October is the month dedicated to raising awareness about the second leading cause of death among women — breast cancer. Many organizations and companies “go pink” this time of year to show their support to those effected by breast cancer. As always, the NFL was no different. Players, cheerleaders, coaches and fans dressed in their pink attire from head-to-toe all month, and the league was busy selling clothes and other accessories with the intention of donating a portion of the sales to the cause.
Photo courtesy of BusinessInsider.com
Exactly how much of sales is this multi-billion dollar company donating to the cause? Only $11.25 of every $100, according to Business Insider.
Here’s how it breaks down:
For every $100 in pink merchandise sold, $12.50 goes to the NFL. Of that, $11.25 goes to the American Cancer Society. The remaining money is then divided up by the company that makes the merchandise (37.5%) and the company that sells the merchandise (50.0%), which is often the NFL and the individual teams.
According to Cone’s Cause Evaluation Study, “A full 85 percent of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about, and 90 percent of consumers want companies to tell them they ways they are supporting the causes.” That 90 percent probably won’t be too happy with the percentages above.
From a somewhat cynical viewpoint, many have considered the NFL’s ulterior motives:
- The NFL is using this campaign to attract more female fans
- The NFL’s partners (Pepsi, Ticketmaster, etc.) hope to improve their image with involvement in the campaign
From a PR standpoint: Companies should beware when launching cause-marketing campaigns. It is important to be truthful about your dedication. As the old saying goes, “Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.”
In fact, the Think Before You Pink initiative was created in 2002 in response to this growing concern in the fight against breast cancer. “The campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.”
Maddi Blankenship 
I’m glad you posted about this! I’ve wondered how much they actually contribute. Some players have special women in their lives that have been affected by breast cancer. I’m sure some are proud to be wearing pink for awareness and in honor of their mothers, aunts, sisters, etc. On the other hand, I’ve read articles that suggest that the “pink ribbon” isn’t fulling its original purpose. Instead of raising awareness, its made women forget about the facts. It’s more about the self-assured feeling you get when you buy something with the “pink ribbon” on it. So people should absolutely be cautious. I’m not saying we shouldn’t help donate to the cause. My guess is that some of those NFL players enjoy wearing that pink for the swag–not for the cause!