The focus on a marketing strategy is important for any company which specializes in providing definite products or services because marketing is the key process not only to promote different products and services but also to contribute to the effective company’s performance and competition within the industry.
In spite of the fact that the main principles of marketing are appropriate to be used in different spheres, it is impossible to state that marketing in relation to the food production has no differences regarding health care marketing.
The view that the processes of marketing hotels or foods are the same regarding the processes typical for the health care marketing is rather naïve because there are many significant differences characteristic for marketing strategies used in various industries.
The differences which can be determined in relation to food production marketing and health care marketing are affected by the challenges of the health care industry. Marketing strategies operated in different industries depend not only on the characteristics of this or that industry but also on the specific demands of the customers or the company’s target audience (Berkowitz, 2010).
That is why, all the associated features and characteristics should be taken into account in order to state about differences in marketing processes. From this point, it is naively to apply the general principles of marketing to the health care industry without references to the specific features of the spheres and companies’ activities because health care marketing is the unique filed which requires the distinctive approach.
Nevertheless, health care marketing is similar to marketing other products or services in relation to relying on the basic marketing principles. Thus, marketers in the health care industry also develop their plans basing on the correlation of such parameters as product, price, promotion, and place (Berkowitz, 2010). Moreover, the process of working out a marketing plan depends on the dynamic development of the industry without references to its particular features.
Health care marketing strategies as strategies used in any other industry can be discussed as oriented to effective competition within the industry, successful use of different advertisements, attracting customers, and improving the brand recognition and reputation. Moreover, many organizations in the health care industry as well as in any other sphere can be described as market-oriented because of the focus on the effective promotion and increased sales.
However, health care marketing is also characterized by a lot of differences while comparing its approaches, techniques, and key points with the principles significant for developing the marketing strategies within the other industries. To begin with, the target market is important for the health care industry without referring to the specific groups of consumers.
Secondly, while referring to customers of the health care industry, it is important to pay attention to the changes in the populations and their demographics as well as to the people’s changing demands and interests in the health care products and services. Health challenges typical for different groups of population are various, and marketers working within the health care industry should respond to different categories of the population and their needs separately (Berkowitz, 2010).
The challenges of the health care industry influence the specifics of the used marketing strategies, thus, any changes in the government health care policies such as revisions of the drug prescription policies or new insurance laws can affect the changes in the marketing environment.
Thus, although health care marketing is based on the general marketing principles, there are many differences in the approaches which should be taken into consideration by marketers.
Reference
Berkowitz, E. (2010). Essentials of health care marketing. USA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.