Komen Get It

What does it take for an organization with national and international recognition to go from a relative high point of respect and support to a low point of rejection and bitterness?

Their spokespeople say it's just a policy decision based on [inaudible mumbling].

Everyone with 3 pennies of smarts is saying it's politics... Abortion politics, at that.

We are witnessing the backlash of one of the worst policy decisions of any non-profit organization anywhere, EVER.  Spend a bunch of years building up not just a brand but almost a way of life.  Establish one of the world's most recognizable trademarks: the pink ribbon.  Hold highly-attended, well-funded annual races "For the Cure."  Develop solid relationships with a variety of corporate sponsors and supporters.  [Act like jerks and sue other non-profits who also have similar events called "For the Cure", too, but I digress].

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has swiftly earned a mention, if not a chapter, if not their own book, in the literature on marketing and policy failures, over a measly $150,000.  Before this week, if asked about them, I would have mentioned the pink ribbons, the races, the shirts, and their awareness campaigns.  I really didn't know about their support of Planned Parenthood's breast cancer programs.  If I had, it would only have added to my general sense of, "those folks at Komen seem to be doing good work, when they aren't petulantly suing other non-profits like Coca Cola trying to protect its secret formula."

Let's see here.... immediate ramifications:

- Damage to their brand
- Loss of donations
- Huge swell of new & renewed support for Planned Parenthood
- Damage to their brand (it's serious, so it's in the list twice)
- Loss of donations (ditto)
- Resignations of high-level figures, several forced, several out of protest
- Possible splintering of the organization (we're already seeing individual chapters put up a fight)

What I'd like to know is, what in blazes happened around a week ago that could possibly have prompted such a stupid, reckless, self-defeating "non-political policy decision" from Komen?  Didn't they see what happened last year when Planned Parenthood was the red flag on the budgetary tug-of-war rope?  Did they not read the tons of research which was clogging the internet and showing everyone all the non-abortion services PP provides?  How could they possibly have failed to take into account the goodwill PP has rightly accumulated over the decades?  How could they ignore the fact that PP is the only source of medical care for millions of low-income women across the country?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, the fact is that PP has raised more money this week in protest of Komen's decision than Komen typically gave them in a year.  Talk about being able to give Komen the finger.  In spades.  Now, PP having decisively shown that it doesn't need Komen, we'll see how this shakes out when Komen's management gets its collective head out of its ass and tries to kiss & make up.

If that isn't indicative of a failed "non-political policy decision", from within your own supporters, I'm at a loss to tell you what is.

If someone out there is keeping a list of Worst Corporate Moves of the 21st Century, I think we've found a strong contender for #1.  Let's just save time, put this in the #1 slot, and patiently wait for another example of astronomically huge boardroom stupidity.