As this course progresses collect examples of promotional materials and advertising from various health related organizations.  You can select various media forms but be sure to include web sites and social media. If you work in an organization, use youMArketingr own organization. This will give you the best tangible learning experience. You can use video clips found on You Tube or other sites. 

Objective:

• Understand the role of health care advertising and promotion strategies. (The emphasis here is on the STRATEGY.)
• Develop critical faculties in evaluating the content and execution of specific advertisements and promotions
• Demonstrate your understanding of how these advertisements and promotions fit into and contribute to the execution of the organization's broader marketing strategy.

          Assignment: 

       (1) Collect healthcare promotional materials that your organization uses or material you see/obtain from various sources and various media. BE sure to use social media.

     (2)  Review the material you have collected, review applicable literature and post a presentation that addressed the questions posed below.

          For two different major healthcare ads/promotions, define the following:

What is the "product" being offered? (Consider that the "product" may not be the actual "thing" for sale but rather the promise of youth, beauty, agility, health, etc. AS we will discuss, the focus is not on the product features but rather on the product BENEFIT. This is a key part of the marketing strategy and important for you to define.)

• Identify the target segment of the market this advertising/promotion is designed to reach.
• What is your hypothesis about the broader Market Strategy and how this promotional material fits into the execution of that strategy?
• What is your hypothesis about the product life cycle stage?  How does the life cycle stage of the product relate to the material you are discussing?
• Comment on the quality of the execution, that is, the placement of the promotion (timing, frequency, medium through which distributed, communication content, likelihood of leading to desired behavior by prospective customers from the target segment).
• What is the objective of each of your selected items (e.g. improve image, attract new business,  increase sales volume)
• How does the marketing material measure up in accomplishing the objective you have identified?  Support your answer.
• What is the most effective ad? Why? (Define "effective" in this example.)
• What is the least effective ad? Why (Use the same definition of "effective" as above.)

In preparing your presentation, most students have found it helpful to use power point presentation and scan in print or clip video or web site links.  What ever approach you choose, be sure your presentation is well organized and clearly communicates your points. Be sure to cover the questions above and cite the literature. (You can use the "notes" portion of power point to do this. A word on what "cite the literature" means: you demonstrate that you have read, understood and can integrate the material covered in the course by "citing it" throughout your presentation. As an example, when you address your market segment you might refer to the article by Yankelovitch and Meer and what they wrote about market segmentation.  Show how you have applied their concepts in your approach.  Remember that the objective is to demonstrate that you read, understood and can integrate the concepts we discussed in the course. So be specific.)

Post your presentation as an attachment into the Forum for this topic and the "Assignment" section for grading.