In today’s society, the pink ribbon has become one of the most widely recognized symbols of breast cancer research. “It can symbolize strength, hope, responsibility, empathy, and permission to discuss breast cancer,” (Harvey, 1) but that’s not all the pink ribbon campaign does. The pink ribbon is one of the most widely-used tools of cause-related marketing, with pink items available of almost anything. As such in addition to the tenfold increase in awareness surrounding breast cancer within our society, many major corporations have increased their bottom-lines as a result of the breast cancer industry. In order to truly understand “pink culture” (Sulik, XIV) we must examine the advanced levels of marketing strategies that have worked to develop this campaign and the effects that they not only have on breast cancer research but also the effects they hold on a social and corporate level as well. Therefore, this essay will provide an outline of how the breast cancer research movement utilizes the pink ribbon campaign paired with other promotional devices including cause-related marketing and mass media consolidation to saturate the market with their mandate. In addition to this, this essay will also provide an analysis of both the positive and negative reactions the campaign has garnered within the public eye, and the effects it has had on breast cancer awareness and research as a whole. To give a brief history, pink ribbon’s were initially introduced by the Susan G. Komen foundation during their 1990 Race for the Cure to signify breast cancer awareness (pinkribbon.org). Soon after, the pink ribbon was adopted as the official international symbol for breast cancer research and awareness, and as of “2008, the initiative was extende... ... middle of paper ... ...to feel they are contributing without actually becoming informed. These criticisms argue that these effortless forms of action such as Facebook users change their profile pictures to pink-themed images, do not contribute to the campaigns goals, but rather take away from consumers feeling the need to actually become educated on what the cause is truly about. While a variety of counter propaganda movements have been generated in an effort to inform the public on the truth of the breast cancer industry, it is important that consumers take the time to investigate these resources before falling victim to the misleading campaign. By watching documentaries like Pink Ribbon Inc. or resources such as Breast Cancer Action’s “Think Before You Pink Project” consumers can make informed decisions and successfully navigate the sea of propaganda that is the breast cancer industry.
Reese’s is one of the most iconic brands of candy, beloved by Americans and known for chocolate and peanut butter treats. Yet, even the most beloved brands most advertise to maintain their presence, which is what Reese’s did in early 2009 when they released an advertisement that utilized a renewed awareness of global warming in the public. This came on the heels of the 2008 election, when President Obama won in a landslide with one of the main tenets of his platform being a focus on global warming. The purpose of this Reese’s advertisement is to to encourage their target audience, educated and liberal individuals, to purchase their Reese’s cups candy. Through the use of attention grabbing language, appealing imagery, and masterful ethos, Reese's appeals to an educated and liberal audience by relating its food brand with the
Susan G Komen for the Cure is a very well know charity that raises funds for breast cancer. They host walks, sell merchandise, educate, and sponsor events. Every year they raise millions of dollars for research and to support those who have breast cancer. The charity originated in 1982 when Nancy G Brinker started it in honor of her sister Susan. Susan Passed away from breast cancer in 1980 and the charity was a part of Nancy’s promise to Susan that she would put a stop to breast cancer. For a long time Susan G Komen for the Cure has been considered one of the best cancer related charities there is, but lately it has come under fire.
The pink ribbons on Faiths cap represent faith and playfulness. This is kind of ironic considering her name is Faith and the pink ribbons also mean faith. Faith's pink ribbons are the symbol for the good in the story and show that there is faith with Goodman Brown. "Faith! Faith!" cried the husband. "Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!" (68) Goodman Brown tries to receive the good from Faith while he is surround by evil. Faith seems to be one of the few "good" symbols in the story and just happens to be Goodman Browns wife. "My faith is gone!"(50)cried he. When Goodman Brown
Lerner, Barron H. The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-century America. New York: Oxford UP, 2001.
For example, to make people aware that breast cancer can affect even young women, thefaceofbreastcancer.com printed a poster portraying the faces of fifty different women all under the age of 41 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The words “Your sister,” “You,” “Your friend,” are highlighted sporadically throughout the poster. The phrase “Have a lump or pain? Regardless of age, CHECK IT OUT NOW!” is also highlighted in the midst of all the women’s ...
Advertising (marketing) in America is long past its zenith. There may have been a time when people actually paid attention to all of the flash, the glitz, and the hype, but most consumers (especially those in Generation X) are savvy and somewhat skeptical. The public is less impressed and views these types of marketing attempts as desperate, and even pathetic. Marlboro Friday (977) may stand out as a monumental day in the minds of advertisers, but there is another moment that stands out in the minds of consumers; the night a woman disrobed during half-time show at the Super Bowl. It was as if time stood still as a nation witnessed advertising shorn of its pretense. This one event exposed the true state of marketing in America. It seems every attempt to hoodwink and capture the attention of the population has already been tried; there is nowhere new to go. Stooping to nudity to try and capture the attention of the public confirms what the consumer already knows; it doesn’t matter how firms try and “clothe” their products; underneath they are all the same.
