Healthcare Marketing Discussion Post Responses
Personal Responses to two discusion posts. APA formating, 200 words. Posts are as follows. Seperate anwsers please!
Post 1:According to Thomas and Calhoun (2007) "The process of making assumptions begins with having a full understanding of the organization, its structure and its functions" (p.44). In order for you to have an understanding of the organization you are working for you need to get acquainted with the mission, vision and goals that your organizations is trying to fulfill. "When making assumptions it is important to consider all the factors in order to determine how it could affect your planning process" (p.44). The process of making assumptions is important to the market research because it allows the organization to develop a system where they can see where they are succeeding and the areas they need to improve on. An example of this is introducing a new piece of equipment to a facility and teaching all the staff on how to use it properly. Whenever, a new piece equipment is introduced to a facility it takes time to get in a groove using it because often times the equipment may be "touch and go" which can result in misuse and begin to malfunction.
Reference:
Thomas, R. K, & Calhoun, M. (2007). Marketing matters: A guide for healthcare executives. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. ISBN: 978-1-56793-276-8
Post 2: The process of assumption depends on the organization resources. Different organizations, use different methods. It takes commitment and responsibility to coordinate the research effort. First, a clear vision and purpose of the research must be established by the organization. Second, there has to be a commitment to gather all available data. Third, the organization must use all the data gathered regardless of the research outcome. In order for this to work, management has to ensure that the right personnel, data management capabilities, support staff, data and evaluation resources are in place.
In order for the marketing process to work, marketers should assume the needs, the service provided, target audience preferences and so forth. If these assumptions are not specified early, the marketing product might be misdirected or have a poorly located facility. This is why all health care organizations should know who their competitors are, and understand their market area and customers. I wouldn't want to build a laundromat in the richest neighborhood, because i'll assume every house within that neighborhood already has a washer and dryer. With the growth, cost and competitiveness of a marketing campaign, the margin of error is slim. The recover from losses of one bad decision, may take several good decisions.
Thomas, R.K. & Calhoun. M (2007). Marketing matters: A guide for healthcare executives. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.