Who owns pink ribbon

The idea is that the money contributed by buying these branded items helps bring the disease one step closer to eradication. Activists have pointed out that the money trail of allocated funds to cancer research is nearly impossible to track, and survivors have spoken out about how they feel their disease is being exploited in the name of profit.

Gayle Sulik, a medical sociologist with the University at Albany, has spent years researching the pink products industry and how companies have turned breast cancer awareness into big business. Her book, Pink Ribbon Blues , won awards and critical acclaim for taking on the shadowy industry. Sulik has since gone on to start the Breast Cancer Consortium , a research group dedicated to highlighting critical health literacy and evidence-based medicine.

I spoke with her recently about the history of pink products, why the idea of shopping for a cause is rooted in sexism, and how shoppers can make educated decisions about how to advocate with their dollars. This interview has been edited and condensed.

I started looking into breast cancer when I was in graduate school. A friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer at age She was treated, cancer-free for a few years, and then had a recurrence that spread to other parts of her body.

She was treated for metastatic breast cancer until she died at age During her last few years, we talked a lot about what she was going through.

She had no interest in support groups or pink ribbons or cancer walks; she just wanted to live. So I started to look into [money for research]. The more I looked, the more I learned that something else was going on and it had nothing to do with research. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon. The simple solution? Change the color.

Evelyn Lauder and Self magazine introduced the pink ribbon as their official symbol for breast cancer awareness during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in The color pink symbolized the virtuous and blameless aspects of breast cancer and the femininity the disease threatened.

By , breast cancer became the darling of corporations, and the pink ribbon was its logo. The first national breast cancer awareness movement was in , and it was a week long. It was helped started by Betty Ford, [a breast cancer survivor], with the idea to spread information.

It eventually moved to the month of October, although now the timeline to profit off of breast cancer awareness is all year long. Avon [which also runs breast cancer awareness events] has said that they, too, are not confined to October. But this time of year is when you start to see pink products everywhere.

Some groups have trademarked a certain style of ribbon. Susan G. Komen has trademarked their style of pink ribbon, for example, so if you see their ribbon on a product, it means that item is partnered with Komen. But a general pink ribbon is not trademarked, so, yes, anyone can put a ribbon on anything. The industry is completely unregulated, so anyone can make products that are pink and say they are donating money to breast cancer, and no one is held accountable. Who are the players in the breast cancer awareness economy, and how big a market is it?

It is everywhere. Everyone you can imagine is making pink products. There was even a pink fracking drill bit from Baker Hughes a few years ago — that is going into the ground, so what sort of awareness does that bring? When my mother, Evelyn H. Lauder, started The Breast Cancer Campaign and co-created the Pink Ribbon in , she had a vision of a breast cancer-free world.

The Breast Cancer Campaign is an authentic cornerstone of our commitments to being a Beauty Inspired, Values Driven company and we will continue our work to drive positive change for the breast cancer community and beyond.

We use cookies to ensure our website works properly, and to collect statistics to provide you with the best experience. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to this. Find out more about how we use cookies and how to manage your settings. Accept Do not accept. Read this page in English. The Breast Cancer Campaign. It's more than a ribbon. It unites Us. Our Commitment Although we have already made great strides against this disease, as breast cancer mortality rates have decreased in the U.

Shop now. Supports more than 60 organizations around the globe. Our Global Ambassadors. Lauder was diagnosed with cancer in , but it did not slow her down much. Each October, she appeared at cancer awareness events around the world. Over the years, Evelyn Lauder would hold many positions there and she helped develop its lines of skincare, makeup and fragrance. She came up with the name of its popular Clinique brand during the s.

Most recently, she held the title of senior corporate vice-president.