case study of marketing

1. Case: Robots and Reform in the Health Market Max Scallion, marketing director of the Robotic Research Corporation of America, settled into his airline seat, pulling out the papers he needed to read on his flight from New York to London. He was on his way to a series of meetings to test the viability of launching their latest product, "Georgie', in the UK and the rest of Europe. Following it's launch two years earlier, 'Georgie' had become an instant hit in America where each product had produced savings of up to $100,000 a year in hospitals. 'Georgie' was a robot capable of delivering up to 350lbs of materials to pre-determined destinations, or cleaning and polishing floors. In American hospi- tals, Georgie was loaded in a central materials management department with goods from X-rays to toilet rolls and programmed for delivery destinations, Using its memory map, it calculated the route and set off around the long corridors typical of large hospitals. Sensors guided it round any obstacles whilst it calculated the devia- tion to ensure it returned to its route. A centralised controller watched progress and in the event of problems, Georgie could use pre-recorded messages such as 'I am lost. Please report my position to the operator.' to ask for help from passers-by. Georgie could also clean the floors it travelled over as the flick of a switch changed it from 'carry' to 'clean' mode and activated its brushes and polishers. Georgie was a very efficient worker, available 7 days a week, and 23 hours a day (the other hour was for recharging its batteries and undergoing any necessary maintenance). It could do the work of 3 human workers, allowing more resources to be devoted to patient care. Max had decided the time was right to launch Georgie into the UK as a springboard into European markets when he had heard of the changes to the provision of health care. On the plane, he looked first through his briefing notes on the changes to the healthcare market in the UK. Scanned with Camscanner Hempha UK healthcare market 19% UC lesthome to provided by the public sodor bupugh the Noland Health Sery acidly in te cos of the elderly. pudancy bereced between 1950 and | 990 kom bo to 71 " pool /1 670yoko lorain Gopath in the elderly population has abeady caused What won beding polder (1981-1908, Is resbers al 75 84 poor olds increased by 15%, the NEW of group ond isgames is older age bands bat longerterm funding ing ow Chi wil decmase bon 8.3 million is 1905, in 74 million is 2000. 15-50 meet the wil increase from 8.2 million in 1985 to 7.5 million in 2000 Food oddvoice is surgeity technique and drop boomers have increased the costs of jorge healthcare and tooon non itesies can be treated. God ofting measures induds on increase is in fe 190% and early 1890., by NHS was neformed by wormsive porummash in ling with changes in offer public services. The separation of i mode of patchout from the role ol provider. magli of managerand itspoonblity between those who specify the quality of o service and haye above or ha diffid health puborifies, mmpensible for deciding what services are gained in their area, onurging and paying for contacts with providers of the serviomi, and and nostoring quality standards. Some doctor's procticus preferred to ca Tundholding hi che now contel budget to purchase healthcore for their patients. don" include hospitals which may be diecily managed unit within a health authority, or coming bust which have spind out of the struckus, Hospiio's have more quionany in movide portracial services but can haws their contracts withdrown if they do not ary baoth authorities con purchase the health care d'service inquired, In theory, heoh cuhhorilic the public and private sectors. In proction, the contracts iswad so far hove but computtion how tois's not only with private providers had withn the NHS. Hospitals have to win controcis based on the quality y oppaand to the reforms. The British Medical Amociation is five marbut willis the Nits, Hophal managera bed that the changes overlock wod undwinding of heathcare, which is under dis of GDP in the LK ago ower Is in ofer western countries stating book in te Nits have fallen because some services wich os loundry, cultring ting an now provided by plivile ab-contraden, It remains the largest amplayer in Europe in Charter of 1091 laid down what the UK public con exped from its health service, ing sandand in such guess an waiting list, complaints and information, The future of hoult- me mojor debering point during the 1983 and 1997 panural elections. anil wary dependent on mecool boatonce for it income, Hownear it believsi acomplicesstory tole clongaids the Nil s. Some Nits patients are now heate hesphils and some Nits hospich provide private healthcare facilition. Scanned with CamScanner Max coniidered how his corporation would cope with supplying this fast changing marist. Their objectives were dear. 'to be the most recommended inlemational supplier of robotic products . But so far their customers had been confined largely to private sector organisations in North America. His company was young, as were mist of the wagers. The Robotic Research Corporation had grown very rapidly to reach sales of 419 mation in 1943, driven on by the innovative ideas and enthusiasm of its youthful dinnation, including Max who had just celebrated his twenty ninth birthday. Their inter- national siribogy was to use 'Georgie" as the spearhead for penetrating the Europein mint. Max's visit was to evaluate not only the potential market for the product, the howl of competition and other likely barriers to its acceptance, but also the logistical hooves of selling supplying and servicing a complex technological product at a distance. To help him with this evaluation, Max had arranged to meet a number of healthcare managers. Hin first appointment as with Ruth Davies, who was the rarely appointed irector of marlosting at Queens Hospital Trust. Ruth had informed Max that she needed introduce innovations which not only produced efficiencies but also produced good bildity for the hospital, which needed to market inself to patients and to healthcare urchoosers alike. As Max looked forward to their meeting , he recalled her words on the phone "The aims of marketing here are the same as any other organisation - more peers. But the environment is very different to, say marketing consumer subject as it is so often a matter of life and death'. 1. What are some of the categories of internal influences on marketing decisions which face Max Scallion. What illustrations of these does this case provide? 7 What are the main categories of influences in the external environment which face Max and the Robotic Research Corporation in marketing their products in the UK healthcare market? What illustrations of these does this case provide? Set boufrom 4 and 5. Cunder the environmental factors that are particularly important for Ruth Davies to consider in marketing Queens Hospital. What are the significant internal factorst #13 What are the significant external factors? She sockors 4 and 5. ") How would you advise her to manage them? Son section &. Wel Which particular markets would you advise her to focus on, other than