It has been determined that social marketing activities affect the perception of organ donation benefits, the perception of benefits affects attitudes, the attitude affects intentions, and the intention affects organ donation behaviors.

Keywords

Social Marketing , Tissue and Organ Donation , Donor

Sosyal Pazarlama Faaliyetlerinin Organ Bağışını Artırmadaki Rolü: Bir Alan Araştırması

Abstract

Toplumsal bir sorun olan organ ihtiyacı ve bu sorunun aşılması için harcanan çaba multidisiplener bir yaklaşım gerektirmektedir. Tıbbi alanda atılan her adımın başarısı insan ömür kalitesini de etkilemektedir. Ülkemiz organ nakilleri konusunda uluslararası literatürde adından söz ettirmeyi başarmıştır. Ancak bu başarı da beyin ölümü tanısı almış donörden nakiller çok düşük kalmaktadır. Bu oranın yükseltilmesine yönelik adımların ortaya konulması gerekmektedir. Bu adımlara yönelik bir sorumluluk da sosyal pazarlamaya düşmektedir. Sosyal pazarlamanın sağlık hizmetlerinin pazarlamasında ki başarısı birçok uygulama ile kendini göstermiştir. Neden benzer bir başarıyı organ bağış kampanyalarında göstermesin? Etkili organ bağışı kampanyaları ile organ bağışı gönüllülüğü artırılabilir. Bu varsayımdan hareketle sosyal pazarlama faaliyetlerinin organ bağışı davranışı üzerindeki etkisini belirlemeye yönelik olarak çalışma yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın ana kütlesini İzmir’in 11 merkez ilçesinde ikamet eden 18 yaş üzeri bireyler oluşturmaktadır. 1111 kişiden oluşan örneklem grubundan anket verisi toplanarak araştırma tamamlanmıştır. Araştırmada kurulan hipotezler SPSS 21.0 programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan korelasyon analizi bulgularına göre; sosyal pazarlama faaliyetleri ile organ bağışı fayda algısını, fayda algısı ile tutumu, tutum ile niyeti, niyet ile de organ bağışı davranışını etkilediği belirlenmiştir.

