Beyond Pink: How 3 Brands Are Marketing This October

Wikipedia defines cause marketing as “marketing done by a for-profit business that seeks to both increase profits and to better society in accordance with corporate social responsibility, such as by including activist messages in advertising.” October sees a spike in cause marketing given the number of companies globally that want to acknowledge Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which itself began in 1985, when Imperial Chemical Industries - the maker of breast cancer drug tamoxifen - partnered with the American Cancer Society. In an extension of that cause marketing, the pink ribbon became synonymous with breast cancer in October 1992 when SELF magazine partnered with Evelyn Lauder, an Estée Lauder executive and breast cancer survivor, to distribute pink ribbons in conjunction with the magazine’s second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue (also known as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States).

Today, the pink ribbon has proliferated in brand marketing, especially each October. There’s nothing wrong with limited-edition products that yield a percent of sales or profits to breast cancer causes, corporate donations and employee-match programs, social media campaigns, and events or retail displays. All of these tactics can make important contributions to increasing the attention and funds going to an important cause.

But Ann Inc., inclusive of Ann Taylor and LOFT, is focused on community and resilience. More specifically, the Sisterhood of Strength honors the company’s 20 years of partnering with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) by shining the spotlight on 20 breast cancer “thrivers.” In addition to sharing the stories of these women, a banner atop each brand’s digital home page encourages visitors to make donations to the BCRF.

Saneel Radia, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of Proto, an innovation, brand and experience consultancy, calls himself “a huge fan of when companies actually design products - not just messaging - for the audience they’re supporting as it’s the clearest form of investment, and the design conversation alone requires real knowledge of the customer.”

Radia highlights two examples of companies doing this. First, he shares, “[In 2021], Athleta created the Empower Bra, specifically designed for women who have undergone mastectomies, tailored to the unique needs of post-surgery bodies.” There’s also an Empower Masectomy Bra Insert, which has garnered more than 400 five-star reviews. A category page on Athleta’s web site aggregates sports bras that are compatible with these inserts for easy shopping. All of this is consistent with Athleta’s refreshed mission to “empower women and girls to build confidence, strength, and belonging through movement.”

Second, Radia cites Ralph Lauren, which combines the approaches above. He points out how the brand has “designed multiple product lines from which a range of proceeds go directly to cancer research or patient care, and markets them via campaigns that tell powerful stories of breast cancer survivors.” All of this is under the Pink Pony umbrella, with its own robust digital landing page and a stated mission “to reduce disparities in cancer care and ensure that access to quality treatment is available to everyone at an earlier, more curable stage.” Links are available to both shop and donate.

This article was originally published by Forbes on 10/8/24.