Marketing tools available to healthcare organizations include the traditional direct mail, television, radio, and print advertisements; however, in the digital age, healthcare consumers locate healthcare delivery services through social media (Grover, 2016). To ensure your marketing message is broad enough and the appropriate media is used, you must first analyze your target market based on the community’s socioeconomic status and demographics. The identification of the market segment being targeted is needed to appropriately position the message about the service being promoted.
It is theorized a market segment represents a homogeneous group of individuals who, based on their generational values and beliefs, have similar behaviors to whom marketing efforts are designed. For example, your target audience with congestive heart failure likely will fall into the marketing segment representing the Baby Boomer generation, ages 55 to 69 years, who typically do not use social media; however, this market segment is adept in using mobile devices. Over the last decade, healthcare organizations including Cleveland Clinic and the Medical Center of Wisconsin have moved to universal marketing messages which can be pushed out to mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) through downloaded web applications, as well as broadcast through more traditional platforms (McNeal, 2015).
This information will inform you as to which type of media to use in your marketing plan in Week 7.
For this week’s assignment, you will analyze the profile provided on Hospital G’s community socioeconomic and demographic status and describe the type of marketing plan your team will create given the profile information provided. Be sure to include your rationale as to why a specific type of media will be used and/or avoided. Keep in mind the issues from the HCAHPS survey, which scored below identified thresholds (national benchmark). These metrics were categorized into two areas: communication issues and clinical quality issues. Your marketing reach must include patients who are at risk of not understanding discharge instructions, patients with congestive health failure who are not compliant with treatment regimens and are at risk for readmission, and patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and death.
As you prepare your assignment, use these guiding questions:
- What market segment is being targeted?
- Which communication channels will reach the target audience?
- Given the community profile, what are the barriers to reaching the target audience?
To better understand the health status of Hospital G’s community, review the 2017 Palm Beach County Health Department Community Health Improvement Plan updated June 2018 at the link provided in your resources.
Table 7. Hospital G Community Profile 2017
Gender
Education
Below poverty level
Hospital G Community Profile 2017 | ||||
| Item | Total | Distribution | ||
| Total population | 110,222 | 100% | ||
Race
| White | 62,376 | 56.6% | |
| Black or African American | 34,578 | 31.4% | ||
| Asian | 2,910 | 2.6% | ||
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 108 | 0.98% | ||
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 81 | 0.74% | ||
| Two or more races | 1,731 | 1.6% | ||
| Other | 3,194 | 2.63% | ||
| Male | 53,237 | 48.3% | ||
| Female | 56,985 | 51.7% | ||
| Less than 9th grade | 5,977 | 7.94% | ||
| 9-12th grade, no diploma | 5,588 | 7.42% | ||
| High school graduate | 18,928 | 25.14% | ||
| Some college | 13,572 | 18.03% | ||
| Associate degree | 6,456 | 8.57% | ||
| Bachelor’s degree | 15,481 | 20.56% | ||
| Graduate degree | 9,292 | 12.34% | ||
| 13.7% families, 19% individuals of which 30.2% under 18 years and 11.8% over 65 years | 20,942 | 19% | ||
| Median age | 39.6 | |||
| Average household size | 2.44 people | |||
| Median income | $46,672 | |||
| Mean income | $73,623 | |||
Length: minimum of 5 pages, not including a title page and reference page
References: minimum of 3 scholarly references