Blind spots: marketing challenges of an innovative eye care clinic

This case study examines how Ocular, a Ukrainian ophthalmology centre, can design a market-driven strategy using segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) principles to address the complex decision-making behaviours of patients and caregivers in eye care. It demonstrates that healthcare markets are heterogeneous, with patient groups differing in needs, motivations, and emotional barriers throughout the care journey, from problem recognition to provider selection. The case highlights the marketing challenges of unsought services, where fear and misconceptions delay care-seeking behaviour. By integrating multiple analytical frameworks - the three-stage model of service consumption, empathy mapping, and the 7Ps of services marketing - students learn to identify emotional drivers, reduce resistance, and build effective positioning strategies. Engaging with this case provides practical experience in crafting marketing solutions for sensitive, high-involvement services, where understanding and addressing emotional barriers are critical to influencing patient decision-making and improving service uptake.