Later on in the century, Second Wave Feminism in the 1950s and 1980s, combatted against the strictly women’s duty of having to perform the “housekeeping, cooking, sex and fulltime care for [the couples] children” (Hamilton pg. 41) in exchange for their husbands to share their salaries with them. Although, Second Wave Feminism is still ongoing today, Third Wave feminism emerged during the 1990s and dealt with the empowerment which “is not simply conferred on an individuals but something that can be shared with everyone” (Bromley pg. 49). This is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the fact or action of acquiring more control over one 's life or circumstances through increased civil rights, independence, self-esteem, etc” (Oxford English Dictionary) of women. The program speaks to the belief that women deserve to feel good about their appearance as they go through something as challenging as cancer. As a result, the program of ‘Look Good Feel Better’ is a practice of empowerment because the goal of the program is created due to the idea that “if a woman with cancer can be helped to look good, [the] chances are she’ll feel better, her spirits will be lifted and [she will] be [able] to face her illness with greater confidence” (Look Good Feel Better p.1). The idea of empowerment that Third Wave Feminism addresses is perpetuated through the ‘Look Good Feel Better’
With the ongoing expansion of technology, being “at risk” has become a common diagnosis that requires its own cycle of prescriptions and treatments. It’s almost like biomedicalization has become a disease like state in itself. Fosket uses this perspective to analyze the emergence of pharmaceuticals as credible strategies for breast cancer prevention and the analogous emergence of a group of women designated “high risk” for breast cancer and targeted for pharmaceutical interventions. These interventions include Chemoprevention, which is “the practice of ingesting pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals to prevent disease” (Fosket 331). This practice of Chemoprevention was also seen in many articles we read this semester, some of which is Dumit’s “Pharmaceutical Witnessing and Direct-to-Consumer Advertising”, where he mentions how people may experience things that may not be pathological, like heart burn, b...
Health campaigns are purposive challenges to inform or influence behaviors and generate outlooks in a large audience. A health campaign can also be a type of media campaign in which encourages public health by making new health contributions available through education and an organized set of communication activates. Organized set of activities have multiple channels generally used to create assistance to individuals and society. Periodically I stumble across health campaigns some of which I disregard and others that grasp my attention and want to know about the matter. For instance, the Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer campaign. Understanding that campaigns are purposive attempts to inform or influence, the Inside Knowledge campaign qualifies as health campaign because it informs the intended audience about symptoms, cures, and support for gynecologic cancers. All women are at risk for gynecologic cancers, and risk increases with age. This particular campaign targets women 40 and older, although I am not forty the campaign appealed to a younger audience making the campaign a successful campaign for women 40 and older, and to me as well. The Inside Knowledge campaign can be addressed as a public service campaign encouraging women to pay attention to their bodies to detect the warning signs of gynecologic cancers and seek medical care. When gynecologic cancers are recognized early, treatment is most effective. Being that cancer can develop in the bodies of women each gynecologic cancer is distinctive, with different signs and symptoms, diverse risk factors and different prevention strategies. In developing a concept to educate women of gynecologic cancers multiple channels are needed. Through the Inside Kn...
Facts for Life. Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactsForLife.html
Living in a world where many prefer to believe what is shown to them, rather than doing some of their own research, can lead to consequences. (Figure 1) Some people believe electronic cigarettes are a safer and healthier alternative to the actual cigarette because of how they are advertised. “Because they [e-cigs] deliver nicotine without burning tobacco, e-cigarettes are purported to be safer and less toxic than conventional cigarettes. Despite these claims, there’s still no real data on the effects of e-cigarettes (positive or negative), yet marketing materials still bill them as a healthy choice” (Worthington emphasis mine). Drug advertisements normally show the beneficial side of
The Pharmaceutical Industry goals is to get as much profit incentive as possible through clinical trials, social networking, ads driving in a social movement in the demand for consumer goods. Patients have become more knowledgeable, demanding, and critical of medical care (Williams & Calman 1996). The internet has facilitated consumer involvement by offering easily accessible health-related information and providing a method for communication among like minded individuals (Hardey 2001). Medicalization from an analytical stand point is facilitated by the development of innovative technologies, consumer demands and the emergence of new medical markets in the hands of pharmaceutical enterprises. When medical products, services, or treatments are promoted to consumers to improve their health, appearance, or well-being, we see the development of medical market (Conrad & Leiter 2004).The race for cure, a Breast Cancer Awareness organization has been developed into a commodity for selling pink ribbons and bands. The awareness of Breast cancer is not being fully recognized by those who may not be knowledgeable of the treatments, mammograms, screening and essentially anything cancer related if the focus is on the marketing of products. Oftentimes, these corporations, sponsors, pharmaceuticals are concern with capitalizing on the health of the patience through empowering ads, to maximizing profits. Through private and
...erved by the medical establishment. On May 11 we hope to draw 20,000 people and raise $1 million for the foundation. This is an event that not only educates the community on breast cancer awareness, but also empowers women to survive.
...efit” (p. xx). More and more individuals will run into greenwashing ads from the news to even advertising; however it’s important to recognize the exaggeration, persuasiveness and omission of information in these ads. It’s evident that any form of media is filled with manipulation; pulling the perception, actions, fears, desires, and values out of the consumer. In our text Downing et al. begins saying, “empiricist communications research…are concerned more with questions, problems, and perspectives than with the mere recitation of detailed facts. Indeed, critical scholars would argue that facts by themselves are impossible to interpret if they are not placed into some model or theory about how the media and society work” (xxviii). I think this sums up why we all should be critical in a positive manner, and should use the theories that help us analyze media material.
Curry and Clarke’s article believe in a strategy called “visual literacy” which develops women and men’s roles in advertisements (1983: 365). Advertisements are considered a part of mass media and communications, which influence an audience and impact society as a whole. Audiences quickly begin to rely on messages sent through advertisements and can create ideologies of women and men. These messages not only are extremely persuasive, but they additionally are effective in product consumption in the media (Curry and Clarke 1983: