The NFL’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Crucial Catch campaign doesn’t necessarily mean lots of money flowing into charities’ coffers, critics say.
Organizations across the country are going pink for October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The aim is to generate publicity for the battle against this disease and raise funds for research. One of the most prominent supporters happens to be the NFL, which dedicates significant time and resources to its awareness campaign. The effort, however, don’t necessarily translate to a lot of money flowing into charities’ coffers, some critics say.
Scoring Points in the Awareness Department
When it comes to creating prominent displays meant to raise awareness about breast cancer, it’s hard to beat the NFL and its publicity-generating machine. The organization leverages its merchandise, television time and even its website to put the topic of breast cancer front and center.
The NFL website has been transformed for the month with the homepage logo wrapped in pink ribbon. An entire section of the site is dedicated to the NFL’s A Crucial Catch campaign. This movement is raises awareness about the importance of annual breast exams and offers tools to engage visitors. Visitors can sign up for personal screening reminders, donate to the American Cancer Society to offset screening costs for women and even share the information via social media platforms.
The website isn’t the only play the NFL has in its book either. The organization also goes pink in other, very visible ways. Players, coaches and officials are all donning pink in honor of the cause. Giant pink ribbons have been trucked onto fields of play, and the NFL raises funds for research by selling official merchandise done over in pink. It’s that last item on the NFL’s list of actions, however, that has generated some criticism.
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Pink Gear Doesn’t Add Up to Much Cash for Charities
The NFL reports it has donated about $7 million to the American Cancer Society since 2009. The money, it says, has come largely from the sale of its officially branded pink gear. Critics, however, are quick to note that only about 12.5% of the sales price of NFL-branded pink products end up in the hands of charity. The rest of the money goes to manufacturers and retailers.
That percentage might seem low, but the NFL reports that it does donate every penny of its royalty money. This is likely better than some others, since there is no regulation governing how companies can use “pink” themes to generate sales, the Washington Post points out.
Criticisms of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The NFL isn’t alone in receiving pink-related criticism. The inspiration for Breast Cancer Awareness Month came originally from the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical arm of Imperial Chemical Industries, which is now a part of AstraZeneca. The British-based company, which manufactures anti-breast cancer drugs, discovered it saved a tremendous amount of money by promoting early detection programs to its employees.
While early detection is crucial, critics say a chemical company like AstraZeneca may both profit from treating the disease while also serving as a contributing factor to its cause. Some critics of Breast Cancer Awareness Month also point to the focus on marketing “pink products” as overly mercantile, noting more money is often spent on advertising products than actually goes to the cause.
Good, bad or otherwise, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, courtesy of partners such as the NFL, has served one of its main purposes well: to educate and inform people about the disease. As for the fundraising aspect, anyone who wants to get involved can help out by insisting the lion’s share of funds they donate flow into research instead of profits or marketing.
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