Akron Children’s Hospital, Part A
>Abstract
Northeastern Ohio is a highly competitive health-care market, especially for the care of seriously ill children. With powerhouse health care institutions like the Cleveland Clinic venturing into the children’s care segment, Akron Children’s needed a way to differentiate itself. The research profiled in this case helped develop the positioning of Akron Children’s hospital and its promotional approach that resulted in an increase in its bed-occupancy rate, a key metric in the health care industry.
>The Scenario …show more content…
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Within the first quarter, Marcus Thomas reconvened to evaluate the preliminary advertising and refine the brand message. Research on competitors’ messages revealed that the Cleveland Clinic and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital were emphasizing the high-tech nature of their medical practice as a means of defining their quality. Since Akron Children’s faced this competitive counterpunch, Marcus Thomas decided to test whether the care-centered brand message they recommended was truly effective in influencing parents’ hospital selection. To test message performance, Marcus Thomas conducted two more rounds of research: focus groups (phase two) followed by surveys (phase