Health Care Marketing - Case Study Example

Health Care Marketing The important elements of marketing are to precisely define the business, identify the goals and serve as the firm’s resume. Product, price, place, promotion comprises the basic components of a marketing plan. Preparing a marketing plan helps in the allocation of resources properly, making good decisions and handling of unseen or unexpected complications that may become hurdle in the future development of the business. One of the important aspects of marketing plan is that it provides organized information about the company and importantly a good business plan helps in reaching the goal. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) was launched in 1974, when there were few immunization services in most developing countries. At that time, with eradication of smallpox on the horizon, the World Health Organization turned its attention to six diseases (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis, and tuberculosis) for which proven vaccines were available. Immunization of pregnant women against tetanus is also part of the program. Only about 4% of people living in developing countries had been fully immunized against all six. The program has evolved in close collaboration with UNICEF, which provides the vaccines and much of the supplies and equipment needed for their administration. Funds flow also from UN agencies, donor organizations, and governments. In addition, private groups such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Save the Children Fund and organizations such as Rotary International contribute funds through WHO or UNICEF or provide logistic or other assistance. The EPI is usually promoted within the context of primary health care and/or child survival programs. Priorities are: Sustain what has been achieved Achieve disease control for polio, measles, and tetanus Add new vaccines such as hepatitis B Make the schedules of contacts for EPI and other vaccines more practical An important element in the EPI program is the low cost of the vaccines themselves, around one dollar per immunized child (not including HBV), made possible because more than 60%of the vaccines are produced in developing countries, the remainder corning through UNICEF mainly from Canada, Japan, and Europe (but not the United States). The low cost is even more remarkable because there is about a 60% wastage rate for the EPI vaccines. However, costs are increasing and some developing countries are facing a shortage of funds as some donors seek other investments to replace seemingly endless requests to fund consumable supplies. Moreover, newer vaccines such as for hepatitis B are considerably more expensive, and population growth and increasing coverage compound the problem, which some authorities consider a crisis. For advertising and promotion create awareness, manipulate attitudes, encourage brand preference and loyalty, induce a trial and instigate purchase. Consumer feedback is a great tool to check the product’s (vaccines) performance and validity by reading customer letters and listening to feedback, monitoring and analyzing www records - which pages people visit most, in which order, etc., taking note of the offers people respond to – they’re likely to be attracted by the same thing later on, taking note of what disgruntled people have to say: what makes them suspicious, when is the risk too great? And examining returned questionnaires (designed to detect customer/prospect buying preferences, interests etc.). With rapid developments in the technology available to people, customers will become accustomed to the idea of: • Production and marketing systems that can tailor products, communications and services to meet their expectations • Increased choices for delivery and payment • Contacting the marketer easily and under their own initiative Testing • Test a significant element – There is no point running a test for something which makes little difference, like the alteration of one word in a headline • Test one variable at a time – Test one variable in an existing package • Test regularly – Successful direct marketing results from careful and regular testing. The market is fluid, keep abreast of changes and alter with it • Tests must be statistically valid – Record and analyze the results carefully • Test again before a roll out 2. In the society, the marketers are expected to put up good brand name products for sale. The purchaser desires to have or own a good brand name product and material with good quality at reasonable and cheaper rate. This is where partnerships and collaborations come into the picture. Small companies though have good products are not benefited due to the stiff competition in international market. These companies tie up with organization like WHO or UNICEF and sell their products at low price or sometimes give them for free. The research involves finding potential problems in the present marketing sector and resolving them by updating new strategies. Another important factor probably the most important one is the cost. If the final product is expensive there will be only few takers for it. Therefore research has been done to use cost effective products. If the marketers were able to meet this demand of people of the society, definitely there would be a souring business for their product. The advertisers and marketers say that they would be able to supply anything to the consumers and what they want. It may be right to say that marketers and advertisers are in a position to meet the desires of consumers up to some level. In passage of time consumers have become the conspirators of reproduction generation by generation. At present, the marketing strategy for selling product to consumers is to lure them for branded products such as vaccines; play in branded spaces and exposing them to TV channel. The marketers and advertising agencies work and trade on psychology of consumers for marketing their product. 3. Aside from innovative advertisements, organizations like WHO and small companies carefully selects the medium it advertises in reach its target market. With a global presence, they advertise their products for diseases like cancer in various places in countries such as USA, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Australia, Britain, developing and third world countries. Tailing towards young and sophisticated individuals, depending on the categorization of each country, print advertisements often appears on men’s, women’s, health, and contemporary magazines. This unique approach to advertising furthered the success of marketing plan as it builds a prestigious reputation of leadership. Source: http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/clip_image001.gif The above figure makes it clear that how cancer has spread all over the world. And in a way it is a target market for big and small pharmaceutical companies. Collaboration with WHO makes it easier for them to reach their target area in maximum. References Frick, K., Jensen, P.L., Quinlan, M. and Wilthagen, T. (eds). (2000). Systematic Occupational Health and Safety Management. Amsterdam: Pergamon. Hutchings, S., Hall, J. & Lovelady, B. (2003). Teamwork: a guide to successful collaboration in health and social care. Bicester: Speechmark. Shi, L. &Singh, D. (2004). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Sterne, Jim. (1995). WWW Marketing: Integrating the Internet into Your Marketing Strategy. New York: J. Wiley. Read More