Here, you'll find both the mission statement and a situational analysis of the subject of this marketing plan. Both artifacts frame the direction of this project, serving as useful background information to the final marketing plan.
A situational analysis has been conducted to identify what makes your health care product or service unique. The situational analysis portion of this project will focus on the internal and external environment in which the marketing plan will be implemented.
The situational analysis will include three specific areas:
SWOT, a four-cell chart containing internal and external factors of the chosen healthcare organization
Environmental forces, research into university health centers, health services, or programming for university students.
Competitive analysis, an analysis of weaknesses and strengths of the competitors to the selected organization
Characteristics commonly associated with the social aspect of an environment include demographic population, culture, and values. (Berkowitz, 2022). The student population of Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUI) is a majority white and female institution, with a diverse minority demographic of students of African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, and multiracial students, as well as international students. Additionally, students may have different cultural and religious backgrounds with different values and beliefs that can impact their care. With this diverse demographic, it is important to be aware and considerate of the impact these various backgrounds may have. Some student backgrounds may lead to hesitancy in pursuing care from this organization or other medical organizations due to fear and mistrust, while others may be more open first to holistic sources or find the topic taboo. These factors could potentially negatively impact my marketing plan if those differences and backgrounds are not considered, addressed, and applied to the direction of the marketing plan.
The economic standpoint of any business plays a crucial role in the success of an organization. In healthcare especially, there has been a huge increase in the cost of care, with the United States being the top spender of health care. The consumer price index (CPI), “the average price consumer in urban markets pay for a various bundle of goods and services “(Berkowitz, 2022) is continuously increasing alongside the various recent changes in trade and manufacturing of supplies. College students commonly have a restricted gross income with little remaining discretionary income after paying for monthly necessities.
Due to this predicament cost of care plays a huge factor in the seeking of health services by people in this age range. This factor can lead to a positive impact on my marketing plan as there are some free services provided as well as discounted rates for uninsured students or students out of their insurance network leading them to choose our organization over others. Unfortunately, despite this discounted rate in certain situations that may not be enough for some individuals leading them to avoid our care services.
In regard to the services provided and location, a competitor of this organization is Eskenazi Health, located west of campus near Riley Hospital, within walking distance of the campus center. Eskenazi Health, known as a safety net hospital, is widely supported by funding donations and is well known for its community participation. Eskenazi provides all the medical services provided by the Indiana University-Indianapolis Campus Health (Campus Health) as well as more services such as nutritional counseling, podiatry, dental, optometry, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, and telehealth services at certain locations. This facility accepts multiple insurances (a large acceptor of Medicaid/Medicare coverage) and can provide patients with a good faith estimate before proceeding with care if they are concerned with the cost of their services. Additionally, to these services, Eskenazi also provides social work services to assist individuals with accessing various assistive services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
There is a chance that students may be more aware of Eskenazi as a service provider than they are of campus health, leading to more student footwork. Additionally, students may be more prone to seek care at this facility due to its hours and its location being on a major hospital campus if they feel this will correlate with better care services. Despite the strengths of Eskenazi, the cost of care and payment options can weaken student footwork just as much as cost can with campus health, if not more. A major differentiator between students choosing to seek care from Eskenazi or campus health is linked to the insurance networks and cost of care. A key to strong competition with this organization is based with strong marketing tactics and a low CPI. Free and low-priced services can be the decision maker between the two.
Sources
Berkowitz, E. N. (2022). Essentials of Health Care Marketing (fifth). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Eskenazi Health. (2025). Testimonial home page. www.eskenazihealth.edu. https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/