Objective: this theoretical paper aims to: introduce Marketing theories for the social arena, understand Social marketing as a strategy for social change and approach the criticisms addressed to its activities. Theoretical concerns: Social Marketing has a purpose of reducing and eliminating social problems to reach the well-being and quality of life of society overall. Social Marketing focuses on social change through idea and benefits that overcome the adhesion costs. Originality and relevance: this study turns back to the Social Marketing principles for understanding the misrepresentations and criticisms in its practices to know what Social Marketing has been proposed recently regarding the governance, social marketer's ethics, free-will and private companies on the social campaigns. Theoretical contributions: aims to highlight the difference between Social Marketing and another sort of Marketing on the social area, as Case Related Marketing, Society Marketing, Green Marketing, Corporate Social Marketing, Institutional Advertising and Social Responsibility. Social contributions: Social Marketing supports the individual's voluntary behaviour change through marketing orientation.
