Marketing Plan for Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)

​The Planned Parenthood Federation of America which is also known as Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit firm which provides its clients with reproductive health care services. It receives a third of its funding from the federal government to keep it operational and the other two thirds from the sale of its services to the public. The organization is located in the US, New York and has branches worldwide.

The company has a hundred and fifty-nine affiliates. This number comprises of both the non-medical and medical members that provide services in more than six hundred health clinics located in the United States. The organization is in charge of the provision of a number of services to the members of the community. The services include sexual education, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diagnosis of STDs, and provision and prescription of medicine to patients. PPFA started as early as 1916 as a clinic for birth control by Margaret Sanger: it has been operational for over a century (Masterson & Pickton, 2017).

Business and Marketing Strategy

​Being a health care provider, Planned Parenthood has to make sure that the patients, as well as the public, are well informed about reproductive health and treated before severe damages are done to the body. Upon visiting the premises, clients are equipped with several skills such as how to protect themselves from STDs whereby HIV/AIDS is part, how to control birth in a safe way among several others. Having a well-defined mission and vision statements are among the most significant marketing strategies of the organization. It has to remain within its set objectives to achieve success.

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The firm’s mission is to make sure that there are comprehensive and complementary reproductive health care services which keep the privacy of its clients. Not everybody would love their sexual health to go public. For instance, one would not like to be posted publicly that he/she is suffering or suffered from syphilis without his permission. Cases of firms using their clients in research topics have been there. Thus, Planned Parenthood Federation of America uses the privacy of clients as a marketing strategy.

​Some of the key marketing strategies which Planned Parenthood Federation of America uses include online marketing and advertising. The firm has a well-established website that is easy to navigate. From the site, several social media links are attached to expand its coverage. A good example is Facebook (Tuten, 2018). Millions of people visit Facebook daily, and it is easy to find the potential clients online. Nevertheless, the website outlines the kind of services which the firm is able to offer its clients, the time, as well as the place. Planned Parenthood also accepts in-calls from clients who would like more clarification.

​With the growing technologies, the social media has become an essential marketing tool. Thus, Planned Parenthood is able to win more clients in the US as well as worldwide. Another strategy entails the use of posters in strategic locations. There are more than six hundred clinics of the organization in the US. The clinics are advertised by the use of bills and posters on the roads. Pedestrians, cyclists, among other travels can easily tell of its existence as well as the locations they can find their services.

​The firm has a shared vision among its employees of where it wants to be in the coming years. A shared vision leads to the production of quality services to the consumers. In the process, consumers make referrals to others about how good the company’s services are. For instance, when a client meets with a friend who is affected or infected by a reproductive health condition, he/she can tell him/her about Planned Parenthood Federation of America and how well it attends to its clients. This is a strategy that has proved to work out effectively over time gaining more numbers in the US as well as worldwide.

The market, Internal Structure, and Risk Assessment Analysis

​The increasing population in the US every day is leading to congestions in the health facilities. As the number of immigrants rises, the doctor to patient ratio reduces; there are few doctors to attend to the many people. Nevertheless, there is more population that leads to a strain in the economic resources. As a result, people are unemployed and commercial sex levels rise. This increases the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases in the community, and there is a need to increase people who can provide guidance, treatment, and medication to the prevailing reproductive conditions. Beginning the late 19th century, the rate of illegal as well as illegal migration has increased the US population by a considerable margin. Most of the settlers have decided to acquire permanent citizenship and are therefore part of the society.

​From survey market research in the US economy, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has several competitors who are healthcare providers. They include Richland Pregnancy Service. This is a firm which provides similar services to the organization. Some of the major risks that face the organization in the market include controversies from some people in the nation who feel that the firm should not be provided with government incentives. This threat arises due to the ongoing abortion debates.

People perceive the Planned Parenthood Federation of America to be wrong for providing abortion services to the community and feel that it is against the religious law, do not kill. However, there are those who support the firm. Yes, it is wrong to kill, but there are some health conditions which the mother could be going through which will make her not to deliver or can cause her death. Before conducting such procedures, there are ethical codes which have to be followed. The organization does not just do an abortion procedure to anyone who just asks for it.

This is a heated debate in the market which is likely to lead to risks of running into losses if government support is lost. Nevertheless, losing government support means that the organization will have to increase its services fees so that it can be in a position to pay its employees, acquire the latest technologies, and expand. What will this lead to in turn? Losing clients to the competitors.

