Claim: Part of the proceeds from bags of pink and white M&Ms goes to fund breast cancer research.
Status: True.
Examples:
[Collected on the Internet, 2004] M & M's With A Purpose Send this to everyone you know and get the word out there. There are many women out there who have Breast Cancer. Let's do all we can to support the fight to end this disease. The makers of M&M's candies have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new pink & white M&M's candies. Special bags of M&M's will be on sale in September, October and November, 2004. (The bags are clearly marked). For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M's (Masterfoods) will donate Check it out: https://www.m-ms.com/us/news/promotions/komen/index.jsp [Collected on the Internet, 2003] The makers of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new "pink & white" M&M candies. For each Please pass on to all your family and friends. — Thank you. |
Origins: Recent years have brought an awareness of how widespread is breast cancer, a disease which the American Cancer Society estimates will be diagnosed in 211,300 new cases and cause 40,000
deaths in 2003 alone, making this an illness that is everyone's business.
We're happy to report this is one of the rare
Every year the Masterfoods corporation has promised a minimum donation of $250,000 to the
The 2006 Pink and White M&Ms campaign is scheduled to run from
made of a maximum donation cap for this year.
This sort of promotion is known as cause-related marketing: the manufacturer chooses a worthy cause, then ties a particular product to a donation scheme dependent upon sales. Through this promotion, the manufacturer gains far greater publicity for its act of generosity than if it had merely cut a check and handed it over to a charity, the product picks up positive associations in the minds of consumers that last well beyond the campaign, shoppers are moved to select the designated product over that of a competitor's or to purchase more than they otherwise would have, and consumer guilt over "sinful" products (like candy) is counterbalanced by the impression such purchases contribute to the greater good.
Cause-related marketing is experiencing a sharp upswing, so expect to see more
Barbara "cause and market effect" Mikkelson
Last updated: 21 September 2006
Sources: