Pink for a cause

Pepsi got its pink on. So did Yoplait, the MLB and Kroger. Even Mike’s Hard Lemonade went pink, although breast cancer advocates found that one a little hard to swallow.

Why? Cause marketing … it’s in vogue, says Martin Smith in an article for Technorati. For-profits working hand-in-hand with non-profits means everyone’s a winner, right?

Not always. The charity from Mike’s Hard Lemonade was shunned by the breast cancer community even though the company has given $500,000 to the Breast Cancer Foundation during the past two years from sales of its pink drink.
 
On the other hand, Yoplait has given $30 million for breast cancer during the past 13 years and is enjoying a successful and profitable partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Kroger, in partnership with Campbell’s and several other manufacturers have raised about $3 million annually to support breast cancer research, education, prevention and awareness. And the MLB Charities has committed $50,000 to Komen for the Cure through the "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" program. That's in addition to the proceeds raised from auctioning pink equipment players used during games on Mother’s Day weekend.

Smith purposes several reasons for-profit companies would want on the pink bandwagon. Tax breaks didn’t make the list. Increased profits did, but it came in last place of purposed concepts that included ideas such as increased relevance, greater trust, rallying employees and empowering brand advocates. The latter caught my attention with Smith’s parenthetical explanation of “something to tweet, link, blog.”

Case in point: Huge, an interactive ad agency, created an entire digital initiative for Pepsi’s Refresh Everything project that has paid off hugely for the soda conglomerate. Breast cancer is among the many initiatives vying for millions in support Pepsi is giving away. To date, the project has gained 3 billion earned media impressions, the number of Facebook fans increased tenfold to more than 3 million, and Pepsi jumped to the No. 5 spot among the country's most reputable brands.

So have we all, as opponents purpose, been “pinkwashed?”

Maybe so. Yes, the companies are profiting, but so is the cause.