Research

>cases

Akron Children’s Hospital, Part B

>Abstract

Northeastern Ohio is a highly competitive health-care market, especially for the

care of seriously ill children. With powerhouse health care institutions like the

Cleveland Clinic venturing into the children’s care segment, Akron Children’s

needed a way to differentiate itself. The research profiled in this case helped develop the positioning of Akron Children’s hospital and its promotional approach

that resulted in an increase in its bed-occupancy rate, a key metric in the health

care industry.

>The Scenario

Marcus Thomas LLC created preliminary advertising based on the brand promise

it recommended to Akron Children’s Hospital:

Akron Children’s Hospital focuses ALL of the hospital’s resources

(energy, creativity, state-of-the-art technology, compassion, technical skill, competence, etc.) toward the simple goal of helping every

child reach his or her full potential.

Within the first quarter, Marcus Thomas reconvened to evaluate the preliminary

advertising and refine the brand message. Research on competitors’ messages revealed that the Cleveland Clinic and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital were

emphasizing the high-tech nature of their medical practice as a means of defining

their quality. Since Akron Children’s faced this competitive counterpunch, Marcus

Thomas decided to test whether the care-centered brand message they recommended was truly effective in influencing parents’ hospital selection.

To test message performance, Marcus Thomas conducted two more rounds of

research: focus groups (phase two) followed by surveys (phase three).

>The Research

Used with permission

of Pamela S. Schindler.

© 2008.

Focus Groups

For phase two, Marcus Thomas organized 120-minute focus groups in three

markets, convening participants from Mahoning Valley, Medina, northern Summit, and Portage Counties. (Akron Children’s is located in Summit County; the

other counties were targets for business growth.) All participants were...