The Events for the Day Care for Sick Children - Case Study Example

Running Head: Marketing Plan Marketing Plan for WE LOVE UR KIDS Sick Day Care Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 MissionStatement 3 Product and Market Review 4 Problems and Opportunities 5 Objectives 5 SWOT 5 PEST 6 Target Markets 7 Marketing Strategies 8 Social Responsibility 9 Execution 10 Evaluation 10 I. Executive Summary WE LOVE UR KIDS, a well-known Day Care Center in the South East of Albuquerque, New Mexico is seeking to expand and offer Day Care Services for sick children. WE LOVE UR KIDS is looking at further meeting the needs of working parents of the South East area of Albuquerque. At present, there is no other Day Care Center that offers services for sick children in the area. This type of service is currently a growing trend in other parts of the country and is quite successful in their operations. The management sees this opportunity to offer this service mainly to families with parents who cannot afford to miss work in order to care for an ailing child. This special service shall be called Day Care for Sick Children (DCSC) and shall begin its operations in December. II. Missions Statement WE LOVE UR KIDS is committed to providing quality care for your sick child. We give priority to your child and provide the same attention that they would receive at home by employing staff nurses to monitor the children and administer necessary medications. WE LOVE UR KIDS would not only provide shelter to their clients, but also give the children an environment that resembles a home, where they could be most comfortable while seeking relief for their ailments. III. Product and Market Review The Day Care for Sick Children (DCSC) will be unique as it will be the first Day Care Center offering services for sick children in the South East area of Albuquerque. There are currently no other facilities of this type. Working parents who do not have nannies to stay at home with their sick children may avail of DCSC’s services and be assured that their children would be taken cared of the way they are cared for at home or in hospitals. DCSC will provide services for children with fevers and/ or minor illnesses that will not allow them to attend school or regular Day Care Centers. This Day Care Center will provide on staff nurses to monitor the children and administer necessary medications. DCSC will be similar to a hospital environment, with semi-private rooms including televisions and video games. There will also be a playroom for those children who feel well enough to use it. DCSC will be open Monday-Friday, from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM to accommodate working parents with regular working hours. DCSC shall accept children with ages ranging from 2 to 10 years. Admitting staff would require a briefing from the child’s parent/ guardian to be able to understand and administer the needed health care for the patient. IV. Objectives 1. To provide an option to parents who do not have the means to take care of an ailing child as they have to attend to work. 2. To provide high-quality sick childcare services for children with fever and/or minor illnesses. 3. To expand its services and perhaps open other facilities within Albuquerque and the surrounding areas. V. SWOT Strengths 1. DCSC shall dominate the market since there are no other facilities of the same kind that exists within Albuquerque. 2. DCSC shall be attractive to parents because of the company’s promise to deliver outstanding health care services to their ailing children. Weaknesses 1. Costs will be higher than a regular day care due to the cost of employing health care providers, medical supplies and medication. 2. The services would not be competitive compared to a hospital. The services shall be limited only to patients who have minor illnesses such as mild fever, colds and cough, and other similar ailments. Opportunities 1. Currently, there are 350,000 children younger than 14 years old who are too sick to attend school. 2. There are no direct competitors in the area. DCSC would be able to dominate the market due to the uniqueness of their service. Threats 1. Most parents may not want to entrust their sick children to the care of strangers. VI. PEST Analysis 1. Political Analysis The local government has many facilities that focus on caring for the elderly. This business would introduce a brand new approach to providing health care facilities to the younger generation. 2. Economic Analysis Albuquerque, as in most cities in the US, has a dominant number of households whose parents are both working. Due to their economic situation, these parents delegate to Day Care Centers the job of looking after their children while they are at work, thus, the high number of Day Care Centers in the area. The existence of a Sick Day Care Center would lower the number of parents using their leave credits in order to stay at home to care for their sick children. This would be beneficial to the companies and offices in the area. The cost of enrolling one’s child in a Sick Day Care Center is higher than the cost of enrolling him in a regular Day Care Center. Parents who cannot afford this cost may not be able enjoy the services being offered by the company. Income will vary since care is on a need basis only 3. Socio-cultural Analysis Many families may not trust anyone else taking care of their sick child. Nurturing mothers will not have the guilt feeling of missing work. 4. Technological Analysis This Day Care would not be able to compete with Hospitals offering state-of-the art facilities. However, since DCSC’s market is slightly different, only applicable technological amenities will be offered. VII. Target Markets The target population for the proposed day care is defined as living within a 15-mile radius in South East Albuquerque in the area between I 25 and I 40. The targeted market is the working parent, both single and married. The primary market is the same. Research shows that in 2002, 48% of families have both parents working outside the home. Also, 50% of marriages fail. Therefore, there is an increase in single parents raising children and finding the need for a Day Care Center. VIII. Marketing Strategies In order to attract potential clients, the DCSC shall implement the following: 1. A direct mail out campaign will begin three months prior to the opening of the day care. The mailer shall contain an invitation for a one-day open house activity wherein parents can witness and experience the Day Care Center’s facilities. 2. Print advertisement in the local newspaper the month the day care opens. 3. In coordination with major companies in the area, leafleting shall be held in various offices to be able to reach the target market. Leafleting shall also be held in commercial areas. 4. Display of billboard advertisements in bus stops and other areas with high foot traffic and where the target market frequents. 5. A promotional effort in which clients who are able to bring in another client would be given substantial discounts on the services, depending on the number of referrals made. A “company of the month” shall also be cited, in which employees from a chosen company would be given discounts for particular services for the promo month. 6. In cooperation with the HR Departments of various offices/ companies within the vicinity, an information campaign shall be launched in the offices to attract employees into trying out DCSC’s services. The merchandising materials shall contain messages of assurance to the target market, ensuring them of availing premium health care services for their children. It would also discuss the differences between a regular Day Care Center and DCSC, and the advantages this type of facility would provide parents who are both working and cannot afford to miss work to care for their children. Parents won’t have to take as much unnecessary time off from work. IX. Social Responsibility In as much as DCSC is a business that seeks to thrive from families that need third parties to care for their children, it still has the responsibility to ensure that the health care to be provided is highly competitive and is at par with the current standards set by hospitals and health centers. This is to make sure that excellent services are being given to the clients and that the children being cared for are not endangered. With this responsibility, DCSC shall continuously use evaluation measures to counter check the quality of services being given. Hired health care providers should also be competitive and must imbibe the mission-vision of the company, which is to provide excellent services to their customer-base. X. Execution A $50,000 budget is allotted for the marketing requirements of the Day Care. The Director shall be responsible for financial management and for managing the Day Care Center’s marketing strategies. The following timelines shall be followed. Any changes shall be coordinated with the Director. September 1, 2007 – Start Direct Mail Out November 1, 2007 – Advertisements begin in local newspaper November 28, 2007 – open House December 1, 2007 – Grand Opening XI. Evaluation Management shall closely monitor the number of registrants on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This will gauge whether the marketing efforts are effective or not. This will also determine whether to sustain these efforts or not. Parents of customers shall be given a rating sheet, which would allow them to provide their inputs and suggestions, and give their ratings as far as the services, and facilities are concerned. This will serve as guides in determining the points for improvement. Reference List Timely Announcements From Your Mayor2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://www.cabq.gov/blogs/mayorhighlights/ Albuquerque Quick Facts 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://www.cabq.gov/econdev/whyabqquickfacts.html Albuquerque’s Environmental Story 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://www.cabq.gov/aes/s5pop.html 2007 Albuquerque Rankings 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007. from http://www.itsatrip.org/albuquerque/top-rankings/default.aspx Albuquerque, New Mexico 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico Read More