Marketing Analysis - Research Paper Example

Marketing Analysis:  Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN) (Add (Add (Add This paper intends to analyze the resource development strategies of the non-profit organization Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN). It will also make recommendations to the agency on the strength of insights gained from the strategies analyzed. SWOT Analysis Strengths A strong management team is the major strength of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN). The managerial efficiency assisted this non-profit organization to develop a nationwide network across the United States over 12 years of its operations.

The strong public support is another internal strength of this organization. The PCAN’s promotional activities are led by celebrities and other reputed persons. For instance, Lisa Niemi Swayze, an American actress and dancer, is the national spokesperson of this organization. Weaknesses Undoubtedly, shortage of funds is the major weakness of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. This weakness largely affects the organization’s efficiency in delivering improved services to its clients. The fund issues have also impeded the organization’s further pancreatic cancer researches.

Opportunities The dreadfulness of pancreatic cancer seems to be a potential opportunity for this charity. According to official data, “pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States” (Cartwright, Richards & Boehm, 2008). This disease recently claimed the lives of Steve Jobs and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ralph Steinman. In addition, the mounting treatment costs of pancreatic cancer raise further opportunities for PCAN since this non-profit organization assists its clients to reduce treatment costs to a certain extent.

Threats The PCAN faces increased market competition that threatens the long term sustainability of the organization. Organizations like Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, National Pancreas Foundation, and The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research are the major competitors of PCAN (Tarceva, 2011). In addition, the organization faces difficulties in fundraising activities since the Federal Government maintains a hostile approach towards Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Revenue Generation Analysis The PCAN plans and conducts a sequence of fundraising events across the United States as part of its current revenue generation strategies. The company has charted city based details of fundraising events on its official website in order to assist users to find a fundraising event near their locality. The organization has planned over fifty PurpleStride events for this year including “brief walks to longer timed-runs” (PACN, 2012). The PCAN expects that this program would contribute millions of dollars to the organization’s research projects and support patients to create hope.

It is expected that tens of millions of people would “come together in solidarity and gain both comfort and encouragement” (PAACN, 2012). Similarly, the organization has planned Marathon and other athletic events in order to raise sufficient operational funds. Moreover, PCAN allows people to host a fundraising event if they are interested to do so. The current financial statement of the PCAN shows that the organization could improve its financial status as compared to that of previous fiscal year.

The organization’s income has been increasing almost steadily increasing since 2000 (PACN Annual Report, 2010-11). This good financial status directly indicates that the organization’s current revenue generation strategy is sound. However, statistical data reflect that the prevalence of Pancreatic Cancer and degree of market competition are constantly increasing. In this context, the current fundraising events may not be potential enough to meet the growing fund requirements of the organization because elderly and unhealthy people are not likely to participate in events like Marathons.

Recent developments in telecommunication sector would help the PCAN to design improved fundraising programs at maximum public participation. Volunteer Program Opportunities and Evaluation The PCAN’s official website provides specific guidelines for people who wish to join a local affiliate of the organization as a volunteer. The organization recruits volunteers directly and through its official website. Generally, people who lost their loved ones due to Pancreatic Cancer and other human lovers are more likely to join the organization.

Currently, the organization has 64 volunteer affiliates with hundreds of members. The PCAN provides a set of special training packages to its volunteer groups. In each of the volunteer affiliate, there will be five core volunteer leadership roles including Affiliate Coordinator, Event Coordinator, Media Representative, Education and Outreach Coordinator, and Advocacy Coordinator who will respectively handle areas such public awareness, events, media, education and outreach, and advocacy (PACN: Community Outreach, 2010-2011).

The public awareness sector tries to make maximum people aware of the severity of Pancreatic Cancer and thereby improve the survival rate of this disease. The media manager deals with communicating the organization’s mission, vision, and fundraising events to general public through local media. The education and outreach department works to spread the organization’s activities and resources across the country. The advocacy sector aids the organization to increase federal funding while events department plans and executes fundraising events.

The PCAN greatly values its volunteer groups and allows them to express their views and opinions. The Community Outreach department has developed many programs for retaining its volunteers and thereby facilitating sustainable market growth. Recommendations Evidently, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has travelled much within a short period of 12 years. Although the organization’s growth graph indicates an upward trend, the present market environment points that the organization’s current growth would not be adequate to meet its future fund needs.

Therefore, it is recommendable for the PCAN to develop more innovative methods to increase the organization’s revenues in proportion to the growing market demands. The organization may plan celebrity shows or some tournaments to raise working capital. In addition, the organization has to ensure effective federal financial assistance as PCAN alone cannot fund its huge research programs. It is advisable for the organization to assist its clients to find Pancreatic Cancer treatment costs because main the treatment methods including chemotherapy are often unaffordable to low to middle class people.

In order to confront with the stiff market competition, the organization has to extend its service areas and provide improved care facilities to the beneficiaries. From the strategies researched, it is clear that the organization has not developed effective volunteer motivation strategies yet. As a result, people may leave their ‘volunteership’ after a few years of service. Similarly, PCAN often does not pay proper attention to cost cutting strategies while striving to improve its revenues.

References Cartwright, T., Richards, D. A & Boehm, K. (2008). Cancer of the Pancreas: Are We Making Progress? A Review of Studies in the US Oncology Research Network. Journal of the Moffits Cancer Center. 15(4):308-13. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. (2012). Pancreatic cancer: Know it, fight it, end it. PurpleStride. Retrieved from http://www.purplestride.org/index.html Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. (2010-2011). Annual report 2010-2011, 1-36. Retrieved from http://www.pancan.org/section_about/pdf/annual_report_10_11.

pdf Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. (2010-2011). Community outreach. Annual report 2010-2011, 1-36. Retrieved from http://www.pancan.org/section_about/pdf/annual_report_10_11.pdf Tarceva. (2011). Support links. Retrieved from http://www.tarceva.com/pro_pancreatic/patient/links.jsp