​The internal structure of the organization is well-developed with an ethical operational framework. Employees are well trained, and the firm has access to the latest, fast, and accurate healthcare technologies. This assures patients of the right diagnosis of what they are suffering from and correct dosage amounts of medication provided. Cases of overdose prescription of drugs in this organization are minimal as compared to other health facilities. Skilled employees and proper management are among the factors that have kept the reputation of the institution at a higher level in the US leading to its expansion in other parts of the world each year. Due to government support, the firm has adequate capital to finance its research, rental fees, and keep its employees updated with the latest information in the market.

The SWOT Analysis of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Strengths

• The firm has well trained and experienced staff.
• The firm is located in a politically stable nation.
• Has a good brand image
• Has access to the latest technologies
• Has strong management
• The firm has a well-established website.

Weaknesses

• Planned Parenthood Federation of America being a non-profit organization is under continuous assessment of its activities by the government which makes it a challenge to invest in new profitable operations to generate income. Government policies make it hard for non-profit organizations to diversify since they pay no taxes.

Threats

• Increase in the number of competitors.
• Controversies by the public more especially the religious institutions against family planning which demand the government to stop supporting the organization.

Opportunities

• There is room for expansion with the new technologies and globalization.

How to Provide the 7Ps in Planned Parenthood Federation of America

​The firm is in a position to meet the marketing the seven marketing elements. To begin with the product elements, the firm has access to distributors of medicinal equipment and drugs in the US. This helps them to ensure that the distribution of services is continuous. With more than sixty distribution clinics in the US, place and time are well-catered for. Services are brought next to the clients due to the even distribution of the clinics. This means they can access it at the right place and on time.

​With the help of the government, the organization provides services at a lower price when compared to the competitors. The promotion element is well-achieved through the use of social media, posters, and an established website. On the area of the process, the firm is in a position to carry out its procedures effectively through the employment of skilled employees and modern facilities. For instance, the firm has adopted electronic records which facilitate the research process.

Regarding the physical environment, the firm operates on rental clinics distributed in the country and the rest of the world with its headquarters based in the US. On the final P, which is people, the firm is able to provide them with reliable information and services. Nevertheless, the firm’s activities are environmentally friendly since its waste is properly disposed of. This is crucial for the people since they will not be affected by the adverse effects of pollution.

Service Consumption Strategies

In the pre-purchase stage, the clients seek medical guidance from the doctors. They are diagnosed to find out what they are suffering from or what kinds of services they need. This is the stage where it is known whether one requires family planning, treatment of an STD, or sexual education. On the second stage: the service stage, the patient, receives service and medication is prescribed. Some of the activities include injection and oral admission of drugs. The post encounter stage involves regular checkups of the clients at a small fee or free.

Delivery and Distribution

​Services are delivered to the clients through several platforms. The major one is on the physical location of the organization when they pay visits. Nevertheless, clients receive online help through the website and the in-calls they make. There are always professionals ready to attend to those that make calls or send emails. The firm relies on the chains of clinics to distribute its services in the country. The firm does not operate as a franchise. Services are delivered at all times.

Charges for the Services

​The firm does not have a fixed charge for treatment. There are several factors which are put under consideration before treatment. They include insurance cover, government policies, and the wages of the clients. Nevertheless, every illness has its price. For instance, it costs an individual not more than a hundred and seventy ($170) USD to test for the top four STDs. This price can be lower by even a half (Parenthood, n.d.). Unlike most private health care providers, PPFA collects payments even after service delivery. The price is lower than most health institutions in the US, and an individual is assured of quality services. There are no rate fences to encourage clients to come for the services.

Conclusion

​The marketing plan for This Company has been operational over time due to their strong brand image. Despite challenges in the market, management is able to win more clients through online marketing strategies. With the social media and skilled employees at their exposure, the organization is in a position to make use of the existing market gaps to expand.

References

1. Masterson, R., Phillips, N., & Pickton, D. (2017). Marketing: An introduction. Los Angeles: SAGE.
2. Parenthood, P. (n.d.). About Our Fees. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-central-western-new-york/patient-resources/paying-your-health-care/about-our-fees
3. Tuten, Tracy. L. (2018). Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing. S.l.: SAGE Publications. Print.