9 Marketing Lessons & A Caution … From The Fight Against Breast Cancer

October 2009

By Rohit Bhargava (www.influentialmarketingblog.com)

1. Choose an ownable color.

2. Offer exclusive products.

Wilson Golf Clubs KitchenAid

Artisan Stand Mixer

3. Focus on influencers of your target.

The NFL (mostly male) goes pink to support breast cancer (mostly women)!

4. Support with BIG stunts …

White House Goes Pink (2008) Sydney Harbour

Bridge Goes Pink

5. Make it easy for people to act.

Safeway (US Grocery Chain) lets customers choose to donate at the point of purchase.

Amount of Research You Sponsor With A Donation:

$25 = 30 min

$50 = 60 min

$100 = 120 min

$600 = Half Day

6. Let people choose where their money will be spent.

7. Find committed partners.

Cost of painting 1 Delta Airplane > $20,000

Zune purchase price = $250

Amount donated = 100%** Ford and Microsoft teamed up on this promotion in 2007

8. Be everywhere at once.

Hundreds of products ranging from breakfast cereal to digital cameras were turned pink and offered for sale to support the cause.

9. Create unexpected experiences.

Caution: Beware of “Pinkwashing.”

As with any cause marketing campaign, there are going to be skeptical voices. For the pink ribbon, these voices come from Breast Cancer Action, an organization on the lookout for participating companies who make products some argue may cause

cancer.

It is a strong reminder that when it comes to cause related marketing, authenticity

is still of paramount importance.

Why did I share this?The level of involvement from companies in the fight

against breast cancer is simply amazing. As a marketer, this is a story I simply couldn’t avoid sharing.

Yet this global visibility can add an element of “me too”

participation from brands that dilutes the campaign overall and risks alienating audiences.

This presentation highlights key marketing lessons, but also shares a very real caution to marketers that there is

no substitute for authenticity.

First published on the Influential Marketing Blog: http://www.influentialmarketingblog.com

About Rohit Rohit is a founding member of the

pioneering 360 Digital Influence team at Ogilvy and author of the award winning

new marketing book, Personality Not Included. He publishes the Influential

Marketing blog and teaches cause related marketing at Georgetown University.

www.facebook.com/rohitmarketingauthor

@rohitbhargava

www.aboutrohit.com