THE widespread changes in consumer behavior and technology that are prompting marketers to rethink how they sell products are much on the minds of Madison Avenue. That was underlined on Wednesday by spirited discussions during the third day of Advertising Week 2011.

Participants at a panel sponsored by Google and the Advertising Council talked about different approaches to embedding messages about social change in media like film and television as well as in advertisements.

Using movies to make a case for social change is “a great way to get people to the table,” said Wendy Cohen, director for digital campaigns and community at Participant Media, a film and TV production company that specializes in stories it deems socially relevant. Among Participant productions are fiction films like “Contagion” and “The Help” and documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth.” In some instances, Ms. Cohen said, the role of film to inform viewers about important issues is “taking the place of what we used to get in a reported piece.”

For “Contagion,” about a pandemic, Participant created a public service announcement to accompany the movie, describing the causes of pandemics and how to prevent them.