In healthcare, women have a much higher likelihood of visiting a health center than their male counterparts do. This is because the health needs of women are more. When women reach the age of fourteen, their health needs tend to increase. Thus, for a women’s health clinic a major base variable to address in market segmentation is the age. Women at different ages have different health needs. For instance, between ages 30 and 45, women are more concerned about fertility and issues to deal with breast cancer. Having screening services for breast cancer and other illnesses may be beneficial. Therefore, the clinic may develop a health program that addresses these two issues for women in this age bracket. Additionally, they may include a reduced cost package for women who have daughters between the ages of 14 and 28 years. This may help women achieve value for the money they spend. According to Zainuddin, Previte and Russell-Bennett (2011), a package such as this provides women with a functional value. That is in an economic sense they are able to save on costs.
Secondly, location is also an important base variable to consider in the segmentation process. For instance, if the clinic is located in a suburban area, the income level for women in this area is quite high and they may be willing to pay for quality services and discretion. Thirdly, women in these areas due to certain lifestyle attributes may be interested in services such as plastic surgeries.
A market segmentation strategy may lead to increasing the consumption of the products and services offered by the clinic. Furthermore, this will help develop more customer oriented services and products. Screening services may be essential in developing disease management solutions (Stichler, 2003).
References
Stichler, J. F. (2003). Healthcare Hits Its Mark. Marketing Health Services, 23(3), 12-13.
Zainuddin, N., Previte, J., & Russell-Bennett, R. (2011). A social marketing approach to value
creation in a well-women's health service. Journal Of Marketing Management, 27(3/4), 361-385.
