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Implosion of a brand - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation
Komen is a brand savvy organization. How else could they have gotten professional football players to wear pink? The awareness and power of their marketing efforts are awesome making them one of the top non-profit organizations in the world.
So, in a world where scorched earth politics rule how could such a smart organization have been so blind as to get caught in this kind of a no-win spider’s web? No doubt, Komen has done a lot of good, but they seemed to have stepped on a land mine when they withdrew their funding for Planned Parenthood. This resulted in a huge outpouring of apparently ardent supporters of Planned Parenthood resulting in an instantaneous implosion of the Komen brand. In this day it doesn’t matter how good you are if you cross the political line your reputation is toast.
Now that the spotlights are on the mechanism of the Komen organization and not on the pink ribbons those are seeking to ammunition are finding it. From Nancy Brinker’s enjoyment of the pay and fringe benefits of a corporate CEO, to how much of the money is being used to fund breast cancer research? This crisis isn’t over by a long shot.
On top of it all, Komen Senior Vice President Karen Handel has resigned. I don't think Handel's resignation by itself will restore the brand, but it is a singular action that will be seen as making an effort. It will be the future steps that determine if the brand can rebound.
What could the Komen organization have done differently? Basic “brand alignment.” The brand concept must align the business processes, and with the culture of an organization. Only then does the behavior match the communications. Business processes, culture, and communications are all equal partners in the process of building an enduring brand.
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