AC Hospital Powell, AC Hospital\'s marketing director, stood to gaze out the con

Question

AC Hospital Powell, AC Hospital's marketing director, stood to gaze out the conference room windows onto the of this mid-sized city in two ribbons of train tracks that curled near the hospital on the north side Ohio. He was thinking about how rival hospitals, such as Akron Clty Hospital, Akron General Medical Center, and St. Thomas Hospital, had recently hired marketing directors like himself. The urgency to advance AC Hospital's marketing effort was going to intensify in the next year. Powell's meeting was going into its second hour. In addition to Powell, the meeting's participants were Mark Norton, the hospital operations officer (Powell's boss) and Janet Jones from the Cleveland-based Marcus Thomas communications and research agency. One staff member from finance was there, along with the soon to be retiring public relations director for the hospital. In the past, both of these staffers would support whatever Norton proposed or liked. It now looked like Powell and Jones were on the other side of a divide about how to approach positioning AC Hospital in next year's advertising campaign. To make matters worse, Powell and Jones appeared to be outnumbered, and the tension in the room was palpable. Jones said, "AC Hospital board wants the hospital to become the preferred hospital in the high-growth areas of the region. Accordingly, we are studying positioning possibilities, so that the board can select the best positioning for next year's communications campaign intended to boost the number of patient cases 10% in the following year. wThat's it. That's what we want." Norton said. "But I don't think we have to pursue a research project with a survey that just may lead us to reinvent the wheel-and for $60,000, too." "What wheel is that?" Powell asked, turning away from the window to face N "Powell, you know as well as I do that this hospital is all about children." Norton said. "Emphasize the kids. Whatever we do should feature the kids. Just do some focus groups that will allow Marcus Thomas to get some ideas for their advertising about kids and our hospital. That should only cost about $20,000. But honestly, I am not sure we even need that." nMark, remember that McDonald's tends to emphasize kids, too, but adults are featured in their advertising most of the time." Powell said, "Marcus Thomas needs to cover the entire range of issues families consider when choosing a hospital for their kid. If miss something important, one of the other hospitals in Akron might claim they are the better hospital when it comes to this Powell is making a good point." Jones said. "Right now, we don't know which would the most nso describe which paths we can pursue now," Norton said. "Plan A do focus groups only, as you suggested." Jones said. "Plan B do focus groups with a follow-on survey. Plan C do a survey with follow on focus groups. And plan D do no research wTell me more about each of these." Norton said. "In plan A, Marcus Thomas would conduct four focus groups, with an average of 10 respondents per group," Jones said. "We'll ask participants to discuss their experiences while at a hospital. Participants will be required to be the primary decision makers for health-care decisions within the family and have a child--newborns to 18 years old with an acute condition and who had spent at least 3 consecutive days in a hospital Because most health-care decision makers within a family tend to be women, most of the rticipants will be female between 25 and 54 years old with one or more children ranging front newborns to 18 years "Cost?" Norton asked. "About $20,000," Powell continued, "In plan B, we'll plan plus a field survey to follow tip on the issues we identify in the focus groups. First, we'll about unaided and aided awareness of hospitals in the region, Then, based on what we learn in the focus groups, we will identify the concepts of three positioning strategies and ask survey respondents which one they prefer most and which one they prefer next most. Well be able to statistically determine the preference among the positioning alternatives." "The three strategies might be, one, AC Hospital has doctors who listen to you," Powell two, we know how to meet the unique needs of children, or, three, we use the latest advances in treating children. "Cost?" Norton asked again. "About $60,000" Powell Said. "What about plan C? Why does that make sense?" Norton asked. "We can identify the best positioning strategy by conducting a survey. The salient aspects of this positioning strategy to the consumers can then be explored via focus groups. The cost will be the same as plan B; that is $60,000." responded Jones. And plan D- no research. Turn our creative staff loose and hang on for the ride." Jones said with wry smile, Norton returned the smile and looked room. "Doesn't your firm do the advertising for the Ohio Lottery?" Norton asked. "With plan D, we might do better by playing the Ohio Lottery!" Sensing the humor, everyone in the room laughed together. Finally, tension seemed to begin dissipating. Norton nodded slowly, Powell nodded, too. However, the questions Powell was thinking about still remained. Which of the plans would AC Hospital pursue plan C plan D? If money was invested, would it be a worthwhile investment? Would the idea of research being a "cost" (with no apparent return) persist in the minds of Norton and the other staff members long after this meeting? What could be done now to help Norton and the other executives view research as an investment (with an implied return)? Answer all the following
