Toward better regulation of breast cancer cause-related marketing campaigns
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Law
Abstract
CONTEXT
My PhD is the first UK socio-legal study of MNCs who engage in breast CRM campaigns. Focusing on the websites of four MNCs operating in the UK (Asda, Avon, Debenhams and M&S), it asked whether large-scale MNC CRM campaigns can influence the expected behaviour of women with breast cancer.
The PhD situated findings from the websites with themes which emerged from an extensive review of material detailing the experiences of women with breast cancer (in relation to their perception of the corporate interest in and influence on breast cancer patients). The PhD used an original adaptation of the well-known frame analysis methodology (Goffman 1974/1986; 1976) to identify a typology of breast cancer patients preferred by MNCs: white, positive in outlook, heterosexual, and willing to take part in fundraising activities which can be infantile and/or hyper-feminine.
The PhD argues that there is value in corporate-charity partnerships but the negative outcome of some campaigns is that there is a 'corporate takeover' of sorts. The cause becomes so valuable to the company that it becomes an asset and, like all assets, must be managed. The company manages a cause like breast cancer through marketing, and when marketing breast cancer it will aim for the most marketable 'type'. This breast cancer type is highly exclusionary to all women who do not conform to the corporate typology, eg, lesbian women, black women and women who do not hold themselves to be typically 'feminine' or comfortable engaging in activities such as fancy-dress or bake-sales. Another negative consequence is that breast cancer can be viewed as a less serious disease to contract, eg, it is seen as 'girly', and this can result in 'cancer envy', making those with other cancers feel envious of those with breast cancer.
AIMS OF PROPOSED RESEARCH
The PhD is based on secondary data, and its analysis of the experiences of women with breast cancer is largely based on research done in North America (eg, King 2006, Sulik 2010). The PDF will allow me to undertake interviews with women throughout the UK, building insight into how they see the language and imagery used in large-scale MNC breast cancer CRM campaigns and how they understand the impact of these campaigns.
The data from the interviews will be used to inform a Best Practice report on the governance of MNC CRM campaigns in the UK so that the interests of those who are the focus of these highly profitable campaigns are not forgotten and their social roles do not become defined by corporate interests.
The interview data will also be used to write a chapter in the monograph based on my PhD research (due for completion April 2020).
OBJECTIVES
(a) To gather empirical data on the lived experience of women with breast cancer in the UK in relation to how they believe MNC CRM campaigns affect their expected behaviour
(b) To develop the adaptation of my PhD research methodology (frame analysis) for use in analysing the interview findings
(c) To use the interview findings to inform a Best Practice report which will consider better governance of MNC CRM campaigns in the UK. The report will consider revisions of both hard-law (Charity Act 1992) and soft-law (Fundraising Regulator), and my working assumption is that it will propose a CRM ethical mark
(d) To use the interview findings to write a chapter for a monograph based on my PhD research which will link the theoretical hinterland of the PhD, the findings from the analysis of the MNC CRM campaign websites and the empirical data gathered from the interviews
(e) To disseminate the findings of the research project at an international conference which I will host at QUB
My PhD is the first UK socio-legal study of MNCs who engage in breast CRM campaigns. Focusing on the websites of four MNCs operating in the UK (Asda, Avon, Debenhams and M&S), it asked whether large-scale MNC CRM campaigns can influence the expected behaviour of women with breast cancer.
The PhD situated findings from the websites with themes which emerged from an extensive review of material detailing the experiences of women with breast cancer (in relation to their perception of the corporate interest in and influence on breast cancer patients). The PhD used an original adaptation of the well-known frame analysis methodology (Goffman 1974/1986; 1976) to identify a typology of breast cancer patients preferred by MNCs: white, positive in outlook, heterosexual, and willing to take part in fundraising activities which can be infantile and/or hyper-feminine.
The PhD argues that there is value in corporate-charity partnerships but the negative outcome of some campaigns is that there is a 'corporate takeover' of sorts. The cause becomes so valuable to the company that it becomes an asset and, like all assets, must be managed. The company manages a cause like breast cancer through marketing, and when marketing breast cancer it will aim for the most marketable 'type'. This breast cancer type is highly exclusionary to all women who do not conform to the corporate typology, eg, lesbian women, black women and women who do not hold themselves to be typically 'feminine' or comfortable engaging in activities such as fancy-dress or bake-sales. Another negative consequence is that breast cancer can be viewed as a less serious disease to contract, eg, it is seen as 'girly', and this can result in 'cancer envy', making those with other cancers feel envious of those with breast cancer.
