Everywhere you look this month, there is pink. From the original pink ribbons designed to impress on people the importance of being aware of breast cancer to products companies roll out just for the month, the cause has grown into something many deem inappropriate.
Heidi Benson at SFGate wrote an article titled "Pinklash!" looking at why some people feel that companies are going too far with the whole Breast Cancer Awareness business. Many feel this is just another PR tool and that no one in big business really cares about breast cancer — they're boosting their bottom line by offering specialty products for a month or two.
On one hand are those who say the movement has picked up serious steam and the more publicity breast cancer gets, the better. These pink fans support big companies turning out pink appliances or changing the color of their websites for October. Wearing a pink cap or bracelet might remind someone to do a self-exam or schedule a mammogram. For this group, pink is a stimulus.
On the other hand are those who feel October is turning into something akin to Valentine's Day and other holidays that have been turned into excuses to get consumers to buy more. That isn't to say pink critics aren't interested in promoting breast cancer awareness and donating to research funds — it means they want to keep things focused on the real issue: the 192,370 women who will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year alone.
Is one side right? Should we skip the big-corporation pink publicity blitzes because they turn breast cancer into something to be commercialized? It depends on who you talk to. Even victims of breast cancer vary on the topic — and while people debate, pink products are flying off the shelves at the supermarket, sports shop, and computer store.
In the end, the question is: if companies are doing this just for the boost in PR, does it matter? They may be looking at the bottom line, but they ARE still raising awareness and donating to breast cancer research — an extremely valuable contribution, regardless of the intention.
Related coverage from Everything-PR's cancer PR cluster:
Cancer PR: The Communications Playbook — the EPR cancer PR reference hub
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
