Going Wireless, a Strategic Marketing Plan for Implementing an iPad in the Operating Room

Abstract

This paper details a marketing plan that introduces a large medical device company into the growing mobile/wireless healthcare market with an iPad containing an attached scanning device. As the medical device industry continues to grow at a rapid rate due to the aging population in the U.S., hospitals are aiming to cut healthcare costs and prepare for the population's increase in demand for healthcare. This plan addresses an opportunity for a medical device company to introduce a product that is intended to aid in operating room inefficiencies and consequently cut healthcare costs. Following the introduction, this paper begins with a literature review of marketing theory and strategy in the medical device and healthcare industries, and additionally reviews the challenges faced in the operating room that can be solved by a mobile medical device product. The marketing plan is prefaced with a situational analysis on the micro and macro environments, as well as information on the competition for this product and details on the consumer. The marketing plan includes strategy aspects and objectives for the plan; more specifically, the primary objective is to increase market share, revenue in the market, and to see increases in the number of units sold. The plan also highlight's unique selling points for this product, including the customer need based design of the product and integration aspects of the product. This plan spans one year and should be reevaluated prior to year two of the product in the market. This paper proves that there is a need for improvement in medical technology as the healthcare industry prepares for the aging of the baby boomer generation and is urged to cut the costs of healthcare. Thus, this marketing plan proposes a mobile medical device designed to improve operating room efficiency, turnover rates, and communication given the prospective rise in demand for healthcare. This paper emphasizes that with strong brand awareness, a customer oriented product, uniqueness in the mobile/wireless healthcare market, and strategic services to customers, a large medical device company has the opportunity to introduce a mobile medical device that will solve surgeons' and nurses" challenges in the operating room.