When it comes to breast cancer, it seems that no product is safe from the branding of the pink ribbon. It’s been emblazened on t-shirts, hats, lighters, tissue boxes, martini glasses, tote bags, and now … buckets of chicken? KFC, partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will donate 50 cents of every bucket purchased by its restaurant operators to breast cancer. Is it just me or does this corporate charity reek of irony?
I am all for supporting breast cancer research (or any cancer research for that matter), but by eating a bucket of greasy chicken? As Joe Waters, the Director of Cause Marketing for Boston Medical Center candidly points out, “with 2400 calories and 160 grams of fat, a bucket of extra crispy KFC should include the wig you’ll need for cancer treatments after eating this crap for years.” In fairness, KFC does have a grilled chicken bucket option that offers fewer calories, but that’s not the point.
Corporations are creating unneccessarily unhealthy products and are mass marketing them to children and low-income communities, resulting in the highest rates of obesity and diabetes that this country has ever seen. Corporate social responsibility campaigns like the one that KFC launched with Susan G. Komen for the Cure appear to be an attempt to placate consumers and draw attention away from any negative associations with their products — rather than a genuine effort to help anyone.
KFC is not the only one. For years Coca-Cola has teamed up with The Heart Truth campaign, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to bring awareness to and warn women about the risks of heart disease. Although the company uses Diet Coke to market this campaign, it still seems disingenuous. Soft drink consumption has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Not to mention that drinking aspartame (the ingredient in Diet Coke which allows it to be calorie free) has been linked (albeit inconclusively) to symptoms including headaches, depression, and cancer.
Again, by supporting a cause unrelated to the health risks associated with its products, Coca-Cola can build a positive brand image that mitigates and draws attention away from negative press.
I know charities need to heighten awareness and raise money for their causes, and partnering with large corporations that already have a huge customer base seems like a no-brainer. But these companies clearly aren’t concerned with the health of their consumers — money is the bottom line. Charities need to take a hard look at the corporations they’re partnering with and decide if the end justifies the means.
