MarketingPlan forahypotheticalcompanycalled SPPNetwork.

com RandyStewartMiller Rife/ECOM620 UniversityofMarylandUniversityCollege 5May2007

2 ExecutiveSummary ThepurposeofthisplanistoprovideanoverviewofSPPNetworksmarket strategy.Thismarketstrategyincludesanemailedsurveytoleadersatteaching hospitalstofindoutthebasicprofitabilityofourproposedcompanyaswellas potentialreach.Thiswillbeinconjunctionwithasecondaryscanofall statementspublishedonthesubjectwithaninsightintocostsandmodeling. ThisresearchisfollowedbyOnlineandOfflinemarketingandpromotionthat includesanelectronicandapaperbasedNewsletterthatiscoauthoredbya strategicpartnershipwithselectdrugandinsurancecompanies:Apodcast VoiceofthePatientandvariouswebpositioningstrategiesonsearchengines, andtargetadvertisingatbusstopsnexttosoughtafterhospitals.Itisalso proposedthatSPPNetworksponsoramadefortelevisionrealityminiseries basedonmilitarytrainingandinnovations. Company/OrganizationOverview SPPNetwork.com(Afictionalcompany)isacompanycreatedforthepurposeof deployingbothasoftwaresystemandtrainedactors(StandardizedPatients)for thepurposeoftrainingandevaluatingmedicalstudents.

3 SPPorStandardizedPatientProgramshavebeenfoundinmanymedicalschoolsto onedegreeoranotherforthepast30years.Nevertheless,aglobalizednetwork thatcapitalizesontechnologyisanemergingmarketopportunity.Thegeneral conceptisthatbysubscribingtoSPPNetworkservices;amedicalschool,nursing schoolorhospitalcanretainatrainedstaffofactorsoncall,deployasoftware, video,recordkeepinganddatabasesolutionfortraining,increasequalitycontrol, provideremedialattentiontoslowerstudents,bringallstudentsuptospeed faster,andoverallreducecostsascomparedwithaninhousesolution.The largestheadacheanySPPprogramhasisworkingwiththeactingstaffwhile SPPNetworkguaranteestherightactorattherightplaceattherighttimewithall associatedtechnology,includingautomatedvideotapingreadytorolland networkstorageonanewreverseedgeservermethodologywhichsetsupthe internetinreverseandwiththecorrectbandwidth. Theendresultoftheserviceistraineddoctorsandnurses.Thesoftware programoffsetssomeofthecostsoflivetrainingwithsoftwarebasedtraining andvideoreviewofsuccessfulevents.Thesevideoreviews(muchlikeasports teamwouldreviewanopponent)isattheheartofSPPNetworkservices.Actors areabletotrainthemselvesonlineassuccessfulpatients(usingvariouscultural andpsychographicexamplesasmodels)andmedicalstudentscanreview

4 successfulaswellasunsuccessfulintervieweventswithpatients,allstoredon servers. Asthesoftwareevolves,itisenvisionedthatitwillalsostandardizescoringand qualitycontrolofevents.Thisisimportantbecauseamovementisunderwayto bringnationalqualitycontrolstandardstohospitals.IfSPPNetworkwastoland QualityControlcontractsunderinsuranceandgovernmentindustryinitiatives (byprovidingsoftwareandactorsmuchlikehiddenshoppersintheretail industry),thenthegamechangesintoamultimilliondollarpotentialproposition sincehospitalswouldthenbeforcedbyindustrytoacceptournetworkservices. Therefore,marketingeffortsarealsogearedtowardtheinsurancesectoraswell ashospitalswhoareinterestedinSPP.While,thecurrentenvironmentshows thatindustryislikelytomovetowardadoptionofqualitycontrolmeasures withinthenextfiveyears,thefinancialplanonlytakesintoconsideration medicalschoolslikelytosubscribetoSPPNetworkbasedonmarketingandsales withoutindustrycoercion.Byyearfiveitisalsoexpectedthatmoremoneywill bespentbythecompanyonResearchandDevelopmentintovirtualreality softwareintegrationintotheSPPNetworktorelievesomeofthecostsassociated withliveactorsimulations.Especiallyinthetrainingphaseitislikelythat

5 medicalstudentscaninteractwithananimatedartificialintelligencesubjectthat isprogrammedinpsychologicalandgeographicalvariablesincludingthe expressionsofpain,languagedialectandotherfactors.Thistypeofsoftwareis currentlybeingexperimentedwithinResearchTriangle,NorthCarolina.Itis likelythattheartificialintelligencewouldhavetomeettheexpertiseof animatorsfromananimationcompanysuchasthoseinvolvedwiththe productionofvideogamesorfeaturefilmsatwhichpointSPPNetworkwould becomeaproviderofablendofrealandvirtuallyrealevents. TargetMarkets MarketResearchStrategies ProposedPrimaryResearch 1. Developalistofemailcontactsforwhichasurveymaybesenttoreduce costsofprimaryresearch. 2. Formulatethesurveytobeeasytofillout(bywayofalinktothesurvey). Profitability

