Austin Gastroenterology

CHALLENGE: Austin Gastroenterology, a thriving, independently owned specialty practice, had been in business for more than 40 years and had long held the predmoniment share of the gastroenterology business in town.

Practice leadership understood that private equity was looming and that competition would be growing in the Austin market and surrounding areas. Austin Gastro needed a strategy to maintain and grow their market share.

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTED: AG partners determined the maximum budget they were willing to spend to maintain and expand their competitive advantage, and hired Diane Baker Stone as their Marketing Director to help develop and execute a new marketing strategy, budget and plan. 

Diane developed a comprehensive “Dream Plan” that included all the good and healthy marketing initiatives a practice in AG’s position could pursue within that maximum budget.

As a committee (the Chief Operating Officer, 4 physicians, and Diane), they culled the Dream Plan down into what became the official Marketing Plan and Budget that fit realistically into the practices short and long term goals AND bandwidth to execute the plan without overwhelming existing operations. 

RESULTS: A reasonable, comprehensive marketing plan and budget with check points for measuring its success throughout the year was put into place. The Marketing Committee met with Diane quarterly each year to receive updates and make revisions to the plan as necessary.

This plan was used year after year to build upon the previous year’s successes, challenges and changes within the practice and in the marketplace.

CONCLUSION: AG was very smart to prepare ahead of time to face the competition they knew would be heating up. AG leadership understood that their plates were full and that the highest use of their time and talents would not be best utilized focusing on marketing on their own. They had the foresight to bring in someone with experience and expertise to advise them on the best, most efficient and effective ways to leverage the investment they were making in marketing.