KFC and Komen – Supporting or adding to the cause?

On the outset it’s cute. Supporting breast cancer research by purchasing a chicken breast – I get it. It’s even in a cute pink tub and branded buckets for the cure. But, are you scratching your head on this one too?

YUM Brands KFC, has launched a campaign to provide a donation of up to $8.5 million – a potential record-breaking donation – to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Just go to your nearest KFC and purchase a pink bucket of sodium and fat rich fried chicken or the less sodium and fat packed grilled chicken - and help the cause. However, the verdict is still out on all the causes associated with breast cancer – including the risk from sodium and fat rich foods.

Barbara Brenner, exec at Breast Cancer Action, a watchdog group, denigrated Komen Foundation with this quote: "This will keep them (Komen) in business for years. They talk about a cure, but this partnership will create more breast cancer.”

Ouch!

So, has Komen missed their mark on developing support for their cause? Research says a definite “yes.”

Studies have shown (Gareth Smith, Journal Marketing Management 4/04, Vol. 20) that the connection with a cause needs to make a valuable connection in the consumers mind to be effective. Synergy provides credibility to both the cause and the supporting company. I'm not a cancer researcher, but I'm thinking this may be a bit of a conflict - and hence - would be perceived by consumers as missing the relationship purpose. I'm not sure who looses on this one - KFC or Komen.

Cone’s recent Trend Tracker report stated that 56% of consumers feel better about a nonprofit when they partner with a company. I wonder how this makes everyone feel about Komen?

The Mont Blanc Cause

I typically don't run around in the circles of those in the market to spend $20 grand on a pen. But that's not by choice and by no means the purpose of this blog. It came to my attention the a couple of months ago that Mont Blanc (that's a pen company for us regular folk) has struck a deal with the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, a worthy cause, to support the foundation's peace efforts. Apparently the pen company has a penchant for cause-marketing options, such as their partnership with UNICEF enabling underprivileged children to learn to read and write. By all means, this makes great sense.

Is it me, though, or does it seem a bit against the grain for a foundation representing someone that stood for peace and minimalist ideals, to develop a cause tie-in with a pen company that is selling a pen for a mere $22k? ($200 - $1000 of which will support the foundation). Gandhi's grandson signed off on the deal.

Carrie Triblet and Nora Rifon's study from Feb. 2006, (reported in the International Journal of Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Marketing) revealed that consumers respond more positively to marketing efforts when the image of the sponsoring company or brand is compatible with the sponsored event or activity.

I'm all for cause-marketing. It's one of the more effective tools in solidifying a brand and creating a purpose for purchase - and is a great measuring tool. But, synergies have to exist between the brand and organization - otherwise it doesn't work.

Just my opinion.