AIMS OF PROPOSED RESEARCH
The PhD is based on secondary data, and its analysis of the experiences of women with breast cancer is largely based on research done in North America (eg, King 2006, Sulik 2010). The PDF will allow me to undertake interviews with women throughout the UK, building insight into how they see the language and imagery used in large-scale MNC breast cancer CRM campaigns and how they understand the impact of these campaigns.
The data from the interviews will be used to inform a Best Practice report on the governance of MNC CRM campaigns in the UK so that the interests of those who are the focus of these highly profitable campaigns are not forgotten and their social roles do not become defined by corporate interests.
The interview data will also be used to write a chapter in the monograph based on my PhD research (due for completion April 2020).
OBJECTIVES
(a) To gather empirical data on the lived experience of women with breast cancer in the UK in relation to how they believe MNC CRM campaigns affect their expected behaviour
(b) To develop the adaptation of my PhD research methodology (frame analysis) for use in analysing the interview findings
(c) To use the interview findings to inform a Best Practice report which will consider better governance of MNC CRM campaigns in the UK. The report will consider revisions of both hard-law (Charity Act 1992) and soft-law (Fundraising Regulator), and my working assumption is that it will propose a CRM ethical mark
(d) To use the interview findings to write a chapter for a monograph based on my PhD research which will link the theoretical hinterland of the PhD, the findings from the analysis of the MNC CRM campaign websites and the empirical data gathered from the interviews
(e) To disseminate the findings of the research project at an international conference which I will host at QUB
| Description | The work carried out through this funding enabled me to build on my previous desk-based research in this area. This research looks at breast cancer cause-related marketing campaigns ('pink ribbon' campaigns) and the effect these campaigns have on the lived experience of breast cancer. Extant research in the US demonstrates that the 'pink and positive' approach is damaging to those living through a breast cancer diagnosis. My previous research analysed digital pink ribbon campaigns in the UK and discovered a typology of the 'ideal breast cancer patient' - in other words, the same type of woman was used over and over in national pink ribbon campaigns run by the largest corporations (for example, Asda's 'Tickled Pink' campaigns and M&S breast cancer campaigns). This is a white heteronormative middle-aged woman who will not question too deeply her diagnosis or treatment pathway. She will remain positive in her outlook and engage with 'feminine' (such as cake sales or fashion shows) and 'infantile' (such as fancy dress events) activities in order to be a part of the breast cancer sisterhood (a support network/community for those with breast cancer). The research that I undertook with this funding allowed me to interview twenty-five individuals with breast cancer from all four UK jurisdictions to test the campaign typology and collect their opinions on the typology used, how it affected their breast cancer experience and discover what changes they believed should be made to campaigns. This information informed a framework called 'The Breast Cancer Cause-Related Marketing Pledge'. This framework is a tool which can be used by breast cancer charities and businesses when designing breast cancer campaigns to ensure that their campaigns are inclusive, ethical, and remain popular with their target customer base. The objective of the framework is to ensure that all of those with breast cancer feel represented by breast cancer campaigns and that no person feels marginalised within the narrative of their own disease. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes of this funding will be of interest to anyone designing charity campaigns and to anyone interested in policy and governance of charity campaigning. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Retail,Other |
| Description | A policy report (10k wordcount which has now been edited and submitted to a leading law and society journal) was distributed to the symposium delegates and has been distributed to many other breast cancer charities and corporate partners of breast cancer charities as an advisory framework when designing future breast cancer cause-related marketing campaigns. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Retail,Other |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Symposium: 'Breast Cancer Cause-Related Marketing: Welcoming an Era of More Diverse Campaigns' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | I launched my policy report at a symposium hosted at my institute (QUB) which included the study findings and recommendations for future campaigns to a diverse audience made up of breast cancer patient advocates, breast cancer charity representatives, corporate marketing departments, breast cancer clinicians and breast cancer researchers. The delegates each received a copy of the policy report which assisted the dissemination of the project findings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |