Introduction
The Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center has successfully rolled out two programs called the Taxi and Limousine Health Screening and Lincoln Art Exchange to reach out to the community. These programs, from a marketing perspective, are ideal in promoting the facility as that which cares for the community. Through these programs, the facility has been able to expand and strengthen its local networks (Finch, 2011). Since taxi drivers interact with many potential clients, the Taxi and Limousine Health Screening Program is instrumental in reducing expenditure from direct advertisement since the beneficiaries may refer their passengers to the facility. Through these referrals, the facility may be in a position to widen its catchment (Solomon, 2011).
The Lincoln Art Exchange Program gives the facility an opportunity to advance its advertisement and branding strategies since the artists who are treated are expected to offer their services in exchange. For instance, through services such as painting and canvas drawings, the facility may be in a position to properly brand its services in pictures and other art works. In the sensitive healthcare provision environment, product branding determines the magnitude of acceptance or perception that clients may place on the services (Beaufort, 2004). Through the free branding services offered by the artists, the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center may be in a position to reduce direct expenditure on branding and improve service visibility to create a positive perception among the potential customers. In the end, the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center may gain from increased customer traffic from the good name and reputation inspired by the free branding services.
In summary, the Taxi and Limousine Health Screening and Lincoln Art Exchange programs have the potential of expanding the current market catchment, improve product visibility, reduce marketing expenditure, and create a positive perception among the potential clients.
4Ps of Marketing
The Taxi and Limousine Health Screening and Lincoln Art Exchange programs give a good preview of the important elements of marketing such place, product, promotion, and price in order to reach the Downtown Bronx community (Beaufort, 2004). This is summarized in the table below.
Table 1: Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center Marketing Mix
Apparently, the Taxi and Limousine Health Screening and Lincoln Art Exchange programs are appropriate expenditure of the facility’s money, time, and effort because they fulfill the marketing mix for the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. The free advertisement and referrals through these programs have the effect improving product visibility, creating a positive perception among potential clients, and widening the catchment area for the facility to guarantee improved service intake by potential customers (Beaufort, 2004).
References
Beaufort, B. (2004). Elements of marketing in managing health programs and projects. San Francisco, SF: Jossey-Bass.
Finch, J. (2011). Managerial marketing. New York, NY: Wiley and Sons.
Solomon, M. (2011). Consumer behavior: buying, having, and being (9th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall Higher Education.