Seasonal Store Check: Breast Cancer Awareness 2009

Pink was again the retail color of choice last month, as leading chains and national brands undertook campaigns leveraging October's designation as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.While the merchandising onslaught sparked by promotional support for the cause seems to have subsided after peaking in 2007, related activity was still strong at most leading chains during the month. As they were in 2008, however, the programs again were driven more by special product packaging and manufacturer-supplied displays than by the multi-brand merchandising spectaculars that were de rigueur two years ago. (See Related Articles for overviews of activity in 2007 and 2008.)Most retailers, in fact, piggybacked on the campaigns of leading product manufacturers instead of conducting their own programs, with only a few notable exceptions.Unofficially, Procter & Gamble made the biggest splash this year for what could be its most concerted "pink" effort ever. Launched via the company's Sept. 27 brandSaver newspaper insert, the "Give Hope" campaign placed no limit on the money that would be raised through coupon redemptions for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. (Cause marketers typically place a cap on the amount that they will donate.)Participating retailers included: Ahold USA's Giant-Landover and Stop & Shop, which used circular features to invite shoppers to "Help give women the gift of hope" by using brandSaver coupons. The retailers and P&G pledged to donate $30,000 to NBCF to fund early detection programs at hospitals in the chains' operating regions. Wakefern's ShopRite and Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.'s Pathmark, both of which offered free "Hope" kitchenware from Good Cook to loyalty cardholders who bought $25 worth of P&G products in one transaction from Oct. 4-10. Safeway, which promised to donate $5 from each purchase of $30 in eligible P&G products to national and local breast cancer charities. Winn-Dixie, which encouraged the use of brandSaver coupons to support NBCF. The chain also offered an instant $5 savings with purchase of $35 in participating P&G brands such as Tide, Luvs, Prilosec and Iams.For additional retail overlays and more information about the campaign, read "P&G's brandSaver Holds Out 'Hope.'"General Mills also gained strong attention last month, due both to the scope of its third annual "Pink Together" campaign and the fact that, in some cases, it provided the sole breast cancer awareness tie-in for retail partners.The packaged foods manufacturer pledged $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure -- again the leading beneficiary among breast cancer causes -- through sales of pink-packaged products from Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Nature Valley, Pillsbury, Hamburger Helper, Progresso, and other brands. Its Yoplait yogurt brand, which has its own Komen sponsorship, also garnered strong support with its evergreen "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign.Among the account-specific activity sparked by the campaign: Supervalu's Acme joined with General Mills to pledge $15,000 to Komen and offer frequent shoppers $10 off a future receipt with purchase of $25 in participating products from Oct. 16-22. Circular features supported. Great Atlantic's A&P and Pathmark partnered with Mills to donate $1 to Komen for every five eligible products purchased (up to $50,000) during a one-week period. Delhaize America's Hannaford used circular features to encourage shoppers to support Komen by purchasing Mills products. ShopRite promoted a promise from Mills to donate $25,000 to Komen affiliates within the chain's greater New York operating region, and dangled a $10 checkout coupon with purchase of $25 in product. Stop & Shop joined with Mills to pledge $3 to Komen (up to $50,000) for every purchase of four eligible products using a store loyalty card. Giant-Landover required a $20 purchase to trigger a $3 donation and a coupon for $3 off a future receipt. Participating shoppers also earned an additional 10-cents-per-gallon discount on gas through the chains' fuel rewards programs. And Ahold's Giant-Carlisle promised $1 (again, up to $30,000) to charity for every five Mills products purchased with a store loyalty card.The campaign also had a foodservice component in which General Mills provided in-store bakeries with P-O-P kits of stickers, wobblers, counter