6 Createasurveythatisadministeredtoteachinghospitalsto seewhattypeofStandardizedPatientPracticemodelsthey arecurrentlyusingandtheamounteachhospitalclaimsto spendeachyearonthisteachingmethod. Accessibility Onthesurveyadministeredabove,findoutwhyorwhynot ateachinghospitalusesSPP. Sizeofpotentialsegments Developageographicallistofteachinghospitalsbasedon surveysreturned,andinterpolatetosimilarhospitalsthat werenotsurveyedordidnotreturnsurveys. ActualDemographicResearch DiscoveranycompetitorsofferingSPPservices
U

throughresearch:Thereiscurrentlynoknowncontract providerofSPPservices.Currently,SPPisdoneinhouseat
U

eachteachinguniversitybasedonwordofmouthandweb availableactionplans.Thereiscurrentlyabookavailableon

7 settingupanSPPprogrambyPeggyWallace(Wallace, 2007). Combthroughdozensofstatementsontheinternetin regardstospendingonSPPbyuniversities. OnlineandOfflinePromotionsandStrategies Online CreationofanSPPNewsletterthatisemailedtoacontactlist databaseonamonthlybasis. 1. Developindustryrelationshipswithdrugcompanies andinsurancecompaniestoadvertiseinthe newslettertodefraycosts. 2. Offerstoriesofinteresttohospitalsteachingstaff. Theletterwillbeformattedfordeliverybyeither(Flash Paper/PDF)andisalsomassprintedforhanddelivery(See Offline). Becomethefirstplacepaidsearchwordonallsearch enginesforthetermStandardizedPatient. EnsurethatSPPNetwork.comisroboticfriendlyforsearch enginesmakingitthenumberoneplacedsearchreturn.

8 CreatetheVoiceofthePatientpodcastwhichcanbe savedfordoctorsandstudentstolistentoonthewayto work,whichissponsoredbySPPNetworkandendswitha partneradvertisementfromthedrugandinsurance companies(companieswhichhavebeenstrategically targetedtomakelaterdemandsonhospitalstoincorporate SPPNetworks,hiddenpatientprogram,aprogramsimilarto theretailindustryhiddenshopperprogram). Offline PutcouponsatfirestationsandmakeRudiGulianimy spokesman.Apparently,somepeoplelikehim.Makesure thecouponshavethesamelookandfeelastherestofthead campaign. CreationofanSPPNewsletterthatishandcarriedtoa contactlistdatabaseatteachinghospitalsonamonthlybasis bydrugrepresentativesalespeople. 1. Developindustryrelationshipswithdrugcompanies andinsurancecompaniestoadvertiseinthe newslettertodefraycosts.

9 2. Offerstoriesofinteresttohospitalsteachingstaff. Theletterwillbeformattedfordeliverybyeither(Flash Paper/PDF)andisalsomassprintedforhanddelivery(See Online). Buyaddspaceonbusstopsintheareasaroundhospitals targetedforsaleofaclientcontract. Deliverflowerswithmessagestohospitalstaffthatinfluence theprojectwithhandpickedgoodlookingcouriers. Sponsorshipofamadefortelevisiondocumentary

whichwouldbearealityminiseriesofadoctor,anurseanda combatmedictrainedthroughthemilitarysvarioustraining programs,includingtheExpertFieldMedicalBadgeand/orother programs,withthestorylinefollowingthesethreeindividuals throughtheupsanddownsoftrainingandnormallife,withthe eventualarrivaltoworkinBaghdadwithasidelinefocusonnew skillscomingoutofthefrontlineincludingnewbloodclotting apparatus,directIVtothebone,andothernewandimprovised devicesthatwilleventuallymakeitintotheciviliansectoroverthe nextdecade.Becausetherewouldbelessfocusonwartime

10 graphics,andmoreoninnovationandovercomingadversity,then thestorywouldlikelygetapprovalfromtheDOD. References Kelly,M.,&Murphy,A.(2004).Anevaluationofthecostofdesigning, deliveringandassessinganundergraduatecommunicationskillsmodule. MedicalTeacher,26(7),610614.RetrievedWednesday,April18,2007from theAcademicSearchPremierdatabase. Lin,C.,Barley,G.,&Cifuentes,M.(2001).PersonalizedRemedialIntensive TrainingofOneMedicalStudentinCommunicationandInterviewSkills. Teaching&LearninginMedicine,13(4),232239.RetrievedWednesday, April18,2007fromtheAcademicSearchPremierdatabase. Roy,M.,Sticha,D.,Kraus,P.,&Olsen,D.(2006).SimulationandVirtualReality inMedicalEducationandTherapy:AProtocol.CyberPsychology& Behavior,9(2),245247.RetrievedWednesday,April18,2007fromthe AcademicSearchPremierdatabase. Strauss,Judy;ElAnsary,Adel;Frost,Raymond(2006).EMARKETING,4th edition.UpperSaddleRiver,N.J.:PearsonPrenticeHall. Turner,M.,Simon,S.,Facemyer,K.,Newhall,L.,&Veach,T.(2006).WebBased LearningVersusStandardizedPatientsForTeachingClinicalDiagnosis:A Randomized,Controlled,CrossoverTrial.Teaching&LearninginMedicine, 18(3),208214.RetrievedWednesday,April18,2007fromtheAcademic SearchPremierdatabase. Wallace,Peggy(2007).CoachingStandardizedPatients:Foruseintheassessmentof clinicalcompetence.NewYork,NY:SpringerPublishing.