Developing an Effective Promotional Strategy for a Medical Clinic

The cosmetology industry is rapidly evolving, and as a result, the market is highly competitive. To maintain competitiveness, clinics need to develop an effective marketing strategy. Since the field of aesthetic medicine is specific and difficult to promote, there are few holistic studies in the marketing of cosmetology services. It is necessary to take into account trends, pay attention to interaction with consumers to build trust relationships and apply competent strategies to develop brand awareness. The purpose of this study is to develop a social media promotion strategy and provide marketing recommendations for the cosmetology department of the SDS Clinic, dental and cosmetology center. To achieve this goal an online survey of potential consumers is conducted. Using the insights identified during the survey, the questions for in-depth interviews with 5 experts in cosmetology and 5 marketers in the field of aesthetic medicine are developed for a qualitative study. The paper also includes a situational analysis aimed at identifying the characteristics of the market for cosmetology services, as well as the most suitable online platform for promotion. The main results of the study contain the development of a functional promotion strategy via Vkontakte platform, identification of main cosmetology trends and tools for targeting and engaging customers. With this strategy, the clinic is expected to increase its customer base as well as its visibility among competitors. Thus the thesis practically contributes to the development of a particular clinic. The proposed marketing strategy is applicable as it includes the features of the market of cosmetic services in the territory of St. Petersburg, taking into account consumer buying behaviour. Keywords: promotional strategy, social media marketing, cosmetology industry, aesthetics medicine market, promotion plan