October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the pink is out in full force. The annual month long campaign devoted to showing support for the cause, and the one in eight women diagnosed with the disease has been around since the 1980s. As the niece of a survivor and someone who participated with my high school soccer team sporting pink socks and hair extensions, I always pay attention to the flood of pink to generate support and awareness for the cause while creating buzz for the companies and brands spearheading the efforts. From fun packaging to unique ways to share personal stories, here are a few of the 2021 efforts that caught my eye.
Shuman Farms has honored those impacted by Breast Cancer for the past 13 years with over $100,000 in donations and unique pink packaging for their RealSweet® onions, and is continuing the tradition this October. The boxes, bins, bags and even stickers on each onion will turn pink for the entire month showing the company’s support for the cause. With the color catching your eye in the grocery store isle, people are more likely to purchase the onions over others to show their support. In addition to an increase in sales, the initiative consistently generates positive media coverage for the company. To take their dedication to the cause to another level, Shuman Farms also recognizes the impact of a nutritious diet to fight diseases like cancer and takes time to drive education around this topic throughout the month. The important thing to recognize with the example of Shuman Farms is they aren’t changing the product or the price.. The company is also showing its heart is in the right place by disclosing the money they donate to breast cancer causes.
Orlando City Soccer Club and the Orlando Pride, the men’s and women’s professional soccer teams in Orlando, recently announced their breast cancer awareness initiatives. Through both teams’ social media accounts, fans can make a contribution to two organizations to support Breast Cancer research: the Orlando Health Cancer Institute and CITY Furniture’s Pink Pumpkins campaign. In addition to enticing fans to donate, the teams are raising their profiles as supporters of the cause. Through social media engagement, fans can use the hashtag #TurnTheCityPink and CITY Furniture will donate a $1 for each post during the month of October. The teams will also work with Orlando Health to promote content on their social media platforms to educate fans on topics related to breast cancer awareness, and the teams will be participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. At a Pride match, the team gave out 2,000 pink pumpkin buckets and wore special tops in warmups. Exploria Stadium will also have pink roof-top beacons on Oct. 13 to recognize Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Each of these initiatives allows the teams to show their commitment to the cause while putting the team in a position of gaining fans and attention. These teams are utilizing already established social media accounts and fans to make a difference, and with social media, any organization can use the resources at their fingertips to generate content around a cause.
Locally in the New England area, the Eagle-Tribune is preparing to launch its 10th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign through a special supplement due out in October that will share submitted stories of personal battles and supportive caregivers. There is an opportunity for community members to share their experiences or honor those they know who have been affected by breast cancer in a number of ways. This is a unique way for the paper to recognize people and show their support for the cause, while taking the time to get to know those who have something related to share. For traditional news media especially, this month of awareness provides the opportunity to gather and share stories that may not have been told otherwise. The Tribune is taking it to the next level and preparing a whole supplement that will add to their regular coverage. This is something any news outlet or organization affiliated with the cause can do. Take the time to speak with those directly impacted and give them a voice.
In addition to the above mentioned ways, there are also several pink products that are donating part of the proceeds to limited edition items to breast cancer research – check out this article from E Online as well as this one from WWD for some examples. There are several ways for individuals and companies alike to step up and do something to recognize the month dedicated to a disease that has impacted so many. In doing so, you may just gain another loyal customer, a donation to your efforts, and attention for your brand as a doer of good.
