Section One
Organizations within the healthcare field should conduct several different types of marketing research in order to effectively glean the specifics of consumer insights that they hope to obtain. There are several types of research that can be conducted that includes according to Berkowitz (2011) and Verma (2015): exploratory, where the brand has a minimal understanding of the problem or issue that is occurring with respect to their marketing. This is typically due to inaccurate data being used in marketing. Berkowitz (2011) states that exploratory research is not used in making decisions, but in order to provide companies with the goal of obtaining clear insights about the problems they encounter in the competitive landscape (2011).
Verma (2015) highlights the other types of marketing research as: descriptive, which is utilized in order to discover answers to questions that are pertinent (p.1). This is needed especially within the area of healthcare as both prospective and current consumers need to know that the hospital or medical facility thoroughly understands the extent of issues and problems that can arise in the body.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Healthcare Marketing Assignment".
Verma (2015) goes on to state that a company may opt to conduct causal research, which “is used by marketers to find cause and effect relationship of variables. It sometimes [is] referred [to as the] if then method. Causal research uses experimentation techniques to achieve its goals” (p.1). Essentially, it provides companies with a practical experiment with their products and services – as they can ask what will happen if they execute a particular product in the marketplace, like a new drug or device manufactured specifically to address a health ailment? In the healthcare marketing field, each of these types of research are recommended as they are each viable in better understanding the current consumer climate as it relates to loyalty and satisfaction.
Section Two
Tobe (2013) argues that customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are very different. While a consumer may be satisfied with a product or service related to a brand – in any field – this does not lend itself to the consumer being a fan for life (i.e. being loyal) (p.1). In other words, just because a consumer is contented with the Aleve they purchased for a headache, does not necessarily mean that if the brand that made the Aleve has that customer forever. Tobe (2013) continues by stating that customer loyalty is obtained over a course of time. Brands need to make consumers feel they are valued. Additionally, the brand must differentiate itself thoroughly from the competition. Finally, the customer must be engaged at all times (p.1). With the advent of social media, this provides healthcare companies a prime opportunity to increase consumer engagement and in turn, build brand loyalty. It also ensures that they can sufficiently increase their organizational branding.
Branding is typically expressed as the strategic mission and vision displayed by a company or organization via a certain look and specific image (Berkowitz, 2011). Organizational branding should be strong as it is the structure of the business and is what helps to develop the uniqueness of why it differs from other businesses. The branding should be personable, have a purpose or goal (i.e. mission) and should have a promise to devote itself to wholeheartedly focusing on the consumers in which it will serve. In the area of healthcare, brands like Eli Lilly and Pfizer have strong organizational branding because they have extensively established how the public views them as well as structured their operations in such a way that the products and services they sell are unmistakably unique despite them being similar upon first glance. Organizational branding then is crucial because it sets the bar in the opinion of the consumer as to what a particular product/service is about – and in turn, what that brand is about.
