Grad Student
Why did the healthcare environment of the 1970s appear attractive to energetic young marketing professionals?
Young marketing professionals like Ann Fyfe (1978) used a sound formula that included: “product, price, promotion and place.” This path allowed her to target specifics customers, provide their desires, gain capital and communicate effectively in building her customer base. Also, the “for-profit” portion of the hospital became significant due to their limiting reimbursements and increasing the services they offered.
Some of the programs include Medicare, national for-profit hospitals, and nursing home conglomerates. Other programs included the rise of physician programs that promoted their loyalty. Pharmaceutical organizations emerged as well as various insurance health plans for employers and individuals that focused on the advertisement & sale of specific drugs to the public.
Hospitals used various forms of marketing strategies which included: “read: advertising,” the media, and mass advertisement (billboards, television and radio) commercials. They also provided free educational programs, public campaigns.
According to the literature, within approximately 24 months, Ann Fyfe and the hospital CEO were fired by physicians because their marketing strategies unintentionally sabotaged the unannounced competition between the physician and hospital. Apparently the “physicians” were not viewed as internal customers and their urgent care practices began to decline. Thomas (2009) noted the physicians were not in agreement with the way their industry was being marketed. A lot of them viewed this avenue as “sleazy, commercial, and inappropriate, and the culture of medicine was simply not ready for it.” Although this unfortunate mishap occurred, hospitals across the country were still interested in Ms. Fyfe’s style and she continued to meet their demands. She went on to receive prestigious awards as “ the first Modern Healthcare ‘Up and
Young marketing professionals like Ann Fyfe (1978) used a sound formula that included: “product, price, promotion and place.” This path allowed her to target specifics customers, provide their desires, gain capital and communicate effectively in building her customer base. Also, the “for-profit” portion of the hospital became significant due to their limiting reimbursements and increasing the services they offered.
Some of the programs include Medicare, national for-profit hospitals, and nursing home conglomerates. Other programs included the rise of physician programs that promoted their loyalty. Pharmaceutical organizations emerged as well as various insurance health plans for employers and individuals that focused on the advertisement & sale of specific drugs to the public.
Hospitals used various forms of marketing strategies which included: “read: advertising,” the media, and mass advertisement (billboards, television and radio) commercials. They also provided free educational programs, public campaigns.
According to the literature, within approximately 24 months, Ann Fyfe and the hospital CEO were fired by physicians because their marketing strategies unintentionally sabotaged the unannounced competition between the physician and hospital. Apparently the “physicians” were not viewed as internal customers and their urgent care practices began to decline. Thomas (2009) noted the physicians were not in agreement with the way their industry was being marketed. A lot of them viewed this avenue as “sleazy, commercial, and inappropriate, and the culture of medicine was simply not ready for it.” Although this unfortunate mishap occurred, hospitals across the country were still interested in Ms. Fyfe’s style and she continued to meet their demands. She went on to receive prestigious awards as “ the first Modern Healthcare ‘Up and