Who Is The “Customer” In Medical Device Marketing?

Who Is The “Customer” In Medical Device Marketing?

Downstream marketing, Sales, Upstream marketing
Keep in mind that the short answer to this is that...it depends. Luckily, as you read on you'll understand the reason for this conclusion on the role of the customer in medical device marketing.  To begin with, the medical devices category is very diversified and assorted, but that's not only from the regulatory point of view.    Part of the category of medical devices include: basic medical supplies like sutures, tongue depressors, syringes, surgical instruments, and more complex devices like implants, pacemakers. It also includes big capital equipment such as CT and robots.   For the different categories of medical devices, the number of individuals and organizations that could influence the purchase decision might possibly be significant and different.  In this article, I consider the “customer” of medical device marketing, all the stakeholders. And not only the…
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How Marketing Can Bring Value And Better Long-term Perspective To Medical Device Companies

How Marketing Can Bring Value And Better Long-term Perspective To Medical Device Companies

Downstream marketing, Upstream marketing
If you have been working in the medical device marketing for a few years; Then you've probably noticed that it is far more complicated to achieve growth in the current environment.   The good old times are gone. Incremental innovation at a premium price, product launches that almost always deliver the expectations. And rapid development projects with easy registration are becoming rare.   In the past, medical device companies could rely on incremental innovations, easy market access, fewer price constraints, and sales force relationships with the clinicians to deliver good results.   Today, the market is far more complex and competitive. To remain profitable, companies will need to leverage better, stronger, and effective medical device marketing.  What Is Marketing And Why Is It Important In Medical Device  According to Prof. Philip Kotler, the father of modern…
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Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For Medical Devices. Part 2

Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For Medical Devices. Part 2

Downstream marketing
Still on the subject, this is the second and final post about the strategic marketing for medical devices, which includes segmentation, targeting and positioning.  Today, I'll discuss mainly; about targeting because in my experience it is the most difficult step of the process. If you're probably wondering why I'm not discussing segmentation first, well that's because I already talked about it extensively in my previous post- You can refer to it (Part 1- Segmentation) here. Introduction "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks."Winston Churchill This quote is inspiring and has a lot to do with today’s topic. Let me tell you the truth, it only goes to show that not every distraction requires your attention. I know it is difficult…
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Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For Medical Devices. Part 1

Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning For Medical Devices. Part 1

Downstream marketing
What is the core of strategic marketing for medical devices? Well, this short article is the first of a couple posts in which I consider what I have found about the trilogy of strategic marketing: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning, to be useful for our industry. Hence, I will use it as an opportunity to share some patterns I have seen in several companies during my career. Introduction "If you’re not thinking segmentation, you’re not thinking."Theodore Levitt As a salesperson, it was difficult for me to understand and accept that there were customers that I shouldn’t be targeting because the offering wasn’t going to convince them. After all, I had a general idea that my job as a marketer was to help potential customers see why that particular product was a…
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