Assessing corporate social marketing within mobile apps by the integration of benchmark criteria

Purpose This paper aims to assess corporate social marketing (CSM) practice by analyzing the integration of social marketing benchmark criteria (SMBC) and practitioners’ experiences in developing CSM within mobile apps. Design/methodology/approach The authors selected 69 mobile apps that offer free features and educational content with societal benefits − 66 health apps targeting eating habits and/or physical activity, and three bank apps with saving appeals. The authors conducted a content analysis through a 40-question checklist (five per criterion), with integration levels coded as 0 (none), 1–4 (partial) and 5 (full). Two practitioners were interviewed to explore whether their experiences reflect the conscious application of SMBC. Findings Six prevalent criteria − customer orientation, behavior, exchange, methods mix, competition and segmentation − are consistently integrated in CSM. Bank apps show higher integration in competition and segmentation than health apps. The least integrated benchmarks in CSM practice match those with the lowest reported presence in broader SM. Value-driven motives emerge as a critical practitioner-level success factor, shaping how initiatives are designed and implemented and mitigating user skepticism even when company-cause fit heightens distrust. Originality/value This study offers preliminary, empirically grounded insights into SMBC implementation while aligning corporate goals with societal objectives. It highlights six prevalent SMBC plus the role of value-driven motives as a critical success factor. It contributes practice-based insights, showing how social marketing may be shaped in for-profit-led digital contexts, providing guidance for practitioners’ design decisions.