Ways of using marketing techniques to change social behaviour in Ireland will be discussed at an NUI Galway conference on Friday, 15 May. Entitled 'Changing Lives for Good', the event will explore the emerging field of Social Marketing which is being successfully applied to tackle social problems around the world. Social marketing is the application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals for a social good. Social Marketing has already had some success tackling issues such as obesity, smoking and road safety in countries including the USA, Canada, Britain, France, New Zealand and Australia. The leading authority in the US on Social Marketing, Nancy Lee, will draw from her 25 years of practical experience in the field to deliver the keynote address at the event. Nancy Lee serves as a strategic adviser on a variety of local and national social marketing campaigns in the US, and has co-authored five books with marketing guru, Philip Kotler. Organising the conference is Dr Christine Domegan, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway. Dr Domegan is convinced of the value of Social Marketing and is working on developing courses and encouraging further study into the field to help address the need for Social Marketing skills in this country. "Changing consumer behavioural patterns for the better, for example away from binge drinking, requires professionals from many fields to come together to drive policy and communications strategies," explains Dr Domegan. She adds: "For those new to the field, the conference will provide a comprehensive introduction to Social Marketing, encouraging participants to consider the scope for using marketing principles and techniques to effect social change and fundamentally alter the way we live for the better. It will demonstrate how professionals, seeking to bring about behavioural change, can apply it to practical situations in Ireland". Among the other contributors to the conference are Maurice Murphy from the Cork Institute of Technology, who will ask if Social Marketing can be used to reduce road traffic collisions among young male drivers. Joe McKenna from Venture Advancement will look at applications of Social Marketing in the non-profit sector. Lorraine McIlrath, who works with NUI Galway's Community Knowledge Initiative, will explore community and university partnerships in her presentation. The conference will also feature workshops on Health, Environment, Voluntary Sector and Management Models for a Knowledge society. To register, or for further details, contact Valerie Parker on 091 495971 or by email at valerie.parker@nuigalway.ie -ends-