cards and informational take-ones to be used throughout the month. SmartSource shelf talkers and other signs promoted the effort elsewhere in stores.On the retail side, Kroger conducted what easily was the most extensive campaign. The supermarket operator's fourth-annual "Giving Hope a Hand" effort enlisted Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, General Mills, Campbell Soup Co., and numerous other manufacturers to provide exclusive packaging to raise $3 million for breast cancer-related charities.Kroger's proprietary i-Wireless cellular service also offered a donation to Komen for each phone sold. The effort was communicated on endcap signs bearing the signature pink ribbon.Among other retailers:SupermarketsSafeway pledged to donate up to $2.5 million to local and national breast cancer charities through the purchase of participating products from manufacturers including General Mills, Kraft, Sargento Foods, PepsiCo, Birds Eye Foods, Unilever and P&G. The items were identified by "Together for the Cure" price labels. Other P-O-P materials and circular features supported. The retailer also pledged to donate 5% of sales (up to $300,000) from private-label Rancher's Reserve meat to various charities.Winn-Dixie pledged to donate $300,000 in proceeds from participating products to the NBCF in a "Touching Lives for a Better Tomorrow" campaign. The chain also sold reusable shopping bags bearing the "Touching Lives" logo, with 10 cents from each sale (up to $10,000) going to the organization. Circular features supported.Supervalu's Bigg's touted pink-ribbon apparel and other merchandise in circulars and invited shoppers to participate in the American Cancer Society's five-mile breast cancer walk on Oct. 11 in its hometown of Cincinnati. Aside from a few account-specific overlays, Supervalu chains otherwise sat out this year's event.Hannaford asked shoppers to "think pink" by donating $2 or $5 at checkout from Oct. 3-30 to benefit related charities. Sister chain Sweetbay teamed with Anheuser-Busch's Michelob to donate a portion of sales to the Moffitt Cancer Center.In addition to the activity noted above, Ahold USA's Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover sold pink reusable shopping bags from Earthwise Bag Co., donating five cents from each purchase to Komen. Giant-Carlisle pledged $10,000 to charity from the sale of select private-label products.Whole Foods Market offered reusable pink lunch bags for $1.99, promising to donate proceeds from each sale to local organizations.Publix promoted brands conducting their own campaigns, such as P&G's Tide and Bounce, Mills' Progresso and Green Giant, and Campbell's Pepperidge Farm. Circular features supported.In addition to the aforementioned campaigns, ShopRite teamed with Energizer Holdings to offer a $5 checkout coupon with purchase of $15 in Energizer, Playtex and Wet Ones products while touting the CPG's own pledge to Komen. (See details below.) The supermarket co-op also hosted an offer from Pepperidge Farm for a free Komen tote bag with purchase of three packages of cookies from Oct. 4-31, and sold special flower bouquets throughout the month.A&P and Pathmark teamed with Campbell to offer a free limited-edition tote bag with purchase of three Pepperidge Farm cookie SKUs; shoppers received a mail-in form at checkout. The chains also sold pink ribbons for $1 at checkout to benefit the in-house A&P Foundation, which counts breast cancer causes among its beneficiaries. Circular features supported.Mass MerchantsMeijer used in-store signs to trumpet its pledge of $200,000 to breast cancer-related causes in conjunction with vendor partners including Kraft, General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Energizer, Mars Inc., Kellogg, and PepsiCo. Stores held "Breast Cancer Awareness Day" events on Oct. 3, at which shoppers received giveaways, free "Health Matters" booklets and product samples. Circular features supported.For the second year, the chain also joined regional supermarkets Harris Teeter and Price Chopper as retail partners for the "Pink Ribbon Produce" program conducted by Consumer Effects International. The effort enlisted produce suppliers to raise $15,000 for Komen through product sales. Participating items were recognized on posters and shelf wobblers.Target teamed with beauty-product partner Sonia Kashuk for the third consecutive year to create an exclusive line of cosmetics accessories