Market-Product Analysis: Minnesota Lions Eye Bank

Abstract
The Minnesota Lions Eye Bank (MLEB) is a non-profit organization responsible for the recovery, processing and distribution of ocular tissue used for transplant and/or research purposes in the state of Minnesota, western Wisconsin and eastern North Dakota. The primary products the produces are corneas, sclera and whole globes. In North America and Asia there is a large demand for ocular tissue for transplant as well as research and training purposes. In order to maximize financial resources the MLEB must utilize a Market-Product grid to identify markets and the products in most demand in the implementation of direct marketing techniques to targeted consumer populations. The target consumer populations include fellowship-trained ophthalmologist in cornea surgery, ocular researchers and eye bank professionals.

Market-Product Analysis: Minnesota Lions Eye Bank
The Minnesota Lions Eye Bank (MLEB) is a non-profit organization and one of the most reputable eye banks in the world, (Minnesotalionsvisionfoundation.org, n.d). It is a well-known leader in the United States for providing eye tissues for transplant and research purposes. The MLEB serves the communities of Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and eastern North Dakota by recovering cornea and sclera allografts from consented donors for transplant and research/training, (Minnesotalionsvisionfoundation.org, n.d). Since being founded in 1960 the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank has provided more than 20,000 corneas for transplant, (News Archives, 2008).
The Minnesota Lions Eye Bank processes several types of tissue for transplant and research purposes. Transplant tissues include full-thickness corneas, partial-thickness corneas and sclera patches. Tissues used for research purposes are any of the aforementioned that is determined unsuitable post recovery and whole globes pending research consent from the next of kin. Transplantable tissue provides the MLEB with the greatest financial reimbursement followed by distributed research/training tissue. The target demographic for these tissues is fellowship-trained ophthalmologists, researchers and eye bank professionals both within North America and internationally. Utilizing a market-product grid the MLEB can determine where to focus financial resources and engage their target market, (Fortenberry, 2010). Figure 1.1 is an example of a market-product grid highlighting the markets for eye tissues in North America and Asia for corneas, sclera and whole globes. After analyzing the market-product grid it can be noted there is a strong market demand for corneas and sclera in North America and Asia. There also is a stronger market demand for whole globes in North America versus Asia.

In order to properly utilize scarce financial resources the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank must segment their marketing approach into carefully chosen variables to reach the target market, (Fortenberry, 2010). The major segmentation variables to consider are professional and technical positions within a highly dense population, (Fortenberry, 2010). Specifically, targeting large and dense metropolitan areas where there would be a high patient base (i.e., population density) for the fellowship-trained ophthalmologist (i.e., professional position) in corneal surgery, research institutions and eye bank professionals. There is a large demand for corneas and ocular research tissues across the globe. The most in demand demographic regions that utilize corneas and research tissues are located in North America and Asia, (Clark, 2012). North America is the leading geographic area in the volume of cornea transplants and institutions utilizing research tissues annually followed closely by Asia, (Clark, 2012). Asia has a high demand for corneas because of the area’s high population and lack of donors in comparison to North America. Throughout Asia there are several eye banks in operation but the gross volume of suitable grafts does not satisfy the demand within the Asia populations for transplant corneas, (Clark, 2012). Conversely, despite a high number of research institutions located throughout Asia the number of whole globe research tissues are in less of a demand than the research institutions in North America, (Clark, 2012). To effectively distribute all profitable tissues the MLEB needs to concentrate their marketing campaigns directly at fellowship trained ophthalmologists, researchers and eye bank professionals by direct marketing techniques. Direct marketing is marketing campaigns that extend outside the normal marketing venues (i.e., newspaper or televisions ads) and goes directly to the potential client without the use of an intermediary, (Fortenberry, 2010). This type of marketing approach is typically used by small businesses with small groups of potential customers, a category that MLEB falls into. The advantages of direct marketing are fewer costs, more control and frequency of the marketing campaign. Examples of direct marketing include direct media, social networks, email newsletters, online commercials and websites/blogs, (Fortenberry, 2010). Using direct media techniques the MLEB could begin an email campaign to inform current clients on the advancements in recoveries, processing and distribution of tissue within the organization. In order to gain exposure the MLEB can have informational web based campaigns become part of basic search engine results for subject searches involving “cornea transplants” or similar phrases. The more direct marketing exists the greater chances of the target market choosing their ocular tissue from the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank.

References
Clark, A.F. (2012). Why human tissue is essential to glaucoma research: donor eyes provide key insights into the pathophysiology of primary open-angle glaucoma.
Journal of Glaucoma. 21(8): 545-550.
Fortenberry, J. L. (2010). Health Care Marketing: Tools and Techniques (3rd ed.).
Sudbury, MA: Jonesand Bartlett Publishers.
Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation (n.d). Minnesota Lions Eye Bank. Retrieved from http://www.mnlionsvisionfoundation.org/minnesota_lions_eye_bank.php News Archives (2008). Florida resident named to Eye bank board of directors.
Retrieved on http://archives.ecmpublishers.info/2008/10/08/fl-resident-named-to eyebank-board-of-directors/