Reference no: EM133946963

Assignment:

1. At a recent hospital planning meeting, the marketing director reports on consumer interest in a women's health center. Hearing strong interest, the planning committee endorses the concept. A group of clinicians is charged with developing the program. The program opened a clinic for scheduled primary care, obstetrical and gynaecological visits, with appointment hours established from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesday appointments are available until noon for physicians to be able to attend to the teaching obligations at the academic medical center. The women's health center also scheduled a series of health education programs through the fall; the fees for these programs were set from between AED90 to AED360 depending on the speaker and the number of sessions. Upon introduction, market response did not meet expectations. A senior physician complained, saying, "What went wrong? We did the survey." Explain the possible reasons for this program's disappointing market response.

2. After reviewing the volume of subscribers to the managed care plan, the executive director is dismayed. Projected enrollment is far below the forecasted level for the targeted time period. A decision is made to hire additional salespeople to market the plan more aggressively. Explain the inconsistencies between this decision and an evolutionary marketing perspective.

3. Explain the difference between existing customers, target markets, and stakeholders for an acute-care emirate hospital that has historically taken care of those individuals who are less well insured or socioeconomically disadvantaged. The clinical staff is highly qualified and committed to the mission of the institution. In recent years, the hospital has found that county support for its budget has decidedly decreased. In light of your description of the target market, existing customers, and stakeholders, how might this factor into a marketing director's concerns in light of budget realities and the need to attract a well-insured patient population?