Abstract A3: P20 Center of Excellence – The Research Conglomerate: Using a business marketing approach in cancer health disparities research
Authors: Love-Jackson Kymia M. , Green B. Lee 
Published: June 2012

Introduction: As the types of grant funded research mechanisms are becoming more elaborate, business acumen in research is becoming necessary. One mechanism in particular that essentially can almost be mirrored as a small corporation is the P20 – Centers of Excellence (COE). The composition of a Center of Excellence is similar to that of a corporation and because of this uncanny likeness, business insight can be used to help guide the leadership of a COE. Even though marketing is usually thought of primarily as a business idiom, using social marketing is very common in public health research. But for a COE, a better way to succeed in the planning, directing, and executing of this particular research project would be to cross-pollinate business and social marketing. To aid in the planning, directing, and execution of the USF/Moffitt Center of Excellence – Center for Equal Health (CEH) – an approach combining business marketing with research was used. CEH is a joint partnership between the University of South Florida and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute that conducts studies and promotes activities to reduce cancer health disparities among minority and underserved communities in the state of Florida.

To ensure that the vision, mission, and purpose of CEH are aligned with the actual work that has been done and to stay on track for what is intended to be done for the remainder of the funding allotment, a comprehensive marketing plan is being created using business and social marketing concepts in tandem. From the vantage point of the CEH administration, a business approach for the marketing plan is ideal for the overall COE, while a social marketing approach would also be used to focus on the behavioral changes that are needed within CEH. The processes associated with business and social marketing are the same, but a few of the concepts are very different. Using the business approach, the plan will identify and analyze other Centers with a focus of health disparities, or other competitors in the running for P20 funds. The marketing plan also explores the 4 P's of marketing (product, placement, price, promotion) which is a concept used in business and social marketing.

Summary: The initial stages of the marketing plan formulation were the most helpful for the CEH administration. During the initial stages, situation analysis and formative research was done to identify information gaps to be addressed that could help CEH pursue continual success. Using a mixed methods approach gave the administration the opportunity to qualitatively examine CEH as well as gain quantitative information about CEH from the other members. And while it is very important to obtain quantitative information about CEH, the administration found that the exploration of qualitative information assisted with the identification of the gaps that needed to be addressed within CEH.

Conclusions: Although a bit uncanny to think of using business to do health disparities research, using a business approach is seen to be an effective way gather information regarding the monstrous P20 COE mechanism. A lot of times research projects do not factor in the need for strategic planning at the time of grant submission, but it is essentially a very important process that is needed to keep administration and staff on track with the aims and goals that are set at the time of submission. Ultimately, because the P20 can be thought of as a research conglomerate, the use business marketing in health disparities research is very beneficial.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):A3.