October 18, 2007

Corporate Social Responsibility: Think Before You Pink

Posted by Christine Hurt

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it seems like everywhere a consumer turns there is an ad to purchase a product so that a portion of the proceeds will go to breast cancer research or outreach. Last Fall, I was shopping for a new vacuum cleaner and chose a pink Dyson because $40 of the purchase price went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. However, a new organization wants consumers to be more savvy before they make purchases solely because of the pink ad campaign. In particular Think Before You Pink challenges those who would "shop for the cure" to ask these questions before making a purchase:

How much money from your purchase actually goes to the cause?

What is the maximum amount that will be donated?

How much money was spent marketing the product?

How are the funds being raised?

To what breast cancer organization does the money go, and what types of programs does it support?

What is the company doing to assure that its products are not contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?

Bottom line: "If shopping could cure cancer, it would be cured by now."

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