Analyze your selected example of a health care product or service in terms of product strategy

/in /by

Product Strategy, Pricing, and Distribution

Marketing information is critical throughout the product life cycle. The marketing function also plays an essential role in determining pricing and distribution for products or services.

Prepare for this Application Assignment as follows:

This week’s media segment, “ Strategic Planning in Action: Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland” presents some information on the marketing decisions made for the JointExperience and The Spine Center at that hospital. Consider how the information presented in this media segment relates to the concepts and ideas presented in the course text, as well as last week’s media segment.

With this in mind, select a specific health care product or service of interest to you. For instance, you may choose an over the counter medication, medical device, or specialty care within a health care organization. If you would like, you may use the same product or service you selected for the Discussion.

Research the product or service you have selected using the Internet and the Walden Library. Analyze your selected example in terms of concepts related to:

Product strategy, including the product life cycle and branding (Chapter 8 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing)

Price (Chapter 9 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing)

Distribution (Chapter 10 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing)

Also analyze the connection between these aspects of marketing and strategic planning. Why is it important for these elements of marketing efforts to be tied to a strategic plan?

As you formulate your analysis, be sure to include insights from this week’s Discussion, various Learning Resources, and your own research. You should identify at least two journal or news articles that further your understanding of these concepts and how they apply to the product/service you have selected.

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

Analyze your selected example of a health care product or service in terms of product strategy (including product life cycle and branding), price, and distribution. Include references to two or more outside resources that further your understanding of these concepts and their application for this product/service. Make note of any information that would be helpful for your analysis but is not available.

Describe the ethical responsibilities that you believe should guide health care leaders as they engage in various aspects of marketing.

/in /by

What makes a health care product or service stand out from its competitors? Perhaps you recognize the advertising slogans below:

“Tylenol: The pain reliever hospitals use most”

“Walgreens: The Pharmacy America Trusts”

“Merck: Where patients come first”

“The More You Know, The More You Trust Bayer.

Take it for Pain. Take it for Life”

“Pfizer:Working for a healthier world”

“GlaxoSmithKline: Do more, feel better, live longer”

Advertising slogans can be an effective way to differentiate oneself in a competitive marketplace. In addition, today’s organizations use a variety of means to promote their products and services. For this Discussion, you will research and analyze aspects of an organization’s promotional strategies.

 

Prepare for this Discussion as follows:

 

This week’s media segment, “Strategic Planning in Action: Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland” presents some of the promotion strategies employed for the JointExperience and The Spine Center at that hospital. Consider how the information presented in this media segment relates to the concepts and ideas presented in last week’s media segment, as well as the text chapters, particularly Chapters 11 and 12.

Select a different health care organization, product, or service of interest to you. Conduct research on your own to identify one or more examples that demonstrate use of promotional strategies. For instance, you may examine television commercials and newspaper ads for a local physician practice, or a website designed to promote a medical device.

 

Analyze the effectiveness of these promotional strategies. Consider who the target market might be, and why these strategies might have been chosen. What could you surmise about the organization’s strategic priorities? Be prepared to support your rationale.

Devise at least one recommendation for improving upon or adding to the promotion strategies.

 

As you do this, reflect on the ethical considerations involved in promotion. What ethical responsibilities should guide health care leaders as they engage in various aspects of marketing?

 

Response to the following:

 

In the first line of your posting, identify the organization, product, or service you have selected. Provide a brief description of one or more examples of promotional strategies. If possible, include a web link or other attachment to allow others to view the source(s).

 

 

Analyze each example of a promotional strategy. Explain why you think each is—or isn’t—e ffective. Describe who you think the target market is, and the potential connections between these promotional strategies and the strategic priorities of that organization. Be sure to provide your rationale.

 

 Provide at least one recommendation for how you would improve upon or expand these promotional strategies.

 

 

 

Describe the ethical responsibilities that you believe should guide health care leaders as they engage in various aspects of marketing.

Analyze the distinction between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty

/in /by

Prepare for this Application as follows:

 

For Section One: Marketing Research

Review the instructions for Chapter 6 Problem 6 on page 228 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing. In addition to considering how you will answer this problem, think about the marketing-research process. What elements of the marketing-research process described in Chapter 5 of the text would you recommend the organization apply in this scenario?

 

For Section Two: Customer Loyalty

Consider the following statement: “ Although it is obvious that dissatisfied customers will certainly switch, it has been found that even satisfied customers will switch providers or suppliers. Satisfaction in and of itself is not sufficient” (Berkowitz, 2011, p. 236). With this in mind, think about the following questions:

 

Why are customer satisfaction surveys important for health care organizations?

 

What is the difference between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty?

 

How would you assess customer loyalty?

 

Why would this distinction be important for a health care organization as it considers its financial investments in marketing strategies? What implications does this have in terms of attracting new customers versus retaining customers?

 

What is the purpose of organizational branding?

Then write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

 

Section One: Marketing Research

Answer the questions for Chapter 6 Problem 6 on page 228 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing. In addition, explain the types of additional marketing research you would recommend the organization conduct given this scenario.

Section Two: Customer Loyalty

Analyze the distinction between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Also evaluate the significance of organizational branding and other aspects of marketing described in this week’s Learning Resources. Explain how they relate to customer loyalty.

Explain how your personal characteristics as well as sociocultural dimensions influence the choices you make as a health care consumer

/in /by

What motivates consumers to make the decisions they do? How do health care organizations market to specific groups of consumers? In this Discussion, you will explore these questions and the connection between them.

Prepare for this Discussion as follows:

 

Review Exhibit 4-6 “The Traditional Family Life Cycle” on page 144 in Essentials of Health Care Marketing. Then, look at Figure 4-6 “The Modernized Family Life Cycle” on page 145 of this text. In addition, you may have additional modifications to these two diagrams that you would like to make based on contemporary conceptions of individuals and families. Where would you place yourself in a contemporary life cycle?  (REY IF POSSIBLE, SEND ME YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS THAT WAY I CAN SCAN AND SEND THE PAGES TO YOU –OR- YOU CAN FIND THEM ONLINE, EITHER OR IS FINE WITH ME)

With this in mind, consider what is important to you as a health care consumer. Reflect on insights from the Learning Resources regarding buyer behavior and think about various sociocultural influences that may affect your choices. How do you think decision-making sequences might differ for you as opposed to a selection of other consumer types ?

Next, change your perspective from one of a consumer to one of a provider. Bring to mind an actual health care organization that offers a particular product or service of interest to you. Suppose this organization wanted to appeal to you as a consumer. How would you expect this organization to apply the information on market segmentation presented in Chapter 6 of the text? What elements of product strategy outlined in Chapter 8 of the text are relevant for the product or service you have selected?

 

Response to the following:

 

Describe where you would place yourself within a contemporary life cycle. Explain how your personal characteristics as well as sociocultural dimensions influence the choices you make as a health care consumer. Also discuss how decisions might differ for other groups of consumers.

 

 

Identify a particular product or service, and explain how an organization might engage in market segmentation and product strategy to appeal to you as a potential customer.