Oct. 1, 2009 : Ribbons everywhere, and seeing pink

>^OCTOBER MARKS THE START OF
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

IT'S AN ANNUAL PUSH TO RAISE
MONEY FOR RESEARCH BY PLACING A
PINK RIBON ON PRODUCTS.
BUT THERE ARE MANY BREAST
CANCER SURVIVORS QUESTIONING
THE STRATEGY.
>>^THE PINK RIBON TO SYMBOLIZE
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS HAS
BECOME UBIQUITYUS.
IT CAN BE FOUND ON BUILDINGS,
ON GROCERY ITEM ITS AND
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS.
IN AN UPCOMING ARTICLE IN THE
"BOSTON GLOBE" MAGAZINE,
SURVIVORS OF THE DISEASE CLAIM
THE RIBBON HAS BECOME A
CONSTANT REMINDER OF THEIR
CONDITION.
AND THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT SOME
RETAILERS USE THE PINK RIBONS
TO SPUR MORE SALES RATHER THAN
EMPATHY FOR A DEVASTATING
DISEASE.
>>^JOINING ME NOW IS CHRIS
FRIESWICK FOR THE "BOSTON
GLOBE" MAGAZINE ALONG WITH
WRITER AND CANCER SURVIVOR
MONIQUE SPENCER DOYLE, WELCOME
TO BOTH OF YOU.
>>^FIRST I HAVE TO SAY, I MEAN
I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THIS.
AND NOW IT HAS BECOME WORSE
THAN EVER THIS YEAR, OR SO IT
SEEMS.
BUT YOUR POINT IS THAT A LOT OF
THESE COMPANIES, A THEY HAVE A
CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT
THEY WILL ACTUALLY SEND ALONG
TO ANY KIND OF A BREAST CANCER
CHARITY.
AND SOME OF THEM DON'T BOTHER
SENDING ANY AT ALL, QUITE
FRANKLY.
>>^WELL, THE PINK RIBBON ISN'T
TRADEMARKED.
IT'S NOT REGULATED.
THERE IS NOBODY SORT OF
MONITORING IT ITS USE.
ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO PUT A
PINK RIBBON ON A PRODUCT CAN.
AND MANY DO IT PROPERLY.
AND DONATE THE MONEY THEY SAY
THEY EVER'S GOING TO IT NOT
TECHNICALLY A DO FACIAL BUT
THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER TOPIC
LINE.
BUT MANY JUST SLAP A PINK
RIBBON ON KNOWING IT WILL BOOST
SALES.
>>^AND IT BOOSTS SALES.
.
>>^AND THIS IS THE A NUMBER ONE
REASON WHY ANY COMPANY GETS
INVOLVED IN WHAT IS CALLED
CAUSE MARKET WIG IS WHEN THEY
ALIGN WITH A CHARITY IS BECAUSE
IT BOOSTS SALES.
COMPANIES DON'T DO THINGS THAT
COST THEM MONEY NET N THE
OVERALL NET SCHEME OF THINGS.
>>^REALLY IN THIS CASE THEY ARE
ALIGNED WITH A GENERIC CHARITY
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT A CHARITY
IN ITSELF.
USUALLY A COMPANY WILL SAY "X"
AMOUNT OF PROCEEDS FOR THE
RETAIL PRICE WILL BE GIVEN TO X
CHARITY WHETHER SUSAN B COLEMAN
OR THE BREAST CANCER FOUND
{DALTION}.
AS YOU MENTION A LOT OF THEM
HAVE A MAXIMUM.
WE PROFILE ONE COMPANY THAT HAS
A MILLION DOLLAR MAXIMUM WHICH
SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
>>^IT'S NOT NOTHING.
IT STILL A LOT OF MONEY BUT
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW IS ONCE
THEY GET THAT MILLION DOLLAR
CAP THEY KEEP EVERYTHING THAT
WAS GOING TO GO TO THE CHARITY
OVER AND ABOVE THE MILLION AND
THEY DON'T TELL YOU IF THEY
HAVE HIT THE MILLION OR NOT.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY LESS
THAN HONEST WAY OF CLOAKING
THEMSELVES IN A PHILANTHROPIC
GLOW.
>>^WHEN YOU ARE WEARING TOO
MANY PINK RIBBONS HOW DO YOU
FEEL THIS PERSONALLY.
>>^I DON'T WEAR A PINK RIBBON,
THE OLD PINK RIBBON SAVED ME
MILLIONS OF OTHER WOMEN, AND I
GIVE GREAT RESPECT TO THE WOMEN
WHO RAISED SO MUCH MONEY UNDER
THE PINK RIBBON.
TODAY WHEREVER THERE IS MONEY
THERE IS ARE GOOD GUYS AND BAD
GUYS AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF
BAD GUYS INVOLVED IN THE PINK
RIBBON MONEY RAISING TODAY.
THE WORSE PRODUCT I HAVE SEEN
WAS THE TOILET BRUSH SCRUBER
THAT HAD A PINK RIBBON IT.
AND YOU COULD BUY A WHOLE FLEET
OF BATHROOM PRODUCTS.
YOU COULD HAVE YOUR SCALE BE
PINK WITH RIBBONS.
YOU COULD HAVE YOUR BATH TOWELS
PINK WITH RIBBONS AND SCRUB
YOUR TOILET WITH A PINK RIBBON
TOILET SKUBER.
NONE OF THAT PRETENDED TO BE
RAISING MONEY FOR BREAST
CANCER.
AND QUITE A BIT OF IT IS JUST
PREYING ON THE EMOTIONAL
RESPONSE OF THE CONSUMER TO BUY
SOMETHING BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE
A PINK RIBBON ON IT.
>>^THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS THING
WAS A FRIEND WHO HAD A BIOPSY
AND WAS BENIGN BUT THEY
ACTUALLY PUT, THEY PUT THESE
MARKERS IN AND THE MARKER WAS A
LITTLE PINK RIBBON.
>>^OH MY GOD.
>>^THIS WAS A HOSPITAL, DIDN'T
TELL HER.
I MEAN -- YOU KNOW.
>>^I MEAN IT IS IT HAS BECOME A
FORCE UNTO ITSELF.
I CALL THE PINK MACHINE.
MY MOM DIED OF BREAST CANCER IN
1992 WHEN THERE REALLY WASN'T
THIS FOCUS ON THIS PINKNESS
THING, THANK GOSH BECAUSE SHE
WOULD HAVE BEEN SICKENED BY IT.

