The University of South Florida (USF) is a recognized leader in social marketing and public health. Within USF, the Florida Prevention Research Center (FPRC)  and the Social Marketing Group (SMG) have carried the banner for social marketing and public health and set the foundation for the development of the WHO Collaborating Center for Social Marketing and Social Change to Address Non-Communicable Diseases (WHO CC on Social Marketing). The WHO CC on Social Marketing was designated as a center in 2014 and becomes part of the global network, supporting WHO and other key institutions.   The WHO CC on Social Marketing is administered through the  Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Mission:

The mission of the WHO CC on Social Marketing is to address the growing problem with non-communicable diseases by capitalizing on the strengths of social marketing coupled with social change strategies. The center focuses its activities around three pillars:  

• Training: Train and educate public health professionals and academics in social marketing and social change strategies.
• Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to WHO on social marketing and support WHO and other key institutions to increase use and uptake for social marketing and social change strategies.  
• Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange: Advise and build WHO and other key institutions’ capacity to use social marketing and social change strategies.  The WHO CC on Social Marketing builds on a history of social marketing for more than 20 years at USF and adds to this history through its transdisciplinary approach. The center is comprised of faculty, staff and students from the College of Public Health, Anthropology, Business, and Engineering and consists of world-renowned experts in social marketing and social change.