Discussion: Health Care Consumerism
When developing a marketing plan, it is important to understand that health care consumers differ from consumers in other markets. One of the greatest distinctions is that health care consumers are often not the ones to select the products or services they are purchasing. Instead, doctors or other health care providers decide what services or products consumers need. This means that when marketing in health care, organizations should consider both the consumer and the provider. For this Discussion, you examine buying behaviors of health care consumers in the following scenario and recommend strategies to market a drug product.
Scenario: A pharmaceutical company is going to be selling a new brand-name prescription drug to treat allergies. You have been hired to help them market this product to individual and industry consumers.
To prepare:
- Review the provided scenario.
- Identify individual and industry-based consumers for the prescription drug product in the scenario. Consider buying behaviors and characteristics of these consumers.
Describe one individual and one industry consumer for the prescription drug product in the provided scenario. Analyze buying behaviors and characteristics of these consumers. Then, recommend strategies to market this product to the consumers you identified. Include strategies for the different stages of the product’s life cycle. Defend or argue your recommendations. Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Marketing in the healthcare industry differs from other markets, where the providers select the services or products that consumers need. In this Discussion, we analyze the buying behavior of individual and industry-based consumers for a new brand-name prescription drug that treats allergies. We recommend strategies to market this product to the consumers identified while considering the product’s life cycle.
One individual consumer for the prescription drug product may include a 35-year-old woman who has been struggling with seasonal allergies for a long time. Her medical history shows that she has tried different prescription drugs, but none of them have worked effectively. She is interested in trying out new drugs, but price is an important factor that she considers before using a new product.
On the other hand, one industry consumer for the prescription drug product may be a medical clinic that specializes in treating allergies. The clinic is interested in trying out the new prescription drug, but they require assurance that the drug works effectively to alleviate allergy symptoms. Cost-effectiveness and reliability of the manufacturer are crucial factors that the clinic considers before prescribing the drug to their patients.
To market the product to individual consumers, strategies that can be applied in the different stages of the product’s life cycle include:
1. Introduction: To create awareness of the new product, a promotional campaign that highlights the effectiveness of the drug in alleviating allergy symptoms could be initiated. The manufacturer could present trials conducted on a sample of the population and highlight the results. This will attract potential consumers like the 35-year-old woman who seek new prescription drugs for their allergies.
2. Growth: To generate interest and create more demand for the drug, discounts on bulk purchases could be offered. For instance, consumers could receive a one-month supply of the drug free after purchasing the first bottle of the drug. This strategy will be effective in reducing the cost of acquisition as well as inducing the consumer to purchase the product for a more extended period.
For industry consumers, strategies that can be applied in the different stages of the product’s life cycle include:
1. Introduction: To build credibility with the industry consumer, the manufacturer could provide extensive research to the clinics that specialize in treating allergies. This strategy will equip the medical staff with in-depth knowledge on the drug, its effectiveness and how it compares with other drugs on the market. The clinic will then be able to prescribe the drug to their patients with confidence.
2. Growth: The manufacturer could offer a contract with the medical clinics that specialize in treating allergies. If the contract agreed, this strategy will assure the clinic better prices and eliminate the need to source drugs from several manufacturers. It will also provide the manufacturer with a steady market as the clinic is likely to prescribe the drug in a larger quantity.
In conclusion, the strategies provided for both individual and industry-based consumers in the different stages of the product’s lifecycle will be effective in promoting the sale of the allergy prescription drug. They should be implemented with care so as not to exclude potential consumers or industry-based consumers.
