Stryker Medical
Unit 2 - Marketing Management
Dallas Hyde
American InterContinental University
Abstract
The author interviews the assistant director of Cheboygan Life Support Systems about his brand loyalty to Stryker Medical’s Rugged stretcher. The interview is analyzed using brand equity and brand positioning concepts. The Stryker company’s market segments are indentified. How the Stryker brand has developed its brand equity over time is discussed. Then its position in the market is looked at.
Stryker Medical
Introduction
The meteoric rise of the Stryker brand of ambulance stretchers is due to the outstanding quality and service Stryker provided versus its competitors.
Brand loyalty interview: the brand and its competition I interviewed Pat Crowe assistant Director of Cheboygan Life Support Systems Inc. He has been a paramedic for over twenty years. When he started working as an emergency medical technician in the late eighties each ambulance was equipped with a Ferno ambulance stretcher. Ferno stretchers were the standard stretcher used in the ambulance industry and they had little to no competition. Pat was asked why he preferred Stryker Rugged stretchers. Pat stated that his employer was the first company in northern Michigan to use the new Stryker products. He said that when he first used a Stryker in 1995 he “fell in love with its innovative features and superior quality”. He stated at first Stryker’s bright yellow color was distracting and CLSS employees took some ribbing from other ambulance companies. Very soon it became apparent to the other ambulance providers that the yellow stretchers were superior in almost every way. The Ferno stretchers had a maximum load capacity of 350lbs while the Stryker’s maximum was 500lbs. The Stryker had much bigger wheels which made moving patients much easier. They introduced pneumatic backrests and the stretcher also had a retractable head section. Stryker continued to
Dallas Hyde
American InterContinental University
Abstract
The author interviews the assistant director of Cheboygan Life Support Systems about his brand loyalty to Stryker Medical’s Rugged stretcher. The interview is analyzed using brand equity and brand positioning concepts. The Stryker company’s market segments are indentified. How the Stryker brand has developed its brand equity over time is discussed. Then its position in the market is looked at.
Stryker Medical
Introduction
The meteoric rise of the Stryker brand of ambulance stretchers is due to the outstanding quality and service Stryker provided versus its competitors.
Brand loyalty interview: the brand and its competition I interviewed Pat Crowe assistant Director of Cheboygan Life Support Systems Inc. He has been a paramedic for over twenty years. When he started working as an emergency medical technician in the late eighties each ambulance was equipped with a Ferno ambulance stretcher. Ferno stretchers were the standard stretcher used in the ambulance industry and they had little to no competition. Pat was asked why he preferred Stryker Rugged stretchers. Pat stated that his employer was the first company in northern Michigan to use the new Stryker products. He said that when he first used a Stryker in 1995 he “fell in love with its innovative features and superior quality”. He stated at first Stryker’s bright yellow color was distracting and CLSS employees took some ribbing from other ambulance companies. Very soon it became apparent to the other ambulance providers that the yellow stretchers were superior in almost every way. The Ferno stretchers had a maximum load capacity of 350lbs while the Stryker’s maximum was 500lbs. The Stryker had much bigger wheels which made moving patients much easier. They introduced pneumatic backrests and the stretcher also had a retractable head section. Stryker continued to
References: Annual Report retrieved from http://www.stryker.com/2011/10K/ on 11-16-12 Company History retrieved from http://www.stryker.com/en-us/corporate/AboutUs/index.htm on 11-15-12 Ems stretchers retrieved from http://www.fernoems.com/ Interview Pat Crowe Assistant Director Cheboygan Life Support systems on 11-14-2012 JEMS retrieved from http://web1.jems.com/ on 11-16-12 Power-Pro retrieved from ems.stryker.com/products/ambulance-stretchers /power-pro-xt on 11-16-12