The structure of the market economy in the world today forces private clinics and pharmacies to compete with one another for clients and patients constantly. Different clinics use various marketing strategies to attract customers. This essay will analyze the marketing characteristics of a pharmaceutical company that sells pharmaceuticals in Tampa, Florida. Also, to determine the effectiveness of this organization’s marketing strategies, the paper will present statistical information on this region’s demographic and cultural characteristics.
A-Pharm Pharmaceutical Company has been selling pharmaceuticals in the city of Tampa since 2019. The premise in which the company operates is quite spacious, obviously geared toward customers with children, as the company has equipped a separate room with various educational games for children. Moreover, the company is close to two schools and a kindergarten. Consequently, the target audience of the pharmacy is adults with children. In support of this statement, it is also worth noting that the company offers discount promotions for the client’s family members, which indicates the company’s focus on large families with children. It is a significant marketing move, as children like to spend time in places with other children and lots of toys. Children can influence their parents’ choices and increase the chance that parents will come to this particular company. Also, adults are comfortable buying products at A-pharm because the pharmacy staff constantly monitors and supervises children. It makes the company’s main premises quieter and parents of children more focused on shopping.
In Tampa, about 30 percent of the population is Hispanic (Florida Department of Health, 2020, p. 18) which the company has skillfully used in its marketing strategy. Half the employees speak English and half speak Spanish at the pharmacy, and there are separate lines to the different register locations. It makes it easier for Spanish speakers to get the advice they need in their preferred language, which is also essential in understanding the pharmacy’s target audience. The company is susceptible to its ability to offer bilingual services; even its Website and mailing list are bilingual, depending on which customer the e-mail is addressed. Realizing communication potential is very important to a healthcare company’s marketing strategy because the communication and consultation experience often determines how a patient feels about the company (Elrod, 2020).
About 63% of adults in Hillsborough County are obese, and 57% have a sedentary or passive lifestyle (Florida Department of Health, 2020, p. 11). This fact may also have influenced the organization’s advertising campaign, which primarily concentrates on online resources, with physical advertising in nearby grocery malls. Also, the company offers several free delivery options for its products, which may also be due to an understanding of this community feature.
The company advertises many products related to the fight against obesity and those designed to promote children’s health. The mailing is done through the collection of customer information, allowing customers to receive additional discounts and promotions on their birthdays. An accumulative bonus system and a club card allow for a higher percentage of customer returns, which is also an important marketing component of the firm. People are more inclined to return to places with discounts and extra privileges rather than an intrusive newsletter reminding customers about the company.
Finally, the company uses an image or branding strategy to attract customers. The company has its unique logo on all the business cards and bags it gives clients. Also, it conducts contests among children to promote a healthy lifestyle, where various bags, clothing, and stationery with the company’s logo and name are given out as gifts and prizes. It is imperative given the company’s target audience. The parenting community is strongly associated with educational institutions; therefore, branding products affect the company’s recognition and prestige. Children will use the company’s gifts, which can attract the attention of other children and, consequently, their parents’ attention.
Thus, the company is a prime example of how the population’s demographic and cultural characteristics influence a pharmaceutical firm’s marketing strategies. The company’s marketing activities come down to retaining customer loyalty by keeping their contacts and other personal information in the company’s database, which is then used to send out helpful tips and advertisements. It is a universal strategy that is less dependent on the population’s demographics.
The other strategy, however, is aimed at attracting a specific audience, in this case, mothers with children, which is unique to the company and is tailored to the local community. The advantageous location in an area with many educational institutions guarantees the company a large influx of customers with children, whose attention the company wins thanks to a particular room designed for children’s games. It increases the loyalty of the target audience, or at least the children’s desire to come to this particular pharmacy, and it also protects other customers from possible difficulties arising from children’s noise. Besides, a strategy to attract Hispanic customers by using two languages and separate checkout lines set the company apart from the competition. It attracts Hispanic customers, whose share of the community is relatively high. These two strategies, and the online marketing strategy, are less applicable to other locations where the demographics are not aligned with the companies. For example, such a company focus would not be appropriate for San Diego, which has a markedly lower percentage of children than other states.
References
Elrod, J. K., & Fortenberry, J. L. (2020). Foundational elements of communication in health and medicine: avenues for strengthening the marketing communications mix. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1-6.
Florida Department of Health. (2020). Local public health system assessment.