When causes compete for space in our psyche, they lose strength
The Pink October movement was a pioneer in associating color with a specific month of the year to raise awareness about the importance of mammography as a method of early detection of breast cancer. The idea arose in the 1990s, when the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation distributed pink ribbons to participants in the first Race for the Cure.
Over the decades, the ornament has become a symbol of the fight against one of the diseases that kill the most women in the world. In 2008, the Brazilian Federation of Philanthropic Institutions for Breast Health Support (Femama) brought the initiative to Brazil in partnership with Ogilvy.
Inspired by the color pink, countless campaigns emerged. Today, there are no colors and months for so many alerts, especially those related to health. In January, there is white (mental health), purple (leprosy) and aqua green (cervical cancer). Purple (Alzheimer’s, lupus and fibromyalgia) and orange (leukemia) cover the month of February, while March highlights lilac (cervical cancer) and dark blue (colorectal cancer). In April, the campaigns draw attention to blue (autism) and green (safety at work).
May covered by the color yellow (traffic accidents) and, again, purple (inflammatory bowel diseases). Red (blood donation) and orange (anemia and leukemia) color the month of June. Yellow returns in July (viral hepatitis and bone cancer) and lilac (violence against women) in August, alongside the golden tone (breastfeeding).
Yellow (suicide prevention), red (heart health), green (organ donation and bowel cancer) and purple (cystic fibrosis) return in September. The emblematic pink paints the month of October (breast cancer) next to the gray one (rheumatoid arthritis). In November, the famous blue (prostate cancer and diabetes) reappears with orange (childhood cancer). Recurring in December, orange (skin cancer) and red (AIDS) close the calendar, which is repeated in 2024, with the chance of new causes being identified.
Only the color purple is used to warn about six different diseases. Repetition is obvious and can fade the results. The strategy is still effective
Or does it hinder the absorption of messages? It creates confusion. Furthermore, excess causes discomfort, fatigue and disinterest in those who consume it. Focus is a basic principle of communication. When causes simultaneously compete with each other for space in our psyche, they lose strength, responds sociologist Gabriel Rossi, researcher and professor of communication and consumption at ESPM.
Reputao
Positive perception emerges as the main benefit for companies that sincerely participate in the movements. The public perceives value being shared. The brand builds an intangible asset based on the esteem that people have for it and for the organization. Of course, the basic precept is coherence and actions that go beyond just an act of disclosure, explains Rossi.
Anyone who knows how to plan responsibly can find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We are symbolic beings by nature, stimulated by actions with the power of representation. Tying a color to a month works as a shortcut in people’s minds to serious problems that need to be communicated, considers Rossi.
Fundamental consistency. Campaigns for awareness months, in theory, should only be the tip of continuous work that each brand does, through institutional actions. When done responsibly and authentically, they end up helping to increase the brand’s association with the supported cause, bringing significant gains to corporate reputation, agrees Eduardo Cabral, general director of the General Motors (GM) nucleus in the Commonwealth, WMcCann’s division for exclusive brand service.
In Yellow May 2023, Chevrolet, a GM brand, entered into a partnership with CNN Brasil that allowed the automaker’s logo to be colored yellow and broadcast calls shown on the program. The characteristic red of the broadcaster’s news strip was also replaced by the color of the month. The intervention provided information on the number of traffic accidents in the country, in addition to inviting drivers to be more cautious when driving. An action with even greater potential to mobilize the population is already being planned for this year in order to stop tragedies.
Block movement
According to Paulo Salles, creative director at Ogilvy Brasil, communication that uses colors generates recognition and engagement to reach the population. And we prove this with market research and listening sessions. Today, we have the possibility of seeing the idea of prevention widespread on certain dates, which is positive for creating a coherent and clear message, argues Salles.
In addition to already established initiatives to raise public awareness, such as Pink October and Blue November, there are others appearing quite appropriately and generating recognition, Salles believes. The receptivity led the agency to expand the reach of campaigns on cancer, after all, treatment, prevention and care are not restricted to just one month, and
yes the whole year. In partnership with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, Ogilvy named the awareness platform communication in 2023 Let’s talk about cancer as Calendar for life.
Throughout the year, we remember the colors of each month, but we also reinforce other diseases, through their respective colors, says Salles. Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, was lit up in pink in May last year, and not in October, to show that prevention and awareness of breast cancer, and other tumors, must be frequent. Ogilvy is preparing actions for 2024, which should spread more knowledge through genuine messages, and with a true purpose.
Awareness and awareness were the results obtained by iD\TBWA with the Breastfeeding without barriers campaign, created for Philips Avent in Golden August 2023. We observed a significant increase in engagement and debate about the importance of breastfeeding on social networks and in the media, confirms Camila Costa, CEO and partner of the agency.
A multichannel strategy was put in place. Influencers, especially those who talk about motherhood and child health, amplified the action, which was also publicized on social media platforms, digital advertising, and in educational and informative events, held in partnership with hospitals and clinics.
I believe in the effectiveness of this strategy due to the block movement it creates, enhancing awareness.
A testimony
Those who experience the problem routinely testify to the validity of the initiatives. Although every day is a day to take care of yourself, the Pink October campaign raises awareness about the importance of breast cancer, and encourages fundraising for research into the cause, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, confirms doctor Annamaria Massahud Rodrigues dos Santos, deputy secretary of the Brazilian Society of Mastology (SBM), who disseminates information about breast cancer in the media throughout the year. In 2023, more than 1,900 publications were published in the media.
Attitude
The adoption of brands and celebrities in pink is notable, and occurs regardless of the proximity of companies and personalities to the topic. If, on the one hand, this awakens more people to the topic, on the other, as a specific action, in terms of marketing and engagement, it does not demonstrate social responsibility, in fact, in the company’s actions with the community, complains Annamaria.
Even so, she believes in the efficiency of colors and their months. By highlighting the chances of a cure when diagnosed early, the campaign encourages the search for information, consultations and exams, especially in the months of October and November. But even pink has a vast space to fill. The data propagated in communication actions does not always transform into attitudes.
Despite efforts, data from the National Health Survey in 2019 revealed that 25% of Brazilian women, aged 50 to 69, have never had a mammogram, laments the doctor.
Month of action must strengthen agenda already practiced
The idea of linking a color to the month to raise awareness about health causes or provoke changes in behavior can come from the most diverse areas of communication. But the result will always affect the brand’s image and reputation, a work led by public relations professionals.
This color initiative lost a lot of momentum. The obstacle is that several healthcare ecosystems decided to randomly rely on the colorful calendar as a marketing strategy, and extremely important medical specialties were lost in this profusion of colors, without effectively communicating messages that promote health and well-being, notes Ronald Nicolau, CEO of Target Estratgia em Comunicao, an agency specialized in healthcare PR.
Landscape
Despite the importance of the dates, the market still faces the challenge of promoting campaigns that, according to Fabio Santos, CEO of CDN, could become ineffective. I consider the existence of these ephemeris necessary to draw people’s attention to relevant health problems, which can be prevented. The risk that they end up becoming landscapes, he analyzes.
The campaign month should be used to strengthen and celebrate an agenda already in place. Consistency, concrete actions, content generation, research and dissemination of results in the press are Santos’ recommendations so that the date becomes a moment of greater volume of communication, not the only one, suggests Santos.
Reputation is strengthened as resources are allocated not only to communicate, but also to improve public initiatives capable of contributing to diagnoses and treatments. In retail, good communication boosts sales. In health, it can save lives, concludes Nicolau.
Carolina Vilela collaborated
Read the full report in the print edition of January 29