BUT EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN I'VE
WATCHED EVERY OCTOBER IT GETS
MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
I WAS A FINANCIAL REPORTER FOR
A CORPORATE FINANCE MAGAZINE
FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS SO I KNEW
AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN THAT
WORLD THAT THESE WERE ALL
PROFIT-MAKING CAMPAIGNS.
I WANTED TO START ON THE STORY
AND I STARTED TALKING WITH
PEOPLE, SO FEW PEOPLE
UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS NOT A
GENUINELY PHILANTHROPIC EFFORT.

WHEN THEY DID GIVE MONEY TO A
CHARITY FROM THE RESULT OF A
SALE, IT WAS, THEY ARE ACTUALLY
WRITING A CHECK OUT OF THEIR
MARKETING DEPARTMENT MOST OF
THE TIME IT IS A FIXED MEASURE
SPEND THE SOLE PURPOSE IS TO
DRIVE SALES.
THESE ARE VERY PROFITABLE
CAMPAIGNS.
I SOME OF THE RESEARCH I CAME
ACROSS SHOWED THAT NOT ONLY
WILL A COMPANY SEE OR NOT ONLY
WILL A COMPANY BE ABLE TO RAISE
THEIR PRICES AND PROFIT ON THE
PINK RIBBON ITEM, BUT ALL THE
OTHER PRODUCTS IN THEIR BRAND
LINE EVEN THOSE THAT DO NOT
HAVE PINK RIBBONS ON THEM WILL
EXPERIENCE A BOOST IN SALES
BECAUSE THE CONSUMER FEELS GOOD
ABOUT THE CORPORATION.
>>^WELL, I MEAN YOU DON'T WANT
TO BE TOTALLY NEGATIVE ABOUT
THIS.
OCTOBER 1st KICKS OFF A WHOLE
MONTH OF STUFF.
YOU DO START THINKING ABOUT IT.

I'M SURE MORE PEOPLE GET THEIR
MAMMOGRAMS AND DO THAT WHOLE
THING.
>>^BUT THERE IS SOMETHING
OFFENSIVE ABOUT IT.
THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT PINK
BEING A FEM NIN COLOR AND
SOMEHOW THIS IS GOING TO MEAN
YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO
LIKE IT, WHAT IF YOU LIKE BLUE.

>>^REALLY, THERE IS A WHOLE
PINKNESS QUALITY THAT FOR
FEMINISTS AND NEOFEMINISTS HAD
GRATES A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I THINK IT GOES EVEN
FARTHER.
IF YOU GO INTO A STORE DURING
OCTOBER YOU WOULD ASSUME, IF
YOU WERE AN ALIEN, YOU WOULD
ASSUME THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM IN
OUR PLAN SET BREAST CANCER.
IT IS SO PER SWAYS --
PERVASIVE.
AND MY POINT IS I WANT TO WEAR
A PLAYED RIBON.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE
WITH BREAST CANCER WHO STILL
NEED A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE'VE MADE SO MANY ADVANCES IN
BREAST CANCER.
WHILE I HAVE BREAST CANCER AND
I'M, YOU KNOW, I COULD
CERTAINLY USE A CURE FOR IT,
THE TRUTH IS THAT THE TWO
REMAINING GROUPS THAT STILL
NEED US ARE YOUNG WOMEN AND
POOR WOMEN.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL OF
OUR BREAST CANCER EFFORTS AND
MARCHES AND RACES TO FOCUS ON
THOSE TWO GROUPS BECAUSE THOSE
ARE THE TWO GROUPS THAT ARE
STILL DYING WAY OUT OF
PROPORTION TO THE REST OF US.
AND THEN LOOK AT OUR SOCIETY
AND SAY DRUG ADDICTION,
ALCOHOLISM, VIOLENCE AND I
LITTLE RASSEE ARE A PLAGUE IN
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AMONG THE
PARENTS.
THEY ARE A PLAGUE IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
MY PLAYED -- WOULD HAVE BREAST
CANCER FOR THE POOR AND YOUNG
BECAUSE YOUNG WOMEN DO DIE MUCH
MORE FREQUENTLY FROM BREAST
CANCER THAN AN OLDER WOMAN.
>> Rooney:^THE STATISTICS HAVE
DONE DOWN SHALL GONE DOWN.
>>^ONE OF THE THINGS YOU RAISE
IN YOUR REPORT IS THIS YOPLAIT
YOGURT, YOU SEND THESE LIDS IN
THE MAIL TO THE COMPANY, THEY
ALSO HAVE A CAP.
AND THEY WILL SEND THE CHARITY
10 CENTS.
BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY MAILED 39
CENTS TO, AND BYPASS THE STUPID
LID THING WOULD YOU BE
DO^SOMETHING OF MUCH GREATER
VALUE.
PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT THROUGH.

