Social marketing has emerged in the last decades as a popular behavior change approach. Its application has produced mixed results, but the noticeable increase in its application in the environmental arena calls for an assessment of its development. This study presents an analysis of such development in both theory and practice. Results suggest that there is an increasing trend in the application and study of social marketing, but that there are also several conceptual and theoretical problems attached to it. The findings suggest a need to refocus the research and application of social marketing toward the reduction of consumptive behaviors. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.