How using a marketing approach helps social work students to develop community projects successfully

Summary With only one academic year in which to develop a community project, social work students can hardly gain the experience they need in this field, while providing their clients with a suitable service. The present study investigates the relationship between implementation of the marketing approach and the successful execution of a community project. Four aspects of this issue are probed: adherence to the programme implementation plan, the programme's effectiveness, its contribution to the organization it is intended to serve, and client empowerment. Participants were 146 social work students at a university in Israel; the findings show a statistically significant connection between the market variables and each of the project's success variables. On the multi- variable level, all the success variables proved to be clearly influenced by different market variables. The application of a marketing approach by social work students undergoing their training in community practice is discussed.