References

• AFSU Health Application and Research Center. (2025, May 25). Organ transplantation and organ donation. https://hastane.afsu.edu.tr/organ-nakli-ve-organ-bagisi.
• Akdogan, S. M., Coban, S., & Ozturk, R. (2012). Consumer evaluations of social marketing campaigns in the media: An application in Konya province. Erciyes University Journal of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, (39), 1-18.
• Alhussain, B. M., Alasmari, B. M., & Omair, A. (2018). Attitudes and perceptions towards organ donation in Riyadh. Journal of Health Specialties, 6, 68-71. https://doi.org/10.4103/jhs.JHS_153_17
• Altındag Mufti's Office. (2025, May 28). 03-09 November organ donation week. Presidency of Religious Affairs. https://ankara.diyanet.gov.tr/altindag/sayfalar/contentdetail.aspx?ContentId=143&MenuCategory=Kurumsal
• Argan, T. M. (2007). Social marketing approach to increasing organ donation: A study on attitudes towards organ donation, [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Anadolu University Institute of Social Sciences, Eskişehir.
• Aydogdu, S. (2020). The role and importance of social marketing understanding and practices in increasing organ donation: A study in Izmir, [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Inonu University Institute of Social Sciences, Malatya.
• Bornova Culture and Art Center. (2025, May 28). Tissue and organ donation. https://bornovakultursanat.ktb.gov.tr/TR331792/doku-ve-organ-bagisi.html
• Bozpolat, C. (2015). Social marketing practices of the state for health: An example of a campaign to combat obesity, [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Inonu University, Malatya.
• Chang, H., Kenneth C., & Leung, W. Y. (2003). Be a teacher after death: The message strategies of the body donation campaign in Taiwan, Conference Papers - International Communication Association. Annual Meeting, 1-25, San Diego, CA. https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2005.11726780
• Cosse, J., & Weisenberger T. M. (2000). Words versus actions about organ donation: A four-year tracking study of attitudes and self-reported behavior. Journal of Business Research, (50), 297-303.
• Dally, B. J. (2006). End of life decision making, organ donation, and critical care nurses. Critical Care Nurse, 26(2), 78-86. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2006.26.2.78
• Department of Tissue, Organ Transplantation and Dialysis Services (TTDIS). (2018, September 23). Public information pages. https://organkds.saglik.gov.tr /DSS/PUBLIC/PublicDefault2.aspx
• Donor Detection System. (2019, June 12). www.onkod.org.tr › admin › pages › files › Donor Detection Systems.
• Erol, F. (2017). The role of the digital world in closing social gaps: A study on the relationship between social media and social marketing. Gumushane University Social Sciences Institute Electronic Journal, 8(21), 33-48.
• Eser, Z., & Ozdogan, F. B. (2006). Social marketing for the welfare of society and quality of life. Political Bookstore. Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT). (2019, May 20). Executive Summary of 2018 Activity Data. https://www.transplant-observatory.org/ global-report-2018
• Guy, B. S., & Aldridge, A. (2001). Marketing organ donation around the globe. Marketing Health Services, 35(4), 31-35. Jones, C. S., Reis, S. L., & Andrews, K. L. (2008). Communication about organ donation intentions: Formative research for a social marketing program targeting families, International Nonprofit and Social Marketing Conference, Wollongong NSW, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/15245000902894040
• Hansen, S. L., Eisner, M. I., & Pfaller, L. (2018). Are you in or are you out? moral appeals to the public in organ donation poster campaigns: A multimodal and ethical analysis. Health Communication, 33(8), 1020-1034. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1331187
• Houston, F. S., & Gassenheimer, J. B. (1987). Marketing and exchange. Journal of Marketing, (51), 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298705100402
• Kaplan, M. (2020). Social marketing and volunteering: A study on blood donation. Journal of Buiness Research-Turk, 12(4), 3291-3309. https://doi.org/10.20491/isarder.2020.1041
• Kotler, P., & Zaltman, G. (1971). Social marketing: An approach to planned social change. Journal of Marketing, (35), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.2307/1249783
• Kotler, P. (2002). Improving the impact of social marketing, Social Marketing Conference (Clearwater, Florida June 21), (cited in Argan, M. T. 2007), Social marketing approach to increasing organ donation: A study on attitudes towards organ donation, [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Anadolu University, Institute of Social Sciences, Eskisehir.
• Kotler, P. (2005). Improving the impact of social marketing, kellogg school of management. July 30, www.wfs.org/kotler.ppt, (cited in Argan, M. T. 2007), Social marketing approach to increasing organ donation: A study on attitudes towards organ donation, [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Anadolu University, Institute of Social Sciences, Eskisehir.
• Mendes, K. D. S., Roza, B. A., & Barbosa, S. F. (2012). Organ and tissue transplantation: Responsibilities of nurses. Text Context Nursing, 21(4), 945-953. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-07072012000400027
• Mithra, P., Ravindra, P., & Unnikrishnan, B. (2013). Perceptions and attitudes towards organ donation among people seeking healthcare in tertiary care centers of coastal South India. Indian Journal Palliat Care, 19(2), 83-87. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.116701
• Rothschild, M. (1997). An historic perspective of social marketing. Journal of Health Communication, 2, 308-309.
• Santas, G., & Santas, F. (2018). Current status of organ donation in Turkey and the importance of strategic communication in organ donation. SDU Health Sciences Institute Journal, 9(2), 163-168. https://doi.org/10.22312/sdusbed.298160.
• Schnitzlera, M., Whiting, J. F., & Brennan, D. C. (2005). The life-years saved by a deceased organ donor. American Journal of Transplantation, 5, 2289-2296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.01021.x
• Stead, M., Hastings, G., & Mcdermott, L. (2007). The meaning, effectiveness and future of social marketing. Obesity Reviews, 8(1), 189-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2007.00340.x
• Temel, K. & Akinci, F. (2016). The role of advertising and social media in healthcare marketing. Prehospital Journal, 1(2), 27-37.
• TUIK. (2018, September 23). Population data of Izmir province. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Adrese-Dayali-Nufus-Kayit-Sistemi-Sonuclari-2018.
• Turkish Organ Transplant Foundation (TOTF). (2018, November 18).Türkiye tissue and organ donation data. https://www.tonv.org.tr/organ-bagisi/istatistikler
• Uner, T., & Bas, M. (2018). A study on the social marketing scale developed using Carroll's corporate social responsibility model. Journal of Business Research, 10(4), 304-332. https://doi.org/10.20491/isarder.2018.525
• Venturini, R. (2016). Social marketing and big social change: Personal social marketing insights from a complex system obesity prevention intervention. Journal of Marketıng Management, 32(11), 1190-1199. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1191240
• Vicdan, A. K., Peker, S., & Ucer, B. (2011). Determination of the attitudes of Aksehir health college students towards organ donation. TAF Prev Med Bull, 10(2), 175-180.
• WHO-ONT. (2025, May 28). 2023 International report on organ donation and transplantation activities. WHO-ONT Parliamentary Question, (Number: 54567092-610). http://www2.tbmm.gov.tr/d26/7/7-9037sgc.pdf.
• Wiebe, G. D. (1952). Merchandising commodities and citizenship on television. Public Opinion Quarterly. 15(4), 679-691. https://doi.org/10.1086/266353
• Yeung, I., Kong, S. H., & Lee, J. (2000). Attitudes towards organ donation in Hong Kong. Social Science & Medicine, 50(11), 1643-1654. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00393-7