Effective Communication Model and Marketing Communications Strategy

Effective Communication Model and Marketing Communications strategy

Marketing communication is defined by Kotler & Keller as "the means by which firms attempts to inform, persuade, and remind consumers about the products and brands they sell"(Kotler & Keller, 2009, p. 266). The target audience for the hospital (my work place) is the general public within central Massachusetts and western New Hampshire with special emphasis on the family. The communication objectives are to encourage brand purchase intentions through brand awareness backed by the hospitals competency to meet the society's health needs. Personal communication through word of mouth, provider-patient communication (e.g. Doctor schedules and reminders), and family visit to patients on admission forms the major basis of the hospital's communication channel. Other channels include media e.g. Web and TV, Events and experiences and effective public relations. Communication budget are based on a competitive-parity method which is minimal especially because the high degree of word-of-mouth referrals.

My organization have an integrated communication system, which is a necessity in the health care field especially because, any point of contact in the patient's health and recovery process leaves an everlasting impression. The hospitals therefore uses all the communication and promotional tools available (Personal, TV, Print, Web) to coordinate its contact with consumers

Message strategy: The ideal message strategy is the emphasis on family health, which has been the focus all along. This is be reinforced by other positioning advantages such as proximity, availability, accessibility and neighborliness and advance technologically.

Creative strategy: The best creative strategy for my organization will be information that can advice consumers about what the hospital can do. Law and ethics necessitate the choice. In conformity with the law, health care advertising can give information only with no claim (s). As said elsewhere in this paper, claims of absolute cure is illegal and troubling. The hospital can emphasis general success with governmental checks in areas like OSHA, HIPAA etc. to drive the message home.

Message source: The spokespeople for the hospital is the usually the Doctor (s) and the family or the patient (s). Care is taken to minimize the disease process itself during promotional communications. Emphasis is placed on after care/cure pictures rather than before. Unfortunately, the use of celebrity figures does not work well in the medical field because most celebrities prefer privacy. What is more, the society thinks these people have better coping mechanism (money, family, fans) and tends to downplay their health adverts.

Social Media: Currently, the use of social media in the health care field can be described as 'beginning'. Health information protection is still a major hurdle for