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E Marketing Heatth Services

Coltateral material MateriaI used to reinforce an organ ization's image or support a media advertising campaign

CASE STUDY 2.1

Capturingt'he,1o1derAdult,Market.l''

Many healthcare organizations came to see the aginS of the babylboom generation as an opportunity to expand their services. Regionat Medicat Center (RMC, a fictionatorganization on which this case study is based) responded to this opportunity by estabtishing a service line devoted to older adults.,The intent was to capture,the busine ss-and the loyatty- of this large, relativety affluent, and increasingty needy segment of the population. The service line was designed to meet the emerging needs of this population for specialty services such as cardiology, orthopedics, ophthatmotogy, and urology in a manner that was appeating to this reta- tively demanding consumer segment.

Because this service was considered innovative in the community served by RMC, an aggressive promotiona[ campaign was undertaken. RMC's marketing department considered a wide range of marketing options and decided on a multipronged campaign to approach the target poputation from a variety of directions. The first phase of the promotionaI campaign focused on internaI marketing. lt was important that RMC's employees be famitiar with this new program and be abte to articulate its merits to potentiat customers. Many of the customers for the new program were likety to be existing patients of RMC.

Wett before the new program was scheduted to open for enroll- ment, an aggressive PR campaign was initiated. Press reteases were distributed, articles were prepared for tocat pubtications and profes- siona[ journals, and celebrity spokespersons were tined up. Simpte yet attractive collateral materials (e.g., business cards, [etterhead, envelopes, brochures) were developed for distribution to prospective customers and to referral agents who might channel customers to RMC. lnformation was distributed to providers and organizations that might serve other needs of the target poputation, and the community's major insurance plans were made aware of the new program and its benefits. Tours of the facitity housing the new program were provided to l<ey con- stituents (such as referring physicians and heatth plan representaiives), and open houses were scheduled for both medicaI professionals and the generaI pubtic.

The marketing initiative also involved direct soticitation of members of the target population. RMC extracted data from its interna[ database on existing customers and purchased maiting tists of househotds that inctuded members aged 5o to 55. Using the findings from previous research on the "buttons to push" in this age cohort, marketing staff

Chapter z: Basic Marl<eting Concents E

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,p.repnred,,,mrateria,ls,.t,hat,woUitd.,a,prpeat,iq,:th' ir,rti,aulai.needS.'of otder reddtts. Tho,,raddrCssr,r,lilts,.werer'then' CISeil to:j,mail, 6;'larrrtir,directly lo targeted individuals. :I ,'141'1,,i1a,,,BIMC ,,diid, ,hot,.Wini,,ito,, rely,,on,,,.,eipe;sive:, medd,,advertising

-fOr'attraCt!:n$r cu,stornOrfs;'its iimaf ketefs,ifelt',,t,htat som.e,,'rnediar 0resence

was, ne,c€S5sry; s6t, only to , attiact customers Wh6r:rrnight, bo, n, 1ss.0 ,thr0ugh,.thedirect.marit,rcam,pa,igrl,.b'0ilalio,,to,,make,the gener:al.pubtic a!!/ale of this new p.ro$ram, ln some cas,bs, other familymemberS,m,ight be,.malring,lderclsio,ns,,ifor the ,,otdei ,66[tf popu,[itionr,iand awa'reness of this p.1ogiq*.,do t'6e,pairt of'the,geneial,purblie waS'ao,niidered impor- tant, After'car€ful research, on'the eom mruhication attr.ibutei of fam ily care$ive,rs;'a series of news,pap,er; qdio;:ahd teieVision.,adver,tijEments $7s1s prod ied; TheSe:advertisements,wer€'placed in,the rsettions of the local newSpa,per- that membei!, of th,is age group read, airied on the radio.stationsth:ey, pr€fer:redr ahd plesented,,on the terteviiion ihannets they viewed most 6fte,nr, For the eleetio,nic media; partieular attention was paid to th,e'time:of day.and daV,of thelweek rnernbel:s ofithie target

: The success of,RMC'j'new oldei:.adult'5er.vice line:during,1;1s firr* yeai exce.eded the: expettatiohsr of the organiz:atlon's, adm'inistrators. While it:was difficuti tor deterrnine which ,of the.various: prornotional techniques ,used ,had the most ir.npaet on the,,pr,ogram'sr early s,uccess, the,mar:l<eting Stalf c-oniluded, bn the basis of irts eVatuatidn of th,e cam- paign, that it was the integrated,:,,approach:ai,var,iet! ofiiioordinated activitires-'that led t6ithe suecessfu,l prograrn launeh,' ' "i ,

i. Why did nUtC thi;t<,tha,t oider adults preSented,, enougtr o,f an , , , l, ' , oppoitunity to- establish a'n entirely new program? ' I ,,,, I

z. What inforrnation did RMC:need,to gather about this target il popufation b€fore the program could be estabtished? ', ', ,

a., What information did,RMC,need to :gather about this,tar.get r pOpu,lation before:the marlpting campaign could be ptanned? 4. What'weierthe dif{erynt'pathrs thr.ough which]RMC atternpted to

5,.,Which'marketing techniques d,id RMC,use to reach the' target population?

'r 5, \Alhy was intelnat rnarketing an l 6,portant,firlt, step i,n, miirketi ng