questions; Define the management decision problem confronting AC Hospital and a corresponding marketing research problem and show the linkages between the two. (30 marks) 2. In your opinion, what would be the best sequence of options for using exploratory and conclusive research in this case? (20 marks) Do you think that Norton should commission a survey in this case? If yes, which survey method would you recommend and why? (20 marks) 4, If a mail survey is to he conducted to determine households' preferences for children hospitals, design a suitable sampling process. What should the sample and how should it be determined? (30 marks)
AC Hospital Powell, AC Hospital's marketing director, stood to gaze out the conference room windows onto the of this mid-sized city in two ribbons of train tracks that curled near the hospital on the north side Ohio. He was thinking about how rival hospitals, such as Akron Clty Hospital, Akron General Medical Center, and St. Thomas Hospital, had recently hired marketing directors like himself. The urgency to advance AC Hospital's marketing effort was going to intensify in the next year. Powell's meeting was going into its second hour. In addition to Powell, the meeting's participants were Mark Norton, the hospital operations officer (Powell's boss) and Janet Jones from the Cleveland-based Marcus Thomas communications and research agency. One staff member from finance was there, along with the soon to be retiring public relations director for the hospital. In the past, both of these staffers would support whatever Norton proposed or liked. It now looked like Powell and Jones were on the other side of a divide about how to approach positioning AC Hospital in next year's advertising campaign. To make matters worse, Powell and Jones appeared to be outnumbered, and the tension in the room was palpable. Jones said, "AC Hospital board wants the hospital to become the preferred hospital in the high-growth areas of the region. Accordingly, we are studying positioning possibilities, so that the board can select the best positioning for next year's communications campaign intended to boost the number of patient cases 10% in the following year. wThat's it. That's what we want." Norton said. "But I don't think we have to pursue a research project with a survey that just may lead us to reinvent the wheel-and for $60,000, too." "What wheel is that?" Powell asked, turning away from the window to face N "Powell, you know as well as I do that this hospital is all about children." Norton said. "Emphasize the kids. Whatever we do should feature the kids. Just do some focus groups that will allow Marcus Thomas to get some ideas for their advertising about kids and our hospital. That should only cost about $20,000. But honestly, I am not sure we even need that." nMark, remember that McDonald's tends to emphasize kids, too, but adults are featured in their advertising most of the time." Powell said, "Marcus Thomas needs to cover the entire range of issues families consider when choosing a hospital for their kid. If miss something important, one of the other hospitals in Akron might claim they are the better hospital when it comes to this Powell is making a good point." Jones said. "Right now, we don't know which would the most nso describe which paths we can pursue now," Norton said. "Plan A do focus groups only, as you suggested." Jones said. "Plan B do focus groups with a follow-on survey. Plan C do a survey with follow on focus groups. And plan D do no research wTell me more about each of these." Norton said. "In plan A, Marcus Thomas would conduct four focus groups, with an average of 10 respondents per group," Jones said. "We'll ask participants to discuss their experiences while at a hospital. Participants will be required to be the primary decision makers for health-care decisions within the family and have a child--newborns to 18 years old with an acute condition and who had spent at least 3 consecutive days in a hospital Because most health-care decision makers within a family tend to be women, most of the rticipants will be female between 25 and 54 years old with one or more children ranging front newborns to 18 years "Cost?" Norton asked. "About $20,000," Powell continued, "In plan B, we'll plan plus a field survey to follow tip on the issues we identify in the focus groups. First, we'll about unaided and aided awareness of hospitals in the region, Then, based on what we learn in the focus groups, we will identify the concepts of three positioning strategies and ask survey respondents which one they prefer most and which one they prefer next most. Well be able to statistically determine the preference among the positioning alternatives." "The three strategies might be, one, AC Hospital has doctors who listen to you," Powell two, we know how to meet the unique needs of children, or, three, we use the latest advances in treating children. "Cost?" Norton asked again. "About $60,000" Powell Said. "What about plan C? Why does that make sense?" Norton asked. "We can identify the best positioning strategy by conducting a survey. The salient aspects of this positioning strategy to the consumers can then be explored via focus groups. The cost will be the same as plan B; that is $60,000." responded Jones. And plan D- no research. Turn our creative staff loose and hang