Respond to the two classmates’ postings with a minimum of 1-2 paragraphs. There is a penalty of loss of points for less than minimum posts.
Week 2 Discussion 1
Jasleen
“Marketing research. The most rigorous method of obtaining market information is formal, scientifically valid research that is conducted by or for a specific organization to address a strategic situation that it is facing. Such research is a major undertaking that requires expertise, money, and patience” (III, G.B. M. 2017). In this specific situation, we are trying to provide malaria services to a broader population. In addition, we need to determine who would benefit from the preventive care, making sure the services are available to them and promoting the availability and use. In order to achieve this plan we must ask ourselves;
1) What specific pieces of information are required to make the decisions or answer the questions?
2)What methods will be employed to gather the information from the survey respondents?
In order to achieve this plan one must make sure the objectives/goals and deadlines are clear and concise. I will also focus on making sure the policies and goals align with one another. The methods are also essential because it helps us determine what needs to get done and help us address the questions above. Having deadlines also helps us measure each metric and see if each goal in each step is completed successfully. In order to achieve this marketing research it is essential that policies and guidelines are followed, that deadlines are met, and making it clear what needs to be achieved. In order for this form of research method to be successful one must produce accurate and useful results. Once we do, we can provide malaria services to the broader population.
References:
III, G.B. M. (2017). Managing Health Care Business Strategy (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781284146202
Week Two: Discussion One
Tiffani Gottschalk
Within healthcare organizations, marketing research efforts are used to obtain information that may assist teams in developing strategic marketing plans. Prior to developing strategic plans, data and information relating to an organization’s market, customers, and competitors can be obtained to improve the organization’s marketing efforts by boosting their reputation and brand, contributing to sustainable growth, and attracting and retaining patients. Marketing research is comprised into four broad categories: exploratory, descriptive, casual, and predictive(Moseley, 2017). First, a marketing team must identify which marketing research category they are pursuing to effectively gather the information that they are seeking to obtain. Furthermore, there are numerous questions teams must ask themselves prior to developing a marketing research plan. Within a healthcare marketing research context, the two most important questions to be asked are:
“What is the purpose of the research? For what decisions is it needed? What questions will be answered by the research?”(Moseley, 2017).
“From where will the information be gathered? If a survey of individuals, what population will be the subject of the research?”(Moseley, 2017).
Both questions identify what the purpose of the research is and who will be the subject of the research. For marketing efforts to be successful, an organization must identify research questions that are uniquely purposeful and meaningful to them. They must also have extensive knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the population that they serve. For example, a marketing team may want to conduct research using data that highlights the prevalence of a disease or illness currently present within the community. This type of research is known as “descriptive research” and paints a factual portrait of a health issue or inequity that has been identified (Moseley, 2017). After identifying the purpose of the research, the marketing team can then utilize existing data to distinguish which population that has been affected by this occurrence. The decisions and questions followed by the conclusion of this research will allow the marketing team to have identified both the purpose of the research and the population that has been affected. This can be included within their strategic marketing plans to inform patients of a health issue or inequity present within the community that will be addressed by their organization. It is also important to note that a marketing prospective that emphasizes more on customer-relationship building and satisfaction rather than the traditional “transaction” view of marketing has become increasingly more desirable within the healthcare industry (Kotler et al., 2008). Healthcare organizations must consider this concept when conducting marketing research and implementing strategic marketing plans.
III, G.B. M. (2017). Managing Health Care Business Strategy (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781284146202
Kotler, P., Shalowitz, J. I., & Stevens, R. J. (2008). Strategic marketing for health care organizations: building a customer-driven health system. John Wiley & Sons.
