Marketing Plan for Orbis International

Marketing Plan for Orbis International Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Executive Summary For more than 35 years, Orbis International has cared for people who require eye treatment worldwide by ensuring that individuals have access to good quality eye care irrespective of their social status. Through their activities, Orbis has managed to change the lives of millions of people. The company depends on partners and donors to fund their projects. Partners such as hospitals, ministries, and government agencies help the organization to deliver quality care by providing skilled personnel, equipment, and monetary support. Having established a huge network of partners, Orbis mentors, trains, and inspires local groups to help in treating individuals in their communities with sight problems. The company’s headquarters is located in the U.S and has reached individuals in over 90 countries. For the past years that the company has been in operation, Orbis has managed to build a strong customer base. However, much effort needs to be put into attracting more customers, especially across Africa and Asia. A focus on networking, influencer marketing, and media marketing can be an effective marketing strategy for the organization. These initiatives need to attract women and elderly since they make up the majority of the market segment. Marketing Plan for Orbis International Orbis International is a non-profit organization that aims at preventing and treating avoidable blindness in an effort to improve the lives of individuals. With offices located in various parts of the globe as well, Orbis has made great efforts in trying to extend its outreach. Nonetheless, the organization fails to fully achieve its vision of transforming lives through treating and preventing blindness because of the lack of an effective marketing plan. Despite its efforts, Orbis international has not managed to fully exploit the market in Africa and Asia, where it is estimated to constitute a majority of the global market share. The company needs to focus more on strategies to create brand awareness in these areas by making use of media marketing, influencers, and networking to attract both sponsors and customers. Current Market Situation Blindness is a major issue across the globe, with more than 285 million individuals struggling with blindness and poor vision. For most individuals, blindness does not only result in loss of sight, but also leads to a loss of dignity, jobs, equal education, and social standing (Jo, Cheng, & Kosciulek, 2010). Developing countries report the highest number of individuals who are struggling with poor eyesight and blindness. Close to 90 percent of the world’s visually impaired population reside in developing nations. The high number provides a unique opportunity for Orbis International to attend to patients across these nations. Currently, the organization has set up 15 major offices around the globe and has reached over 99 countries. In India, a country that is widely recognized as having the most significant number of visually impaired individuals, the organization has set up more than 33 centers in 18 states (Orbis International, 2019). The organization’s market segment mainly comprises of individuals who have little to no access to eye treatment, mainly because the countries lack qualified professionals and facilities required to treat blindness. Based on demographics, individuals above the age of 50 also constitute approximately 65 percent of the organization’s market since such individuals make up the highest number of visually impaired people worldwide (Hong, Mitchell, Burlutsky, Liew, & Jie, 2016). Women and children also constitute two-thirds of individuals who are either blind or have poor vision. In terms of geography, 99 percent of people living in areas with tropical diseases are at risk of becoming blind. Despite the low costs of treating the diseases associated with vision impairment, individuals living in such areas neglect treatment and eventually become blind. The organization’s market demographic is also determined by the level of income. Research indicates that diseases such as cataracts lead to blindness in low-income and middle-income states due to the neglected treatment as compared to high-income states. There are several organizations that offer the same services as Orbis. Organizations such as Sightsavers International and the Himalayan Cataract Project focus on treating blindness in developing nations. Compared to its competitors, Orbis has a wider market share since Sightsavers has only managed to reach 30 countries worldwide, which is less than half of Orbis’s market (Sightsavers, 2019). With such considerations, Orbis International needs an appropriate marketing plan that targets women, children, and the elderly living in developing nations, specifically in Africa and Asia, where blindness is a major issue. SWOT Analysis Strengths Compared to its competitors, Orbis International has various strengths that can help the organization to acquire more market share. Market Leadership Position. Orbis has a strong leadership position as the leading nonprofit organization that provides eye care services to the less abled individuals. The position has enabled the company to attract more partners and scale new innovative products. The larger presence makes it a convenient partner for other organizations that are seeking to offer their services as well since the Orbis has already established itself in many states. Track Record for Innovation. Orbis International has also successfully established an innovative strategy that is consumer driven. The organization’s groundbreaking programs such as the Flying Eye Hospital and Cybersight, an award-winning telemedicine platform, prove Orbis’ efforts to improve the quality of its services. The flying eye hospital is fully equipped with modern training facilities, an operating room, and a recovery room. This allows Orbis to deliver quality mobile eye care services to individuals in areas that lack treatment facilities and improve the lives of individuals who lack proper care (Orbis International, 2019). Cybersight has also helped the organization to reach out to individuals in highly inaccessible locations and offer useful training and support to help treat visual impairment. The adoption of innovative strategies has helped Orbis gain more support from partners throughout the globe and increased its potential of reaching more clients. Diverse Revenue Models. The organization has various means of funding its operations across the globe. Orbis has partnered with organizations like FedEx, who facilitated the Flying Eye Hospital MD-10 aircraft, and several other partners who provided the equipment used in the program. Other major partners include the Alcon Foundation, L’OCCITANE Foundation, and the World Health Organizations (Orbis International, 2019). Furthermore, Orbis works alongside government ministries and other NGOs who provide monetary support and offer security, food, and shelter for both the personnel and the individuals being treated. Such partnerships have helped to Orbis to conduct some of its projects in countries across Africa and Asia. Brand Recognition. Since the introduction of the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis has established itself as a world-renowned organization that strives towards minimizing the cases of blindness. Aside from the signature program, Orbis recently changed its brand identity and changed its vision to one that is more direct and relatable. The change has enabled Orbis to portray their visual identity and narrative about their work and to connect more with its clients and partners. Weakness Despite the strengths outlined above, the company shows some weaknesses affecting their ability to achieve success in its operations. Dependency on Volunteers. Being a non-profit organization, Orbis highly depends on volunteering ophthalmologists to offer services to individuals across the globe. However, the majority of the volunteers are either employed or run independent eye care facilities, meaning that they cannot fully commit to Orbis. The overdependence on volunteers makes it impossible for Orbis to fully exploit the market due to a limited number of professionals, even in developed countries like the U.S where one professional caters for approximately 18,000 individuals (Resinkoff, Felck, Gauthier, & Spivey, 2012). Lack of Proper data collection and management system. Despite the large number of partners and volunteers who have helped the organization to achieve some of its projects and programs, Orbis lacks a proper system for analyzing the company’s success and achievements to be able to share such information with their partners. Aside from data on spending, Orbis should provide more information on resource allocation and staff and training performance, which will help in determining the factors that drive or hinder success in the projects. Opportunities Unexplored Markets. Data reveals that individuals in Africa and Asia constitute the majority of the population affected by visual impairment. The cause of blindness in these continents is also said to be treatable diseases su...