Assignment

Marketing research is a valuable resource that guides organizations' decision making. As noted in the Learning Resources, research is used to help organizations identify consumers' needs and concerns and then develop marketing strategies to address them.

For this Application Assignment, you will evaluate elements of marketing research related to a particular scenario. Also in this Application, you will consider the difference between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and examine approaches to promote customer retention.

Prepare for this Application as follows:

• For Section One: Marketing Research

Review the instructions for Chapter 6 Problem 6 on page 228 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing. In addition to considering how you will answer this problem, think about the marketing-research process. What elements of the marketing-research process described in Chapter 5 of the text would you recommend the organization apply in this scenario?

• For Section Two: Customer Loyalty

Consider the following statement: " Although it is obvious that dissatisfied customers will certainly switch, it has been found that even satisfied customers will switch providers or suppliers. Satisfaction in and of itself is not sufficient" (Berkowitz, 2011, p. 236). With this in mind, think about the following questions:

• Why are customer satisfaction surveys important for health care organizations?

• What is the difference between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty?

• How would you assess customer loyalty?

• Why would this distinction be important for a health care organization as it considers its financial investments in marketing strategies? What implications does this have in terms of attracting new customers versus retaining customers?

• What is the purpose of organizational branding?

Then write a 2-page paper that addresses the following:

• Section One: Marketing Research

Answer the questions for Chapter 6 Problem 6 on page 228 of Essentials of Health Care Marketing. In addition, explain the types of additional marketing research you would recommend the organization conduct given this scenario.

• Section Two: Customer Loyalty

Analyze the distinction between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Also evaluate the significance of organizational branding and other aspects of marketing described in this week's Learning Resources. Explain how they relate to customer loyalty.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Ashford Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.

Resources:

• Course Text: Essentials of Health Care Marketing

• Chapter 4, "Buyer Behavior"

This chapter describes various factors that influence consumers' decisions.

• Chapter 5, "Marketing Research"

Health care organizations use marketing research to gather consumer information or data that informs their marketing strategies.

• Chapter 6, "Market Segmentation"

This chapter addresses the premise that "the more tailored the marketing strategy is to subgroups within the population, the greater the resulting sales and customers" (Berkowitz, 2011, p. 226).

• Chapter 7, "Developing Customer Loyalty"

"It has been increasingly documented that the costs of gaining a new customer are five times that of keeping a loyal one and that the retention of customers can lead to significant increases in profitability" (Berkowitz, 2011, p. 232). In health care, customer satisfaction has received increasing attention; yet, as this chapter points out, satisfaction is not the same as loyalty.

• Chapter 8, "Product Strategy"

This chapter examines the classification of products and services, the product life cycle, and branding.