October is Breast Cancer Month

Let me start by saying, MY Mom is a breast cancer survivor. Take that for what it’s worth.

The dawning of October breeds the dawning of Breast Cancer Month in Canada. Suddenly the entire nation sees a influx of pink ribbons. Pink ribbons on coffee cups. Pink ribbons on jewellery. Pink ribbons on t-shirts. Pink ribbons on toilet seats.

Okay, truth be told I haven’t seen them on toilet seats, yet. But mark my words, it’s coming.

Every October, like clockwork, I think we should do a Breast Cancer product. And every year I don’t do one. But it seems like everyone else does.

One year we held a $1 to BC for every Peppermaster jar returned empty. That little effort went over like a lead balloon.

Suffice to say, I’m not writing this blog to tell you about a new Peppermaster product, because, as you can tell by the title of this article, I don’t need to tell anyone about Breast Cancer, it’s become a giant marketing machine. If you don’t believe me, simply Google: Breast Cancer Product and click on images.

It is obvious that, at least to marketers, Breast Cancer is lucrative. If you’re in a room with 8 women in it, have a look around. One of those people, statistically, will get cancer. If you’re a man, and it’s a room of men, it’s an auditorium of 1,000, you need to fill. Interestingly, at the moment my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, ALL of the Breast Cancer studies, at that time, had been done on men. Not a single one had been done on women.

Since that time, the Breast Cancer movement has taken a charge. Farbeit for me to recognize that the majority of family shoppers, to date is still women, I sort of understand why manufacturers and retailers decide to make a breast cancer product.

I’m still not going to do that. If they want to do something for Breast Cancer, make it a corporate issue. Do it all day, every day, not just in October.

Now, I’ve done my bit.

Eat well, exercise regularly, and for heaven’s sake. Go buy something with a pink ribbon on it. It’s Breast Cancer month.

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