Why Pink Ribbons Have this Breast Cancer Survivor Seeing Red

Before my blood reaches its boiling point, let me make two things perfectly clear:

First, I have nothing against pink. In fact, my grandmother used to say it was my best color. To this day, I have plenty of pink in my wardrobe because Granna was never wrong about anything.

Second, I am incredibly grateful for all the breast cancer awareness-raising that happens during this month. So far, I’ve lost three terrific friends to this hideous disease. I also know dozens of other women, including myself, who are fighting the good fight. And we are winning.

Having said that, though, I walk into a local grocery store this week and see pink-ribboned Campbell tomato soup cans stacked to the ceiling. Suddenly I have this urge to grab a bowling ball and aim it at the entire display, knocking down every last can.

Not because I have anything against traditional red soup cans sporting pink ribbons. But I can’t help but wonder: who’s really winning here?  This year's unlucky 179,000 who will be diagnosed with breast cancer? The 56,000 people, women and men, who will die from this cancer in 2007?

Or the Campbell Soup Company?

I go home and do some research. For every can sold during this promotion, Campbell is donating 3.5 cents. The maximum donation will be $250,000. Which is great, right? I mean, come on, Lorraine. Would you turn down a quarter of a million dollars for this cause?

I wouldn’t. But as one who has been on the inside of this disease and held onto the hand of my best friend during her final days of breast cancer, I would like to tell Campbell this:

“You’re going to make more than a million dollars on this October promotion. So yeah, thanks for donating one quarter of that bonus to this worthy cause. It just about  covers the medical expenses for one woman with metastatic breast cancer. If that’s where the money is going.

“By the way, is that where the money is going? To directly serve breast cancer patients through medical care or research? All I could find on your website was that the money would go to ‘support initiatives in communities.’ Meaning, what? Cocktail parties? Coffee and doughnuts? Pink mops and nail kits? What?”

I could ask the same thing of any company that promotes a charitable cause. You should, too. Exactly how much is being donated and exactly how is that money being spent? Companies like Campbell know it’s savvy marketing to link up with a cause, especially one in which one out of eight women will be directly touched. They’ve got a captive audience.   

Also, we Americans are awesome at pitching in when it’s for a good cause. In fact, nine out of ten of us choose products because of a company’s good will promotions. Company’s know this. What’s good for business is, well, good for business.

But let’s not pretend that these promotions are, in fact, making a significant difference. Seven years ago, I went on a 60 mile walk for breast cancer, sponsored by Avon. I felt like giving all my donors their money back when I learned afterward that only .18 on the dollar went to breast cancer. (Since then, the percentage from this walk has increased remarkably – as well it should have).

If a company genuinely wants to make a difference, then I suggest it gives more money, gives it year round, and earmarks it for medical care and research. Did you know that 5% fewer women are getting mammograms now than in the 1990’s? That's a frightening step backward.

If companies want to make a real difference, then for starters, they should use the money to educate people about the importance of mammograms. The one I considered skipping seven years ago bulls-eyed my cancer. Or how about funding affordable mammogram centers, especially in low income areas? Or setting up scholarships for high school graduates who want to pursue cancer research? Or for college graduates who want to go on to medical school?

The possibilities for businesses making real strides against breast cancer are exciting and endless.

Only problem is, they’re not as easy as building a cute, pink front end display.