In an earlier blog we described how to create a marketing plan based on a 15-point template published by Forbes. Well, in the past few weeks we have begun implementing that plan and today’s blog serves as our [1] Executive Summary, providing an overview. CapeRay’s [2] Target Customers are radiologists as well as hospitals and government health departments that purchase breast-screening equipment. We sent hard copies of our brochure and journal articles to 80 South African radiology practices in mid-December, while earlier this week we used MailChimp to send e-mails to over 600 local radiologists and scientists.

Our [3] Unique Selling Proposition (USP) builds on our patented dual-modality technology: “One breakthrough product – two ways to detect breast cancer.” Since we know the selling prices charged by the major vendors for separate digital mammography and automated breast ultrasound systems, our [4] Pricing & Positioning Strategy for Aceso is carefully aligned and takes advantage of our USP. For our [5] Distribution Plan we have appointed separate distributors for different countries in Europe and the Middle East, while we will sell directly to our customers here in Southern Africa.

We have a [6] Special Offer in which the first three buyers of our Aceso system will benefit from a 20% discount. Our [7] Marketing Materials consist of the eight-page Aceso brochure (see left) and three journal articles that have been published in the past two years. A key component of our marketing plan is the [8] Promotions Strategy that is built on press releases, trade shows and events. Watch this space! Our [9] Online Marketing Strategy encompasses search engine optimisation for our website, an ongoing commitment to these weekly blogs, expanded use of social media, and online advertising.

We are currently working diligently on our [10] Conversion Strategy, turning prospective customers into paying customers, while [11] Joint Ventures & Partnerships will be key to CapeRay’s future growth and was initiated during the recent trip to France. It is early days yet but we recognise the importance of having an active [12] Referral Strategy in place, ensuring that our first customers are enthusiastic about the benefits of Aceso.

In the future we will need to consider a [13] Strategy for Increasing Transaction Prices, while our [14] Retention Strategy will be focused on our existing clients, with regular newsletters and loyalty programmes. Finally, our current business plan includes our [15] Financial Projections for the next five years: realistic goals that will require successful execution of this marketing plan.