KFC has been hit with another round of negative buzz. Earlier this month, it was health advocates going after the company's Double Down bunless chicken sandwich. Now, nutritionists and cancer survivors are crying foul over the company's participation in a cause marketing campaign for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and breast cancer awareness.
The chain's Buckets for the Cure campaign seemed innocuous enough. When operators purchase the special pink buckets, 50 cents of that cost goes to the fundraising effort. KFC's goal is to make the single largest donation to the foundation.
KFC has promised that 25 percent of the funds raised from the promotion will go directly to the local Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The funds will be used for local breast cancer education, screening and treatment programs. The commemorative pink buckets also pay tribute to 376 cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle by featuring their names on packaging.
But a number of bloggers are accusing the company of a practice known an "pinkwashing," promoting a pink product while providing products that are linked to breast cancer. Bloggers are citing studies that have found that high intakes of well-done, fried or barbequed meats can be linked to an increased risk of developing colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Action, a national non-profit education and advocacy organization for the breast cancer movement, today issued a press release calling out KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure for pinkwashing. The organization is accusing the partnership of exploiting breast cancer while harming low income communities "already disproportionately affected by health issues like obesity, diabetes, as well as breast cancer," the company said in a news release.
The group also takes issue with the company's asking consumers to help with its goal of making the largest single donation ever, accusing the company of benefitting from the campaign more than it will benefit breast cancer research.
BCA has launched the "What the Cluck?" campaign to encourage people to write to KFC and Komen urging them to end the "Buckets for the Cure" campaign. Over 1,000 people have taken action on the campaign at thinkbeforeyoupink.org, the organization said.
KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said that the company is "extraordinarily proud" to be raising money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure through its "Buckets for the Cure" campaign. The company also has found it "equally rewarding to help raise awareness about breast cancer with millions of Americans through our national advertising, public relations and more than 5,000 restaurants coast to coast."
After just a little more than a week, KFC has raised more than $2 million toward its $8.5 million goal.
"These dollars are going to help save lives, and we couldn't be more proud of that," he said.
Cause-marketing best practices
Sue Reninger, managing partner, client brand strategy, for RMD Advertising, said it's not good for a brand or its cause to be at the center of a controversy. When done well, cause marketing is a powerful tactic for a brand — especially a food brand.
"It puts a face on the company, helps consumers understand the product at a deeper level, demonstrates passion by putting money where the messaging is and, when executed correctly, drives sales," she said.
Studies have shown more than 70 percent of consumers say they support a product or service that is tied to a cause — and are even willing to pay more for that product/service when doing so.
Reninger offers these tips for brands considering a cause-marketing campaign:
- Be true to the brand. Support a cause that makes sense strategically — and that the people/company genuinely feel good about. Why should a tomato brand support a heart-healthy campaign? Because tomatoes are a heart healthy fruit, loaded in lycopene — and heart disease is one of the top health risks of their primary consumer — women.
- Be genuine. Consumers are smart. They know when actions are artificial, directed solely at selling more widgets.
- Integrate your cause-campaigning into the brand's overall campaign. A cause campaign should never be a stand-alone component.
"At the end of the day, consumers simply want a food brand we can trust, we enjoy consuming and that we can feel good about," she said. "That 'total experience' can be elevated with a cause campaign that helps our guests to better understand what we, as brands, are all about."
