Digital Marketing Tools in Promoting Healthcare Product Awareness: Perspectives and Experiences of Healthcare Stakeholders during the Covid-19 Pandemic
2023 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Digital marketing has proven to be an effective marketing strategy in various industries. However, its uptake in the healthcare industry remained suboptimal for a long time until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, there was a significant improvement of Digital marketing use in the healthcare industry. However, studies exploring stakeholders’ experiences and perspectives regarding the use of digital marketing in the industry remain inadequate. The present study aimed at exploring healthcare stakeholders’ perspectives regarding the following: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital marketing practices; the usefulness of digital marketing tools in product promotion during the pandemic; challenges and opportunities that emerged during the pandemic in the use of digital marketing during the pandemic. Qualitative Methodology is employed to address the above aims. Specifically, the phenomenological research design was used as a framework. In order to collect data from selected healthcare stakeholders, focus-group discussions have been performed. Data gathered from the discussions reveal various themes which are reflected in several conclusions. Firstly, there is an indication of stakeholders believe that digital marketing was useful during the pandemic. Secondly, the analysis of the data reveals some changes experienced by stakeholders during the pandemic in healthcare: increased use of telemedicine, remote work, increased investment in data analytics, and use of various digital marketing tools. Thirdly, there are indications of challenges, such as a lower degree of privacy and patient trust due to digital contact with the patients. This partial loss of privacy and patient trust is deemed to be a factor which resulted in inhibited digital marketing efforts in healthcare during the pandemic. Lastly, the analysis of data gathered for the study reveals the emergence of several opportunities: increased reach, new fields of innovation and the development of new niches.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. , p. 50
Keywords [en]
Digital marketing, Covid-19, marketing strategies
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-20453Local ID: EXD951OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hv-20453DiVA, id: diva2:1781807
Subject / course
Business administration
Educational program
Internationellt företagande, magisterprogram i företagsekonomi
Supervisors
Examiners
2023-07-182023-07-112025-09-30Bibliographically approved