The 2nd African Social Marketing Association Conference
Behaviour Change for Sustainable Social Impact
Integrating Policy, Community and Individual Action
The Story
The rationale behind the 2026 AfSMAC theme stems from the edge that social marketers have as opposed to other disciplines working towards behaviour change, and that is the delivery of more impactful and sustainable programmes, projects and campaigns. Hence, the selection of the words; ‘sustainable’ and ‘impact’.
The word ‘policy’ taps on the need to advocate for social marketing upstream among policymakers to inform social and public policies. Yet, also emphasizing the role of ‘community’ and ‘individual’ action to advocate for multi-level strategies to include midstream and downstream.
About the 2nd African Social Marketing Association Conference (AfSMAC 2026)
The African Social Marketing Association Conference is the leading event for behaviour and social change professionals and academics working to solve pressing social challenges to improve individual and community wellbeing across Africa. The conference brings together academics, practitioners, policy-makers and campaigners who use social marketing and behavioural science to create impactful and sustainable solutions.
The 2026 edition’s carefully crafted theme—“Behaviour Change for Sustainable Social Impact: Integrating Policy, Community and Individual Action”—will be hosted at the School of Business at the American University in Cairo, Egypt from 10-12 November 2026, and is jointly organised by:
The African Social Marketing Association
The School of Business at the American University in Cairo
The International Social Marketing Association
This 2026 theme — “Behaviour Change for Sustainable Social Impact: Integrating Policy, Community and Individual Action” — focuses on the importance of collaboration, embedding social marketing in public and social policy and integrating community and individual action to drive social change.
OUR MISSION AND WHAT TO EXPECT
The mission of the World Social Marketing Conference event series is to act as a vehicle to help build a movement dedicated to capturing, spreading and nurturing good practice in Social Marketing, as well as increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Social Marketing practice at both operational and strategic levels.
The European Social Marketing Conference gives particular focus to behaviour change initatives in the region and provides a platform for European behaviour change professionals from a range of disciplines and sectors to come together, share best practice and help develop programmes for social good.
What is Social Marketing?
Social Marketing is a set of evidence and experience-based concepts techniques and principles that provide a systematic approach to understanding behaviour and developing social interventions that work. It is a fusion of science, experience and practical ‘know how’.
What happens at the conference?
New ideas and evidence will be presented at the conference by thought leaders, practitioners, students and those with a passion for making positive behaviour change happen in their community, country or region through the application of impactful and insightful communication strategies. The event will bring together practitioners, academics, policy makers, researchers and industry experts to explore and enrich Social Marketing practice around Europe.
How can I take part?
The best way to take part is simply to attend the event! However, If you have a case study, workshop idea, interactive learning session, new theory or research findings which you wish to present at the conference then simply submit an abstract of your work for peer review. Abstracts are 600 words (maximum) with opportunity to provide further supporting evidence and we have useful submissions guides to help make your application as easy as possible. Abstracts which are successfully reviewed (the process is competitive!) will be selected for inclusion in the conference programme.
There will also be a range of accessible sponsorship opportunities available to those who want to take their support for the event to the next level.
ORGANISING PARTNERS
African Social Marketing Association (AFSMA)
The African Social Marketing Association (AfSMA) is a growing community of professionals and academics across the continent who are enthusiastic and passionate about social marketing and leveraging social marketing techniques in addressing the numerous social challenges bedevilling Africa and Africans. The AfSMA has a focused agenda of bringing together social marketing (SM), and social and behaviour change (SBM) practitioners, academics, researchers, and policy makers including macro stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations, and donors. The association seeks to help build capacity and nurture the social marketing space in Africa creating an output which would be a sustainable cadre of expertise to support the scale of more effective social marketing programs and interventions on the continent. The AfSMA is affiliated with the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) which provides AfSMA members with the benefits of a global network of stakeholders in the social marketing space.
American University Cairo (AUC)
Over 75 years of shaping tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and change agents
The American University in Cairo (AUC) is the top private university in Egypt, which has been one of the leading players in higher education in Egypt and the Middle East Africa (MEA) region for over 100 years. Enjoying close to eight decades’ worth of history, Onsi Sawiris School of Business origins––dating back to 1947––offer a wide range of programs that extend beyond the classroom to provide a holistic and engaging student-centered learning experience and is reflected in the academic triangle of teaching, research, and service including community development and executive education.
Belonging to the 1% of business schools worldwide, the Onsi Sawiris School of Business has a “triple crown” accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA––since 2014). It acts as a knowledge bridge between Egypt and the rest of the world as an exceptionally well-networked and connected business school at local, regional, national, and international levels. It boasts an unrivaled reputation as the top private business school in Egypt and one of the best in the MEA region. This is reflected in its rise in the rankings and the global recognition of the Onsi Sawiris School of Business brand across the world. The school has been ranked in 2024 as the top school in Africa for the eighth consecutive year according to the Eduniversal ranking scheme, as voted by 1000 deans from around the world. Besides, the Financial Times ranked the school in 2024 at #73 in executive education open enrollment programs—It is the only ranked school in the Middle East. In addition, Global Startup Awards ranked the Venture Lab as the Top Accelerator in Africa.
Onsi Sawiris School of Business is dedicated to transforming today’s young, promising, and innovative minds into responsible change agents of tomorrow while harnessing leadership, integrity, ambition, and excellence in an evolving and dynamic ecosystem. The graduate programs offered by the school provide aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals with hands-on, practical, and integrated perspectives in dynamic fields of study.
International Social Marketing Association (iSMA)
The International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) is a global, volunteer-led federation that brings together individuals and regional associations to advance the field of social marketing. Established in 2008, it promotes the ethical and evidence-based application of social marketing to tackle pressing social, environmental, and health challenges worldwide. iSMA supports its members through professional development, training, access to resources such as webinars and Social Marketing Quarterly, and opportunities to connect with peers across continents. At its core, iSMA is a collaborative network driving positive behaviour change and building global capacity for impact.
PARTNERS
