• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, October 3, 2006

The question is, in an era of good causes and even more good cause-related marketing pitches, why is the pink ribbon's appeal so durable, both on the low end (pink Tic-Tacs and M&M's) and the high end (pink Oreck vacuums or Kitchen-Aid appliances)?

For Avon, breast cancer "simply resonates with the universe we're most connected with--our sales reps, our customers, and the general public. It's a critical issue, and we know women are very concerned about it," says Susan Arnot Heaney, a spokeswoman for the Avon Foundation.

For companies, the benefits are obvious: A PRWeek/Barkley Evergreen Cause Survey found that 79 percent of corporate marketers who engage in cause marketing achieved an enhanced relationship with target consumer demographics, 74 percent reported a positive PR result, and 61 percent saw an increase in donations to the non-profit organizations.

What consumers get, though, is a simple sense of helping. "We knew Baby Boomers responded to cause marketing," says Mike Swenson, president of Evergreen Barkley PR in Kansas City, which works with Lee on its Denim Day. "As Gen X and Gen Y come into the arena, cause-branding shows no sign of abating at all," he said. "Things like Lee's Denim Day succeed because everyone wants to say: 'Today, I'm a member of the club.'"

But not everyone is a fan of pink October. Breast Cancer Action last week launched its fifth "Think Before You Pink" campaign, objecting to what it calls "pinkwashing," and urging consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon products and promotions.

Swenson thinks most consumers do. Because some of the biggest brand names in charitable giving "have skinned their knees in the past, people are very discerning about who they give money to. But there's a core group of people--women who have had breast cancer, or those who have a close friend or family member who has--who respond by saying, 'I was going to buy another brand of soup. But I'll buy Campbell's, instead.'"