Title: Blind spots: marketing challenges of an innovative eye care clinic

Authors: Jacobus Christiaan de Villiers; Yevheniia Stasiuk; Natalia Hartinger; Sabine Jentjens

Addresses: Stellenbosch University Business School, Carl Cronje Drive, Bellville, Cape Town, 7530, South Africa ' ISC Paris, 22, Bd du Fort de Vaux, 75848 Paris Cedex 17, France ' De Montfort University Kazakhstan, A: Al Farabi Ave. 120/48, Almaty, Kazakhstan ' ISC Paris, 22, Bd du Fort de Vaux, 75848 Paris Cedex 17, France

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: service marketing; service consumption; STP; empathy map; health services.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2026.153081

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2026 Vol.16 No.2, pp.111 - 119

Received: 21 Oct 2025
Accepted: 03 Nov 2025
Published online: 21 Apr 2026 *

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