Introduction
Within 50 miles of reach, the residents of Plainview city have no access to a cardiac treatment Centre. This means that the rate of people accessing the services of cardiac specialists in Plainview city is relatively low compared to other cities in Texas. The Plainview cardiac care is designed to offer a solution to the residents of the city and its environs by availing a cardiac care Centre close to the people. As much as the Plainview cardiac care will provide the ancillary services to the people, a marketing strategy is important in order to make people aware of the facility and the services that we will offer. This paper highlights a strategy that the institution will use in order to market and enhance their services within the city and its environs.
The Demographic Strategy
The population in Plainview city is about 22,194 representing a fall in the population from the year 2000. This means that people are succumbing to the disasters that they face and the cardiac care will present one of the solutions to their problems. The demographic structure below provides a glimpse of the target market in the city.
Source: Lee (2006, Sep 19)
The graph shows the distribution of people with cardiac problems according to their race and age. This means that the marketing strategy should encrypt all the cultural aspects to meet the profiles of the different races. With the number of people affected by the cardiac problems, the deaths are also relatively high. The mission of the marketing strategy should be to lower the deaths due to cardiac problems in the city. The graph below shows the deaths due to cardiac problems in the Plainview city
Source: Johnson (2004)
Competition in the Market
There are some other cardiac care clinics in Texas though they are not located in Plainview. The location of the cardiac care at the heart of Plainview will attract more people from Plainview and its environs making the access to their services easier and more efficient. The three top competitors include Covenant Heart and Vascular Institute, Lubbock Heart Surgery, and Karkoutly AymanCardiac Diagnostic Center (Krieger, 2003, Sep 03). However, all the three are located over 49 miles away with the closest being Lubbock Heart Surgery located 49.5 miles away from the city. By locating the Plainview cardiac care inside the city, the marketing department has a step in outweighing their competitors.
The competing clinics offer a range of cardiac care services including cardiac scanning, outpatient services, surgery, counseling, and heart therapy. In order for the marketing plan to forge ahead well, the Plainview cardiac care must offer a combination of these services in Plainview to attract the people. The target population analysis for the competitors is necessary in order for Plainview cardiac care to develop an entry strategy.
Source: Krieger (2003, Sep 03)
The chart shows the target ages for the competing companies over tome with the age increasing as awareness increases with time. Plainview cardiac care should target a similar population in order to get in the market more easily. With the products brought close to the people, aligning them to fit the needs of the different population distributions will help the institution to attract more market among the people.
Marketing Strategy and the Market Movers
As much as Plainview clinic is well located for the access of people in the city, the market movers are key in the marketing strategy. The effect of the introduction of the clinic on Medicare in the city is a mover that Plainview cardiac care must use in their marketing. The Plainview cardiac care will lower the deaths of people due to cardiac problems and enhance the accessibility to outpatient cardiac care for the sake of improving health standards. The population growth is also a determinant of the marketing strategy. Plainview cardiac care should understand that the city population is on a downward trend and plans to treat the people should improve the life expectancy (Knapik, 2002). This is in line with the marketing mission statement that states the intentions of the clinic to better the lives of the people.
The economic conditions in the city will definitely affect the marketing strategy of Plainview cardiac care. The unemployment rates have increased in the last one year from 7.5 % to 12.6 %. This shows that the health services must be cost effective. General insurance should also play part. Over 50% of people in Plainview have a health insurance policy hence starting the clinic and marketing it as linked to the policies will develop.
SWOT Analysis
While marketing the Plainview cardiac care, the institution should have a clear understanding of their strengths. The main strength of Plainview healthcare is their location within the city, which makes it more accessible to people in the city and reduces the travelling costs of people in search of the cardiac care services (Knapik, 2002). The target group is also a strength that will direct the marketing plans. The marketing plan will first target 12.4 % of people who are over 65 years old as they are the main victims of the cardiac problems. This understanding is a strength that the institution will look to utilize in the marketing plans.
The institution will mainly face one weakness, which is the nuclear medicine reimbursement that decreases with time. However, medical directors can help in solving the challenge. The opportunity in the market is immense. Many hospitals in plain view get cases of people with cardiac problems but they do not have a local care Centre to refer them to it (McGinley, 2008, Feb 16). Plainview cardiac care will provide the option hence this is the pushing point in collaborating with the hospitals. However, Plainview cardiac care faces a number of threats as it prepares to market the products. The main threat arises from the very opportunities that the cardiac care has in the market. No certainty is guaranteed that approaching a hospital for the referral and expansion idea will work for them. Hospitals that feel that feels Plainview threatens their existence in the market may fail to cooperate hence Plainview cardiac care will struggle to catch up.
Promotional Strategy for Plainview Cardiac Care
Plainview cardiac care must utilize a number of methods in making the product known to the people. About 90 % of people in Plainview have access to the internet with over 50 & of people accessing the internet on a daily basis. This is a marketing opportunity for the institution. Firstly, the Plainview cardiac care must develop a website where they display all information on the services they offer. The management strategy and patient testimonials can spice up the website and promote the access to outpatient services. Furthermore, the clinic should consider developing a strong social network link. With over 87 % of the population being below 65 years old, the prompt to social network is high (Tosczak, 2004). Sites like yellow pages, Facebook, twitter, tagged, LinkedIn, and Instagram can help the institution to display their products online and attract people even outside Plainview city.
The press is another magnificent promotional media for Plainview health care. The institution should consider taking to the press to give an overview of what they do and invite people to their premises to see the activities they undertake (Johnson, 2004). The print media will also help with Plainview printing and distributing a range of literature from magazines, to brochures and fliers, which will inform people of the cardiac services and outpatient activities in the clinic. In the first year of establishment, the clinic must identify with the people at the lowest level possible. This is possible through corporate social responsibility and community work, which will go a long way in showing that they are developing services for the benefit of the people. It will also earn the company publicity, which is necessary for survival in the health care market.
Conclusion
Plainview Cardiac Care has a great chance of flourishing in the cardiac healthcare. Institutions should have knowledge of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and the competition environment to be able to develop a strategic market plan. This strategic marketing plan is meant to ensure that Plainview cardiac care fits in the market easily and that all the barriers from competition and resistance are well dealt with. Adoption of this plan will foster the successful establishment and development of Plainview Cardiac Care.
References
Johnson, D. E. L. (2004). How hospitals respond to cardiac care turmoil. Health Care Strategic Management, 22(4), 2-3. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/226930285?accountid=45049
Knapik, M. L. (2002). Is your cardiovascular program meeting goals? Health Care Strategic Management, 20(3), 1-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/226917739?accountid=45049
Krieger, L. M. (2003, Sep 03). Sunnyvale, calif., cardiac patient's story shows stresses on health system.Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/461458299?accountid=45049
Lee, D. J. (2006, Sep 19). Cardiac docs try out simulator: Medtronic offers virtual cath lab in mobile training facility.McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/463315831?accountid=45049
McGinley, L. (2008, Feb 16). Encore (A special report); health matters: The next wave of medical tourists might include you.Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/398990591?accountid=45049
Tosczak, M. (2004). With heart: Hospitals pump up cardiac marketing in search of profits.The Business Journal, 7(10), 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236958865?accountid=45049
