The occupational health care program of Bethesda Hospital, just introduced to the Baltimore metropolitan area market, will meet the various needs of employers in the region. To reach the desired customer group, it is very important first to segment the market and then combine it with the features that our program offers to the customers. This article looks at three different segmentation approaches for marketing the occupational medicine program and discusses how each of these would affect the marketing mix.
Alternative 1: Industry Based Segmentation
Industry type is one approach for segmenting the customer base. The company is applying a data-driven segmentation strategy where employers are grouped based on the type of business or industry (Schwartz & Woloshin, 2019).Likewise, Bethesda Hospital will have the possibility to separately target industries such as manufacturing, technology firms, and healthcare providers.
Impact on Marketing Mix Product
Through customization, Bethesda Hospital can fulfil the unique occupational health requirements of every trade. For instance, for the manufacturing sector, the focus could be on on-site toxicology assessments and injury prevention programs. Technology businesses could be interested in stress management and ergonomic evaluations instead.
Price
The approach to price setting can be modified to match the prevalent perception of service values. Bethesda Hospital, for example, can offer bundled packages or volume discounts in specific sectors to attract industries.
Promotion
Marketing activities can be oriented towards industry-specific channels such as trade publications, industry meetings, and networking events. Messages can be targeted to different industries with offers that are most fitting for them.
Place
Bethesda Hospital could partner with health clinics or establish satellite clinics close to the industrial parks or business areas where the target industry is based to make the services accessible to get hold of for people.
Alternative 2: Size Based Segmentation
Another segmentation approach is based on the size of the employer, such as small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations. One of the determiners is the number of employees and annual income level.
Impact on Marketing Mix
Product
The Bethesda Hospital scale solutions are flexible enough to address variations in the conditions of the different businesses of varying sizes. Small companies could provide affordable training programs and telemedicine services as their main priorities. At the same time, for large corporations, the emphasis would be on delivering full-fledged on-site medical care centres.
Price
Suppose prices can be different depending on the scale of services rendered for each segment. Smaller businesses might take advantage of pay-as-you-go subscriptions, while bigger corporations may prefer the capability to customize plans according to their needs.
Promotion
Marketing messages can be derived to focus on the specific difficulties and concerns of businesses at different scales. Showcasing the success stories and testimonials from small and medium-sized organizations is also an effective way of demonstrating the effectiveness of the program.
Place
Bethesda Hospital can run outreach programs and seminars to educate small enterprises in the community. On-site consulting and face-to-face presentations for larger companies are additional options.
Alternative 3: Risk-Based Segmentation
A risk-based segmentation method is an approach in which employers are divided into groups, depending on the level of occupational health risks present in their workplace environment or due to the nature of their industry. Injury rates, harmful substance exposure, and compliance with safety regulations are the key points to take into account when applying this segmentation (Jeffery et al., 2019)
Impact on Marketing Mix
Product
This will help Bethesda create packages of services tailored to the needs of each group, such as athletes, older staff and professionals, and students. Construction and chemical manufacturing sectors that continually deal with casualties may need to be equipped with regular safety training and health screenings.
Price
While risk protections may differ throughout the system, the price structures may be adjusted based on the degree of risk protection required for each section. High-risk industries may want to set aside greater resources for safety or health upgrades.
Promotion
The marketing can be focused on the adoption of proactive risk management and conformity with the industry rules. Bethesda Hospital Hospitals can make themselves an essential element of business partnering by helping them to minimize work-related risks.
Place
The health institution can establish the foundation for targeted outreach programs to industries with the highest occupational health risks by collaborating with industry associations and regulatory agencies for increased visibility and credibility.
Biblical Integration
Jesus “traveled to all the towns and settlements where he preached in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and sickness,” (Math, 9:35-36, New International Version). That passage pinpoints the centrality of holistic healing and compassion, which tallies with the mission of Bethesda Hospital’s occupational medicine program. By dividing the market and providing services to the communities with specific needs, the ethos of service and empathy can be reflected in the program.
Conclusion
Segmenting the customer base for Bethesda Hospital’s occupational medicine program into industry-based, size-based, and risk-based sections caters to the needs of employers with different sizes and risk factors in the Baltimore metro area. Distinguishing the peculiarities and priorities of each segment can enable Bethesda Hospital to develop and customize a marketing mix that can highly increase the value proposition and contribute to the company’s growth. Bethesda Hospital will be a reliable partner through the adoption of preventative risk management, empathetic care, and its commitment to health promotion in the work area.
References
Addison, S. About More Disciples. New International Version.https://moredisciples.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/More-Disciples_V10b-1-16.pdf
Jeffery, A. D., Hewner, S., Pruinelli, L., Lekan, D., Lee, M., Gao, G., … & Sylvia, M. (2019). Risk prediction and segmentation models used in the United States for assessing risk in whole populations: a critical literature review with implications for nurses’ role in population health management. JAMIA open, 2(1), 205-214. https://academic.oup.com/jamiaopen/article/2/1/205/5273646
Schwartz, L. M., & Woloshin, S. (2019). Medical marketing in the United States, 1997-2016. Jama, 321(1), 80-96. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2720029
write