CHALLENGE
A forward thinking aged care provider recognised the need to establish a more marketing oriented approach to meeting customer needs well before the advent of CDC (Consumer Directed Care) in July 2015. An extensive consultation process was undertaken to assess not only perceptions of the organisation, but also the state of the industry. This ensured that the company could address marketplace gaps in its vision for a new way forward.
PROCESS
The project was multi-staged and included:
Industry stakeholder consultation – consultation with experts in the industry to obtain a broad view of the market, strengths and weaknesses and future trends.
Employee consultation and surveys – to understand levels of satisfaction and commitment among the workforce, identifying cultural and communication gaps.
Customer consultation and surveys – in depth one on one consultation with customers receiving various forms of care, including both residential and home care, as well as a survey to measure the extent of perceptions.
General public survey – to understand needs from the broader community, the proportion of the market expecting to require care for their family members or themselves, and their views of the extent to which care providers were able to cater to marketplace needs.
Brand development workshop – to utilise the insights gathered to build a brand that would deliver against customer needs.
OUTCOME
This study resulted in enormous change for the organisation. Initially a Marketing Division was established and a Marketing Strategy written. This placed the organisation in a very good position following announcement of CDC, as brand awareness had already been built and credentials established by this time.