With the arrival of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, consumers already can find everything from jewelry to sporting goods to kitchen appliances in shades of pink. Ever since Evelyn Lauder, matriarch of Estée Lauder Cos., established the Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon in 1993, millions have been raised at retail promoting breast cancer awareness and research initiatives.
In many cases, either a portion of proceeds from sales is going to cancer research organizations or outright donations are being made.
Among the retail initiatives for 2008, Bloomingdales has launched special-edition merchandise (pink tote, pink bracelet, pink umbrella), an electronic gift card, custom publications and special events. For the second year, the "Little Pink Book" featuring over 60 pages of inspiring stories from well-known cancer survivors and advocates is being distributed. Bloomies also hired cartoonist and cancer survivor, Marisa Acocella Marchetto, to create four "Super-heroines fighting cancer survivors" as the face of the "The Pinktastic Posse" campaign
At mass retail, Target Corp. in early September began showcasing a collection of pink-edition home appliances from national brands. These include vacuums from Dyson, Brita water pitchers, a KitchenAid Ultra Power mixer, Bialetti cookware, a Taylor USA food scale and a MetroKane corkscrew. (KitchenAid also came out with a white Stand Mixer with a pink trim band for those who don't want pink.) Target's stores merchandise the items on pink-pack endcaps, supported by headers that proclaim, "Shop Pink and Do More!"
In-Store Marketer noted that manufacturers are rolling out pink-edition items either as year-round staples or during other promotional periods, such as Mother's Day. In 2008, pink-edition SKUs arrived from Kimberly-Clark, Hershey Jelly Belly, Bicycle Cards, Energizer and Masterlock, among others, with some items spotted as early as June. During summer 2008, Walmart showcased pink-edition Parker pens, communicating the manufacturer's pledge to donate $345,000 to fight breast cancer with City of Hope.
Discussion Question: Are retailers and brands "doing the right thing" to support breast cancer awareness and research or somewhat overdoing it at this point? Should women's brands make it a priority to support breast cancer awareness and research? What should drive a brand's decision process around where to put their cause marketing efforts and dollars?