to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The line included an eyelash curler, makeup brush, two travel brush sets and a cosmetics bag. Fifteen percent of the purchase price, which ranged from $9.99 to $19.99, was earmarked for BCRF.Kmart partnered with Hanesbrands' Hanes as the exclusive retailer for the brand's "Passionately Pink for the Cure" apparel line, which benefits Komen. Circular features supported.Convenience Stores7-Eleven staged a "Drink Pink" campaign, selling stainless-steel coffee mugs and limited-edition six-packs of Mike's Hard Lemonade Co. An official Komen sponsor, the chain also sold various pink merchandise, with proceeds going to the cause. (Mike's, meanwhile, pledged $250,000 to the BCRF.)DrugstoresWalgreens staged a "Shop Pink & Save" campaign seeking to raise a total of $1 million for various charities in partnership with sponsoring manufacturers. The chain pledged a minimum of $400,000.Dollar StoresDollar General leveraged its IndyCar sponsorship to promote Sarah Fisher Racing's sale of pink hats and autographed cards, from which 28% of proceeds went to Komen. The chain kicked in $25,000.Office Supply StoresStaples dedicated an endcap to Mead's pink At-A-Glance and Cambridge lines of calendars and planners. Mead promised to donate $300,000 to the City of Hope charity.OfficeMax encouraged shoppers to "Celebrate Pink" on endcaps merchandising promotional products from HP, Bic, Avery and its own Tul private label. The chain also merchandised Mead's At-A-Glance calendars on a pallet display touting "Products That Make a Difference."Office Depot supported City of Hope with an endcap merchandising various pink products, including At-A-Glance SKUs and items from Sanford Corp.'s Liquid Paper and Paper Mate, Accentra Inc.'s PaperPro and 3M's Post-it.Department StoresMacy's Bloomingdale's chain supported BCRF through a "Give Pink, Get More" rewards program, a special merchandising area and a sweepstakes.At both Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Estee Lauder cosmetics counters promoted the manufacturer's annual "World Pink" program, which also benefits BCRF. The initiative is promoted via counter displays containing educational materials and pink ribbons.Kohl's dedicated an endcap to Reebok's line of pink athletic footwear, sales of which benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Reebok serves as the event's national sponsor, and pledged a minimum of $500,000 (and as much as $700,000).Home StoresBed Bath & Beyond repeated its annual "Support Pink" initiative with ceiling banners and floorstands in main aisles. Highlighted products included Brita water filters, Tweezerman tweezers and Allstar Products Group's Snuggie loungewear. (Snuggie pledged $50,000 to BCRF.)OtherBarnes & Noble stores carried a dedicated "Breast Cancer Awareness" endcap with pink-ribbon related titles, friendship books and journals.Best Buy employees again this year swapped their signature blue shirts for pink versions. Upfront displays at some stores merchandised pink products from brands including Belkin, Philips and PNY. The chain's Oct. 4 circular encouraged consumers to "join us along with these vendors in supporting breast cancer research," communicating campaigns from PNY, which pledged 50 cents to Komen for every pink flash drive purchase (up to $100,000); Sony, which promised $110,000 to the BCRF; and HP, which donated $1 to Komen for each sale of a special ink combo pack at the chain.Dick's Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority both supported Under Armour's "Power in Pink" initiative, which donates 5% of product sales from a dedicated pink line to the American Breast Cancer Foundation, Casting for Recovery and other organizations. Products in Under Armour's collection include women's shoes, shirts, pants, shorts, headbands, socks and hats. Dick's is an official sponsor of NBCF.Lowe's showcased pallet displays of flashlights from Mag Instrument Inc. bearing the NBCF logo. (The pink flashlights are also available year-round at The Home Depot, True Value, Ace Hardware, Target and Walmart.) Lowe's also runs an annual "Plant for the Cure" campaign that donates 10% of sales from select pink geraniums, dahlias and Gerber daisies to Komen.ManufacturersNestlé-Purina promised $200,000 to Komen through sales of pink products, and upped the ante on its website by promising $1 (up to $125,000) for each breast cancer quiz taken, $1 (up to $10,000) for each pet photo uploaded, and $3 for each resealable "Connected for the Cause" food container ordered. Elsewhere, Nestlé's Coffee-mate pledged $100,000 to Komen, gaining support from retailers including Hannaford.Pepperidge Farm partnered with Komen for the fifth consecutive year, this time guaranteeing a $220,000 donation through pink product sales. Consumers who played a game on the brand's website also sparked a $1 donation (up to $50,000) to the cause.Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. hosted an instant-win game benefiting BCRF. Consumers entered product codes from Luxe Milk SKUs online to win one of 400 $200 gift cards to Coach (intended to be used on a pink handbag) or free product. For every entry from September through November, Ghirardelli donated $1 (up to $50,000). Dedicated shippers in stores such as Staples and OfficeMax communicated the effort.Mars Snackfood pledged $500,000 to Komen, and again merchandised limited-edition pink M&M's. The brand also offered packages of pink-and-white M&M's through its website, with 10% of sales earmarked for Komen. In addition, the brand invested more than $500,000 to raise awareness among NASCAR fans at the Bank of America 500.Energizer employed pink packaging for its flagship battery, Playtex and Wet Ones brands to raise $400,000 for Komen. Schick Quattro for Women donated an additional $50,000 to the charity through a promotion offering free music downloads that ran from July through September.Kimberly-Clark pledged $10,000 to BCRF through the sale of products from its Cottonelle, Kleenex, Kotex, Scott and Viva brands at Kmart.Newell Rubbermaid donated proceeds from the sale of Rubbermaid Take Alongs food storage containers to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. The containers were merchandised on dedicated shippers.Ralcorp.'s Post Foods put its Selects cereal in pink boxes and pledged $5 (up to $40,000) from each sale of special apparel and accessories on an Avon Walk for Breast Cancer microsite. It was the brand's second year as an official sponsor of the event.Hanesbrands Hanes marketed pink apparel under a "Passionately Pink for the Cure" name at Kmart and donated $250,000 to Komen. The brand also hosted an online "Passionately Pink" T-shirt design contest. Winners were selected based on a public vote and a review committee. Hanes donated $5,000 in the grand-prize winner's honor to her local Komen affiliate (or Komen headquarters). A promotional website invited visitors to trigger additional donations by texting the code "PINK" to a special number.Coca-Cola Co. offered a free "Heroes for Hope" sports bag with purchase of $10 in Diet Coke 12-packs, getting feature support from such chains as Supervalu's Jewel-Osco. The beverage maker's Fuze brand activated its sponsorship of Komen's "Race for the Cure" fundraising series with on-site "Heroes for Hope" events. Coca-Cola also held an account-specific campaign at Walgreens.KitchenAid introduced a "Pass the Plate" program with partner Villeroy & Boch. Participants purchase a Villeroy & Boch serving plate for $24.99, register it on a promotional website, and use it to "serve" a recipe to a friend. Every time the plate is "passed" in this manner (and recorded on the site), a $5 donation is made to Komen.KitchenAid also continues its year-round "Cook for the Cure" initiative, which launched in 2001. At least 10% of sales from pink-collection products are donated to Komen.Bic continued to merchandise pink products from its ReAction, Atlantis, Wite-Out and Mark-It brands, which were introduced in October 2008 and will be merchandised through the end of 2009. The company will make a flat donation of $75,000 to Komen at the end of the program.HP pledged a minimum of $78,000 to Komen through various efforts from May 2009 through May 2011. In recent activity, the company pledged $2 from each sale of an HP Mini Bundle (with "Pink Chic" sleeve and pink mouse) sold at Best Buy and other retailers, and $2 for every "Pink Chic" sleeve sold at Walmart and Sam's Club, from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.The long list of other brands that also donated proceeds from special pink SKUs included Kimberly-Clark's Huggies, Nestlé's Lean Cuisine, Georgia-Pacific's Quilted Northern Ultra, Dr Pepper Snapple Group's Mott's, Perdue, Clorox, Avery Dennison, Gaiam, Reynolds, Wyeth's ChapStick, A&E Group's Pink Stuff and Ty Inc.'s Beanie Babies.

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