For your Competency Discussion, review two or three online advertisements for healthcare products or services with which you are familiar in your professional or personal experience.
Next, consider the target market on which the online advertisements are focused. Then, reflect on how well the advertisement explains the features and benefits of the product or service. Finally, think about the strategy used to market this product or service and whether you think it is effective including your rationale.
To begin this Competency and meet your required engagement, post in the Discussion area a brief description of at least one advertisement you reviewed for a healthcare product or service. Next, describe whether you think the advertisement successfully explained the benefits and features of the product or service. Finally, explain the strategy used to market the product or service, whether you think it is effective, and why you believe that to be the case.

Although this formative pre-assessment is not graded, a submission is required before you can advance to your summative assessment.
The Module Pre-Assessment is your opportunity to practice applying module content before submitting the final Competency Assessment. In the Final Assessment, you will be asked to develop an analysis of a strategic plan of healthcare organization you select.
To prepare for Part 1 of your Final Assessment, based on a healthcare organization where you work or one of which you are familiar, consider the key products or services that organization offers. If this is not a viable option, look at the products or services offered at other healthcare organizations. Next, reflect on the organization’s strategic plan including its mission, vision and goals. Then, think about how to align a potential marketing plan with the organization’s strategic plan. Also, consider the organization’s key competitors, where they are located, and how the products or services of the organization you selected differ from its competitors’ offerings. Finally, reflect on how one of your organization’s products and services fits into its strategic plan.
For this Module Pre-Assessment, create a draft summarizing your strategic plan analysis. Be sure to review the Final Assessment Instructions for more guidance and reference the sources used to support the content of your summary.
Note that you do not have to resubmit your Pre-Assessment to address feedback.

• Section 1: Place of Service and Channels of Distribution

o Consider how the product or service you selected can be delivered or offered to its customers. Next, reflect on the benefits and constraints of this distribution. Also, think about trends that are impacting or might impact this distribution channel or place of service. Then, consider how technology is impacting delivery of this product or service and how technology might impact the concept of place. Finally, think about how channels of distribution or place of service relate to the strategic plan.
• Section 2: Pricing and/or Contracting Strategies

o Consider the apparent pricing and contracting strategies of the organization you selected. Next, reflect on how price might be a strategic issue for the organization including a rationale as to why price might align with strategic planning. Then, think about how current trends in healthcare are impacting pricing strategies for the product or service you selected. Finally, consider how competition is impacting pricing of the product or service you selected.
For this Module Pre-Assessment, create a draft for Section 1 and Section 2 of your marketing plan. Be sure to review the Final Assessment Instructions for both sections for more guidance and cite the resources used to support the content of your drafts.
Note that you do not have to resubmit your Pre-Assessment to address feedback.

Module 5 Pre-Assessment Submission
Assessment Submission

Note: Although this formative pre-assessment is not graded, a submission is required before you can advance to your summative assessment.
The Module Pre-Assessment is your opportunity to practice applying module content before submitting the final Competency Assessment. As mentioned earlier, in the Final Assessment, you will be asked to create a marketing plan.
To continue preparing for Part II of your Final Assessment, review the following:
• Section 3: Promotional Strategies and Techniques

o Consider promotional strategies you would use to promote the product or service in order to attract consumers, keeping in mind that the market you are in has everything to do with determining appropriate marketing techniques. Be sure to also consider a rationale for why each marketing strategy is appropriate for the intended market. Then, reflect on the advantages and possible disadvantages of each strategy. Finally, think about how social networking could be tapped to engage customers for this product or service.
• Section 4: The Marketing Budget

o Consider categories of costs/expenses (both internal and external expenses not including dollar amounts) that would have to be reflected in the budget for each of the three promotional strategies you suggested in Section 3 (for example, printing, mailing, consulting and advertising costs, market research, publicity, sales efforts, etc.). Finally, think about the impact of current trends on marketing budgets of the business unit within the organization you selected.
• Section 5: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Marketing Plan

o Consider variables that must be taken into account when creating an approach for evaluating the effectiveness of a healthcare marketing plan. Then, reflect on specific measurements that indicate marketing effectiveness for this product or service. Finally, consider how the data sources that can inform outcomes of marketing activities regarding this product or service compare to each other.
For this Module Pre-Assessment, create a draft for Sections 3 – 5 of your marketing plan. Be sure to review the Final Assessment Instructions for both sections for more guidance and cite the resources used to support the content of your drafts.