CHUD.com Community › Forums › THE CHEWERS › The Chewers Catch-All › Commercialization of breast cancer
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Commercialization of breast cancer

post #1 of 23
10/20/05 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
It's gotten out of hand. I saw breast cancer M & M's yesterday. The Target car in NASCAR has a special pink paint scheme. Everything has to come in a special pink color now.

Am I the only one who finds it abominable to profit off a disease in this manner? I know for the sale of all these products "A portion of the proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research"... while the majority goes into profit.

If you support breast cancer research, why not just donate directly to a research fund?
Reply
post #2 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:03pm
Silly Werbal. People won't KNOW you care about breast cancer if you just donate to a research fund. That's why you have to put 429 pink ribbons on your car and wear a pink ribbon on your lapel every friday.
Reply
post #3 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:05pm
I say if it works it works. By donating a portion of the proceeds maybe they help raise awareness in people who can go on to make their own donations to a cause they may not have otherwise known about. Might lead to more funds than just the proceeds.

My mom takes notice of stuff relating to breast cancer from time to time. A couple years ago we got her one of those Kitchen Aid mixer things. They come in all sorts of colors. They have a pink one too (that's no more expensive than the others) and if you get the pink one $50 dollars of its cost goes to breast cancer research (at least it did at the time). That's the one we got for her and the research money was a nice bonus for her. The pink one doesn't look too shabby either.

edit: So yeah, it can be everywhere, but it can't hurt, especially if it's something you were gonna buy anyway. But those ribbons and stuff that Gravedigger mentioned kind of make me nuts. I hope I'm not contradicting myself with this... I've got issues. Heh.
Reply
post #4 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:29pm
As someone who works for a national non-profit organization, I would love the attention. If A NASCAR car was decorated in our logo and colors it would go a LONG way to letting people know we exist. Also, while I have no idea how much of the money from the Tic-Tac's or M&M's, of NFL apparel is going to help breast cancer, any money is good money.

Now.. if The Breast Cancer society is paying out a ton of money to get noticed, then I am not sure if I agree with that. But if someone is footing the bill, it's all about getting noticed and letting people know you exist. And while it may seem like a lot of people know you do - you world be very surprised!
Reply
post #5 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:34pm
I can't wait for the first sports team to wear pink uniforms in support.

That'll be a day... that'll be a day...
Reply
post #6 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason P. Thompson
I can't wait for the first sports team to wear pink uniforms in support.

