Defensive Marketing Plan

Strategy Map and Marketing Plan
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Introduction
Healthcare has a complex operational environment. It has many different outputs and inputs that perform independently of one another. Preventive services of diabetes such as nutrition education is relatively cheap, scarce and under-compensated. The scarcity of these services leads to more expensive services such as amputations and treatment of diabetic shocks (Sweeney & Griffiths, 2002). Consumers also do not understand the reasons for limited access to health care, high prices in securing health services and conflict of interest among health practitioners. Healthcare providers also see the industry as complex. The complexity of this industry is brought about by
consolidation of the healthcare system, growing consumerism, cuts in government reimbursement and competitive pressures (Sweeney & Griffiths, 2002).
In marketing warfare, Jack Trout and Al Ries argue propose that marketing is more of a war than a strategy and the customer-oriented philosophy is inadequate.
They proposed that firms should would be more successful if they became competitor-oriented. They both came up with four strategies that are useful in fighting a marketing war. They include defensive, guerilla, flanking and offensive strategies.
The defensive strategy
AL Ries and Trout proposed that the defensive strategy was best suited for the market leader. They also outline the principles of defensive marketing. They include: Defensive strategies should only be undertaken by the market leader, attacking oneself is considered the best defensive strategy and the leader should always thwart the efforts made competitors (Ries & Trout,2006)
Offensive strategy.
This strategy, according to Trout and Ries are best suited for firms ranked second or third. Its principles include challenging the competitors’ weaknesses and attacking from a narrow front.
Flanking warfare
This is a strategy where a competitor attacks the areas where the leader of the market is not well established. The principles of this strategy include surprising the competitor and flanking on an uncontested area. Guerilla
warfare
These are strategies best employed by small companies that cannot launch flanking and offensive moves. The principles of this strategy include exiting on a short notice and operating in a segment that is small enough to defend (Ries, & Trout, 2006).
Marketing Plan
A marketing plan in healthcare makes an organization stand-out if it is well-planned, flexible and well-executed.
A marketing plan also reveals some of the reasons why marketing strategies fail. Some of the reasons include poor defining of audience, failure to keep track of events, lack of adequate customer satisfaction with the content and poor communication of the marketing strategy (Luther, 2001). A marketing plan integrates a response plan that ensures communication is cost-effective and successful, a proactive and integrated strategy and also ensures that responses are accurately predicted and the effects of these predictions on service delivery, goals and staffing.
Philip Kotler suggested that marketing strategies are developed for individual, brands, products, customer groups or channels. He further suggested that effective marketing plans define the goals of the company, the target market and the way customers should be convinced. He further suggested that marketing strategies are developed in six steps. These include:
Situational analysis- Companies examine the external environment (PEST analysis) and actors in the market. This is the stage where the company also carries out a SWOT analysis (Kotler, Kartajaya & Setiawan, 2010).
Objectives- the Company uses its situational analysis to set goals and when to achieve the
goals.
Strategy-this is the point where a company chooses the best strategy to take in achieving its goals.
Tactics- it involves coming up with detailed information regarding the 4Ps and the actions to be performed.
Budget-the company should plan its costs through a budget.
Controls- it involves the company measuring its actual performance with its standards.
Philip Kotler marketing plan model is, therefore, in developing an effective marketing plan as it covers all the internal and external factors that affect a business ((Kotler, Kartajaya & Setiawan, 2010).

References
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Sweeney, K., & Griffiths, F. (2002). Complexity and healthcare: An introduction. Abingdon, UK: Radcliffe Medical Press.
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Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2006). Marketing warfare. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Luther, W. M. (2001). The marketing plan: How to prepare and implement it. New York: AMACOM.
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Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2010). Marketing 3.0: From products to customers to the human spirit. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
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