on for the ride." Jones said with wry smile, Norton returned the smile and looked room. "Doesn't your firm do the advertising for the Ohio Lottery?" Norton asked. "With plan D, we might do better by playing the Ohio Lottery!" Sensing the humor, everyone in the room laughed together. Finally, tension seemed to begin dissipating. Norton nodded slowly, Powell nodded, too. However, the questions Powell was thinking about still remained. Which of the plans would AC Hospital pursue plan C plan D? If money was invested, would it be a worthwhile investment? Would the idea of research being a "cost" (with no apparent return) persist in the minds of Norton and the other staff members long after this meeting? What could be done now to help Norton and the other executives view research as an investment (with an implied return)? Answer all the following
questions; Define the management decision problem confronting AC Hospital and a corresponding marketing research problem and show the linkages between the two. (30 marks) 2. In your opinion, what would be the best sequence of options for using exploratory and conclusive research in this case? (20 marks) Do you think that Norton should commission a survey in this case? If yes, which survey method would you recommend and why? (20 marks) 4, If a mail survey is to he conducted to determine households' preferences for children hospitals, design a suitable sampling process. What should the sample and how should it be determined? (30 marks)
Because most health-care decision makers within a family tend to be women, most of the rticipants will be female between 25 and 54 years old with one or more children ranging front newborns to 18 years "Cost?" Norton asked. "About $20,000," Powell continued, "In plan B, we'll plan plus a field survey to follow tip on the issues we identify in the focus groups. First, we'll about unaided and aided awareness of hospitals in the region, Then, based on what we learn in the focus groups, we will identify the concepts of three positioning strategies and ask survey respondents which one they prefer most and which one they prefer next most. Well be able to statistically determine the preference among the positioning alternatives." "The three strategies might be, one, AC Hospital has doctors who listen to you," Powell two, we know how to meet the unique needs of children, or, three, we use the latest advances in treating children. "Cost?" Norton asked again. "About $60,000" Powell Said. "What about plan C? Why does that make sense?" Norton asked. "We can identify the best positioning strategy by conducting a survey. The salient aspects of this positioning strategy to the consumers can then be explored via focus groups. The cost will be the same as plan B; that is $60,000." responded Jones. And plan D- no research. Turn our creative staff loose and hang on for the ride." Jones said with wry smile, Norton returned the smile and looked room. "Doesn't your firm do the advertising for the Ohio Lottery?" Norton asked. "With plan D, we might do better by playing the Ohio Lottery!" Sensing the humor, everyone in the room laughed together. Finally, tension seemed to begin dissipating. Norton nodded slowly, Powell nodded, too. However, the questions Powell was thinking about still remained. Which of the plans would AC Hospital pursue plan C plan D? If money was invested, would it be a worthwhile investment? Would the idea of research being a "cost" (with no apparent return) persist in the minds of Norton and the other staff members long after this meeting? What could be done now to help Norton and the other executives view research as an investment (with an implied return)? Answer all the following
questions; Define the management decision problem confronting AC Hospital and a corresponding marketing research problem and show the linkages between the two. (30 marks) 2. In your opinion, what would be the best sequence of options for using exploratory and conclusive research in this case? (20 marks) Do you think that Norton should commission a survey in this case? If yes, which survey method would you recommend and why? (20 marks) 4, If a mail survey is to he conducted to determine households' preferences for children hospitals, design a suitable sampling process. What should the sample and how should it be determined? (30 marks)

Explanation / Answer

The management decision is in favour with the patients and has been truly taken seeing the problem and complications of the hospital. Also the market research is in favour of the hospital and the Management they want that the management should bring new facilities and also shall ensure that the ultra modern infrastructure need to maintained so that their are lot of patients who will be taking treatment from these hospitals.

Yes Norton should commission a survey in this case I would recommend a clean survey where all the irregularities can be brought into the picture their have been lot of finances and bribery involved in this case a third party agency should do a thorugh checking of the case and have a panel to scrutinize the case.

We have to take the feedback from all the customers where we will be able to understand the irregualrities and have the feedback from the general public so that their is no discrpancy at the later stage. The sampling process can take plave having the fixed area where the Doctors of the hospital can put a camp making people understand the reallity.

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