That'll be a day... that'll be a day...
While I thought it was coo, I was shocked to see the pink car in the race the other day. It looked really funny out there with all the liquour, Army, and tobacco cars.
Reply
post #7 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:50pm
I dunno...I kinda tend to agree with Werbal. I know alot of non-profits would love the exposure but this is Breast Cancer. Everyone is familiar with the disease as well as the efforts to cure it. While I agree that any exposure is good exposure, some of the ways these corporations use it does tend to reek of commercialism. Why can't M&M's just say "We're donating x-amount to this" instead of creating and marketing special pink M&M's designed to invoke a sense of doing a good deed in the consumer. It might not be so bad if they had said "100% of the proceeds from all pink M&M's will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation," but when they say "a portion" it seems as if their hearts aren't necessarily in the right place.
Reply
post #8 of 23
10/20/05 at 12:54pm
Well, they've got to cover costs, pay employees, etc... I agree they shouldn't be trying to turn much of, if any, profit of this. At least it (hopefully) increases the amount of money going to people and organizations committed to doing something to cure or alleviate the effects of the disease. The one that got me was Yoplait's breast cancer campaign slogan: Together we can lick breast cancer.
Reply
post #9 of 23
10/20/05 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGButler
I dunno...I kinda tend to agree with Werbal. I know alot of non-profits would love the exposure but this is Breast Cancer. Everyone is familiar with the disease as well as the efforts to cure it.
That is a very large, and IMO, not accurate assumption. You would be very surprised.
Reply
post #10 of 23
10/20/05 at 1:19pm
Thread Starter 
I'm sure all this exposure does help to raise awareness, but it seems to me alot of the parties involved are doing this simply for good PR.
Reply
post #11 of 23
10/20/05 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint
I'm sure all this exposure does help to raise awareness, but it seems to me alot of the parties involved are doing this simply for good PR.
One thing I have learned about non-profit. A "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" attitude is perfectly acceptable. It's very, very hard to get the word out. When you allow people to use your name, logo, etc. it is so they can be seen as "good people" and supporters of the cause. You know that going in. Sure they may not be 100% into your cause, but if they can help you out - it's something that must be done.
Reply
post #12 of 23
10/20/05 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Wehman
That is a very large, and IMO, not accurate assumption. You would be very surprised.
Perhaps. I dunno...I find it hard to believe that people aren't at least aware in this day and age but you're probably right. Again, I'm all for companies raising awareness and doing their part to fight the good fight, but these "promotions" just tend to cheapen the efforts. Special pink appliances, special pink M&M's, it just feels a little gimmicky and, to me, doesn't seem as sincere as if the companies were to make the same donations from sales of their regular products. But you're right - at the end of it all something positive comes out of it and that's what's important.
Reply
post #13 of 23
10/20/05 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGButler
Perhaps. I dunno...I find it hard to believe that people aren't at least aware in this day and age but you're probably right. Again, I'm all for companies raising awareness and doing their part to fight the good fight, but these "promotions" just tend to cheapen the efforts. Special pink appliances, special pink M&M's, it just feels a little gimmicky and, to me, doesn't seem as sincere as if the companies were to make the same donations from sales of their regular products. But you're right - at the end of it all something positive comes out of it and that's what's important.
I agree that the compaines that are coming up with pink - everyting - are not doing it as a sincere action. I'm just glad it's there. My organization has been around for 55 years and targets a very specific and very well known disease but I have met survivorsthat have never heard of us. It's very sad.
Reply
post #14 of 23
10/20/05 at 2:41pm
At least it's better then Jerry Lewis feeding his ego with his whole Jerry's Kids routine.
Reply
post #15 of 23
10/20/05 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint
I'm sure all this exposure does help to raise awareness, but it seems to me alot of the parties involved are doing this simply for good PR.
As long as they help raise awarness, I think it is no big deal if somebody gets a little good PR out of it. Welcome to the real world, people.
There is such a thing as being idealisitic to the point to living in unreality.
I have long ago learned that if somebody is doing something good, It's useless to get into motives.
And I hate to think of how many Hollywood stars support political causes not becuase they really have a firm belief in them, but because it is the cool, hip, thing to do in Hollywood at the moment.
Reply
post #16 of 23
10/20/05 at 2:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Wehman
One thing I have learned about non-profit. A "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" attitude is perfectly acceptable. It's very, very hard to get the word out. When you allow people to use your name, logo, etc. it is so they can be seen as "good people" and supporters of the cause. You know that going in. Sure they may not be 100% into your cause, but if they can help you out - it's something that must be done.
Totally. Non-profits by definition don't have the monetary resources to do the things they want to do. If they can align themselves with organizations that are willing to put up the money, then they'll go for it -- even if that organization isn't doing it for all the right reasons. The non-profit gets the resources and exposure it needs and the for-profit organization gets good PR.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JGButler
I dunno...I kinda tend to agree with Werbal. I know alot of non-profits would love the exposure but this is Breast Cancer. Everyone is familiar with the disease as well as the efforts to cure it.
It's sort of a catch-22 though. Sometimes people won't take action when an issue gets a lot of attention because they figure somebody else will. They may equate lots of exposure with lots of people volunteering or donating money, when in reality, the reason the issue is being promoted is because its not getting the resources it needs.
Reply
post #17 of 23
10/20/05 at 4:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint
If you support breast cancer research, why not just donate directly to a research fund?
People don't just wake up and say...I need to donate to cancer research today. In many ways the population sits by passively and waits for the government to address these problems.

National funding for cancer research is really hurting in this current administration. It is important to keep working on non-profit avenues to work toward treatment of cancers.
Reply
post #18 of 23
10/20/05 at 4:54pm
Non Profits orgnaizations spend their money more wisely then government agencies anyway. You will be amazed how much gets eaten up in bureaucratic overhead in government...and this seems not to change no matter who is in charge, liberal or conservative.

Yeah, the Government should spend more on cancer research. But they should give the money to the Non profits rather then set up their own projects which invaribably become good examples of how not to run a research lab.

I am not a libertarian, but I have become very skeptical about goverment delivering on what it promises..no matter who is in charge.
Reply
post #19 of 23
10/20/05 at 10:02pm
Check This Out.
Reply
post #20 of 23
10/20/05 at 10:14pm
Quote:
Why Is The Point Pink?
That exact same question got me slapped in the face, at a bar, the other day. I gots a way with the ladies...
Reply
post #21 of 23
10/21/05 at 6:36am
What worries me is that it is becoming less about stopping the disease and more about having the right fashion accessory. I see people on the street every day that have 3 or 4 or those band things on their arm. Ether they are very passionate about every single one of those causes or they have no clue what they are about.
Reply
post #22 of 23
11/10/05 at 3:43pm
Not everyone has the money to donate straight to the breast cancer foundation. And they know that and thats why there is so much breast cancer support products. It allows people to buy things they would normally buy anyway but in the B.C. brand so that some of the money goes to the foundation. The whole idea is that you dont have to spend extra money to help out. Just buy the pink shoelaces with the ribbon on it instead of regular white ones and some of the money will go to the foundation. Of course its not going to be the whole profit. The shoelace company has to get something for making the laces. But I dont think the foundation cares if its only 50 cents a shoelace. And when people wear the shoelaces its not to commercialize it or make a fashion statement. Its because thats their shoelaces
Reply
post #23 of 23
11/10/05 at 6:44pm
It's fine to a certain extent, but I really do think it has gotten out of hand. There's PINK everything now. It's become more about the commercial side than the actual fighting of breast cancer.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: The Chewers Catch-All
CHUD.com Community › Forums › THE CHEWERS › The Chewers Catch-All › Commercialization of breast cancer