>>^WELL, I THINK THAT THE
PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE MADE
PHILANTHROPY A CONSUMER
ACTIVITY WITH THESE
KOSMARKETING -- CAUSE MARKETING
PROGRAMS.
PEOPLE THINK THEY HAVE DONE
THEIR PART BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT
YOPLAIT OR THE PINK GOLF CLUBS
OR TOILET SKUBER OR WHATEVER.
>>^$150 NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS.
>>^AND.
>>^BUT IT IS A GREAT SNEAKER.
>>^YEAH, IT IS.
>>^BUT WHAT IN FACT THEY ARE
DOING IS THEY ARE NOT NEWING
ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE COULD THEY
COULD DO IF INSTEAD OF BUYING
THE SNEAKER THEY WROTE A CHECK
FOR THE $89 AND SENT IT
DIRECTRY TO KOLMEN BECAUSE NOT
ONLY IS IF YOU BALANCE GOING TO
TAKE MOST OF THE MONEY YOU
SPENT ON THOSE SNEAKERS, THEN
ONCE THE MONEY GETS TO KOMEN
THEY WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY
30% OF THAT.
AND SO THE MONEY THAT ACTUALLY
MAKES IT TO THE RESEARCH IS SO
SMALL.
THAT WE'RE TALKING AS AN
INDIVIDUAL YOUR GUILTY IS
PLACATED BY THESE PURCHASES BUT
IN REALITY, YOU ARE BEING --
YOUR PHILANTHROPIC INSTINCT IS
BEING DRAINED AWAY.
>>^NEWBALANCE DID CALL US A
LITTLE WHILE AGO AND SAID YOU
RAISED ISSUE WHETHER THEY HAD
FILED ALL THE PAPERWORK.
THEY CLAIM THEY HAVE NOW DOWN
THAT AND IT IS CLEAR WHERE THE
PROFITS GO.
>>^GOOD.
>>^ONE THING THAT I DO NEED TO
POINT OUT IS THAT IT WAS ONLY,
THEY'VE BEEN DOING THEIR LACE
UP FOR THE CURE, IT A
YEAR-ROUND CAMPAIGN.
THEY SELL THEIR PRODUCTS
YEAR-ROUND.
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR
EIGHT YEARS.
SUSAN GKOMEN HAS POINTED TO NEW
BALANCE AS ONE OF THEIR BEST
PARTNERS AND ONLY WHEN A
REPORTER CALLED AND SAID WHY
HAVEN'T YOU FILED ANY OF THE
REQUIREDS DOCUMENTS THAT THEY
DID IT.
WHEN I INITIALLY CONTACTED THEM
THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE TO WHO IS
THE HEAD OF THE MARKETING SWORE
UP AND DOWN HE WAS CONFIDENT
THEY HAD DONE IT.
HE WOULD BE SO SURPASSED IF
THEY HADN'T DONE IT.
ONLY 13 COMPANIES THAT PARTNER
WITH SUSAN G COMEN IN THE STATE
OF MASSACHUSETTS AND SELL
PRODUCTS HERE HAVE REGISTERED
PROPERLY.
ALL THE OTHERS HAVE NOT DONE
SO.
AND THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT
IS BECAUSE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO
FINAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AFTER THEIR CAMPAIGN IS OVER
THAT SHOWS NOT ONLY THE TOTAL
REVENUE GENERATED BY THAT
CAMPAIGN BUT THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY THAT GOES TO THE CHARITY.

THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE AS
CONSUMERS CAN EVER FIND OUT
JUST HOW MUCH MONEY THEY ARE
MAKING AND NONE OF THEM HAVE
FILED IT.
>>^DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A
YOU WEREBACK OVER THIS YEAR,
EVEN AFTER THIS ARTICLE?
>> I HOPE THERE IS.
I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN
THIS ALMOST WORSHIP OF THE PINK
RIBBON AS A CANCER PATIENT
WITHOUT DOESN'T WEAR WHERE.
>>^IT IS ALMOST LIKE A SEINFELD
EPISODE THAT I REMEMBER.
THERE IS A QUALITY IN THE WORLD
AROUND BREAST CANCER THAT -- WE
HAVE SEEN SO MANY ADVANCES.
I GRIEVE FOR THE WOMAN OF 30
WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO IS
GIVEN A DYING TO SIS OF STAGE
FOUR BREAST CANCER.
I GRIEVE FOR HER.
I DON'T GRIEVE FOR THE REST OF
US WITHOUT ARE LIVING FULL
LIVES, WHO HAVE PLENTY OF
TREATMENT AND I GRIEVE FOR THE
POOR.
>>^WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR
ARTICLE THIS WEEKEND.
>>^THANK YOU.