Discussion

Marketing to Various Consumer Groups

What motivates consumers to make the decisions they do? How do health care organizations market to specific groups of consumers? In this Discussion, you will explore these questions and the connection between them.

Prepare for this Discussion as follows:

• Review Exhibit 4-6 "The Traditional Family Life Cycle" on page 144 inEssentials of Health Care Marketing. Then, look at Figure 4-6 "The Modernized Family Life Cycle" on page 145 of this text. In addition, you may have additional modifications to these two diagrams that you would like to make based on contemporary conceptions of individuals and families. Where would you placeyourselfin a contemporary life cycle?
• With this in mind, consider what is important toyouas a health care consumer.Reflect on insights from the Learning Resources regarding buyer behavior and think about various sociocultural influences that may affect your choices.How do you think decision-making sequences might differ foryouas opposed to a selection of other consumer types ?
• Next, change your perspective from one of a consumer to one of a provider. Bring to mind an actual health care organization that offers a particular product or service of interest to you. Suppose this organization wanted to appeal to you as a consumer. How would you expect this organization to apply the information on market segmentation presented in Chapter 6 of the text?What elements of product strategy outlined in Chapter 8 of the text are relevant for the product or service you have selected?

Post by Day 4 a response to the following:

• Describe where you would place yourself within a contemporary life cycle. Explain how your personal characteristics as well as sociocultural dimensions influence the choices you make as a health care consumer. Also discuss how decisions might differ for other groups of consumers.
• Identify a particular product or service, and explain how an organization might engage in market segmentation and product strategy to appeal to you as a potential customer.