Although 'social marketing' is sometimes seen only as using standard commercial marketing practices to achieve non-commercial goals, this is an over-simplification. The primary aim of 'social marketing' is 'social good', while in 'commercial marketing' the aim is primarily 'financial'. This does not mean that commercial marketers cannot contribute to achievement of social good. Increasingly, social marketing is being described as having 'two parents' - a 'social parent' = social sciences and social policy, and a 'marketing parent' = commercial and public sector marketing approaches. In the early 21st century social marketing has matured into a more integrative and inclusive discipline that draws on the full range of social sciences and social policy approaches as well as marketing.

Definitions include:

"Social marketing is the application of the ideas, processes and practices of the marketing discipline to improve conditions that determine and sustain personal, social and environmental health and well-being."

One of the most commonly cited definitions is from Andreasen, (1995), positioning social marketing as... "The application of commercial marketing technologies to the analysis, planning, execution, and evaluation of programs designed to influence the voluntary behaviour of target audiences in order to improve their personal welfare and that of their society."

Social marketing is... "the use of marketing principles and techniques to influence a target audience to voluntarily accept, reject, modify, or abandon a behaviour for the benefit of individuals, groups or society as a whole."

In the development community, social marketing has often been defined as..."the procurement, distribution and promotion of health products such as condoms, oral contraceptives or malaria nets for sale at donor subsidized prices." This 'social marketing' approach has been contrasted with efforts to distribute commodities or to offer products at their full costs (plus margins) in the commercial marketplace.

"Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing, alongside other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioural goals, for a social good".

Health related social marketing has been defined as... "the systematic application of marketing, alongside other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioural goals, to improve health and reduce inequalities."