Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Market research techniques can be highly technical and, if not conducted carefully, could
result in flawed information on which decisions are made. Food service managers might find
this an appropriate topic to include in their personal continuing education plans. A less formal
technique includes development and completion of a marketing mix checklist, discussed earlier
in the chapter. Other informal, qualitative market research tools that can provide valuable
information about an operation’s products, customers, and competition are focus groups and
analyses of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Analytical Marketing
The fourth subsystem, called analytical marketing, comprises a set of advanced techniques for
analyzing data. Usually it incorporates statistical, spreadsheet, and database software systems.
Large organizations use analytical marketing extensively because it focuses on diagnosing relationships
within a set of data, determining statistical reliability, and using mathematical models
to predict outcome. Because it is highly technical, this technique generally is not used in
smaller organizations or at the departmental level. The information generated from this subsystem
flows into phase 2, planning, and is used for decision-making purposes.
Phase 2: Planning
Planning, the second phase in the marketing management cycle, usually occurs at two levels in
a health care organization. Planning at the organizational level, called corporate marketing,
focuses on organizational objectives, management’s view of mission, and resource allocation
for the organization as a whole. At the departmental level, the planning process may be as
focused as arranging for the implementation of promotional activities in the restaurant or
as broad as developing a three-year departmental marketing plan. Regardless of its scope,
the planning process should be driven by the information collected in phase 1 of the cycle. The
planning process results in marketing goals and programs to be implemented.
Planning Process
Each phase (and all its components) of the marketing management cycle must be aimed at satisfying
customers’ wants and needs. Therefore, most health care operations satisfy three
requirements before adopting a specific model for their planning process. These requirements
are discussed in the following subsections.
Identify and Evaluate Opportunities and Threats
At the outset of the planning process, the health care operation’s mission statement and objectives
established for the plan’s time span should be reviewed. Next, the food service manager
should review the market information system to identify marketplace opportunities that are consistent
with the organization’s objectives. This activity, called a marketing opportunity analysis,
apprises managers not only of benefits associated with specific opportunities but also potential
problems. Marketing opportunity analysis pays close attention to the environment in which the
health care organization and food service facility operate. It identifies competitor facilities and
compares their strengths and weaknesses with those of the food service operation. Such analysis
allows the food service manager to select opportunities that are best suited to the operation.
At the same time, effort should be made to correct weaknesses disclosed by the analysis.
Marketing opportunity analysis should be conducted by the food service manager when
considering projects such as expanding existing catering services to off-premises events. Even
though the market information system may indicate that this is a likely opportunity, careful
analysis should be made before further action.
Analyze Market Segments and Select Target Markets
The results of opportunity analysis lead to decisions about where marketing efforts will be
directed. It is important to stress that the health care food service manager must identify spe-
Marketing
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