Marketing is an effective strategy that companies use to advertise services or goods. Patients of different age groups and generations have strategies that are more effective than another and reaching a target audience. By learning the target population and knowing what works best to reach that audience companies are able to narrow down their marketing strategy. Due to the diverse population and geographic locations companies have had to be creative in the services that they provide and how they can market this service so that people want to use it. Health services are provided in several ways such as web based clinics, walk in clinics, and retail clinics. These new types of services help the industry to reach out to all types of patients.
Direct dermatology is a web based clinic. Direct Dermatology is located inside a local grocery store. This type of setting allows patients to walk in to the clinic, have a photo taken of their skin condition and then their photos are uploaded into a data base where board certified dermatologists can treat patients without having an actual medical office. They treat the patient online. This type of clinic serves patients who are in a geographic location that lacks certain services. They are able to draw people in by the location, inside of a grocery store, in a community where dermatologists are needed. They can reach out to the general population because everyone needs to buy food and when they do, they see the clinic, or patients are referred by their primary physician. I think that the marketing could be better, by advertising more to the outside population such as a billboard sign or a local commercial on the radio; they would also be more likely to treat a wider range of patients. The only way this clinic advertises is by medical offices referring patients to the clinic and walk-ins that shop at the local grocery store.