The Social M. Groundswell for the Cure Foundation

Reading Groundswell has been making me think about one particular event that took Social Media by storm.

Last week, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced that it would be cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood pre-screening services. 

The groundswell went crazy with this information.  The conclusion everyone was coming to (which Planned Parenthood provided) was that it was a political move.  That the Komen foundation is so staunchly Pro-Life that they would stop funding a non-abortion related service to an institution that is known to provide abortions.

Now, wait, let’s be clear here.  Komen was funding mammograms.  These are breast cancer screenings.  Breast cancer happens in the breasts.  Pregnancy happens in the uterus.  Komen was never funding abortions.

So now that we now the difference between boobs and babies we can move on.

Lots of people already knew this difference, and lots of people were outraged.  Lots of these outraged people are the same people who donate to Susan G. Komen.  They are the same people who buy pink pens, ladles, t-shirts, ribbons, ANYTHING to support finding a cure for breast cancer.

Perfect if invited to a breast black-tie party

These people are, for all intents and purposes, Susan G. Komen’s customers.  And they spoke.

Familiar images from past times when Planned Parenthood has been under scrutiny popped up declaring the same statement: I Stand with Planned Parenthood.

Women and Men alike pledged to give their money to Avon walk or directly to Planned Parenthood.  Or to any other organization that’s main agenda is actually curing breast cancer.

Mayor Bloomberg pledged to match donations up to $250,000 towards Planned Parenthood.

Then, within 72 hours, The Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure reversed their decision.

They assured the nation that Planned Parenthood and other organizations currently receiving grants will continue to receive grants.

So what happened here?

As Groundswell explains, companies and organizations have to listen to their consumers. 

Your brand is what your customers say your brand is.

Susan G. Komen was synonymous with finding a cure.  When they cut off that funding, they clearly had no clue how the groundswell would react. 

They didn’t know who they were to the Groundswell.  In that decision that they made and so rapidly reversed, their brand changed. 

Upon further reading, what hasn’t been mentioned is why Komen claims to have taken away funding.  They had new guidelines (which they assigned themselves) which stated they would not give grants to any organization currently under investigation.  Planned Parenthood is currently under investigation.

Whether or not this was a deliberate ploy in a Pro-Life political move is something that we may never truly know.

However, the Groundswell has spoken.  And now they have basically been re-branded as the Susan G. Komen for Life Foundation.

Komen’s image is so set now as an Anti-Choice group that they are unlikely to ever reach the amount of donations, but more importantly, the brand that they once had.

Chapter 5 and 6 of Groundswell explain listening and talking with the groundswell.  Komen listened to the groundswell when they reversed their decision.  They were listening when an executive resigned.  Now they need to talk with the groundswell.
Or do they?

Chapter 6 suggests that those who are not sure where they stand with the groundswell should be hesitant.  If people were happier with them then it would be no problem to jump right in.  This means that they should, if they choose to join, have direct, key talking points.  Engage the groundswell, but do so in a structured environment such that they can limit the negative feedback.

Much like other PR fiascos, social media may have a chance to recover this.  Komen foundation needs to start apologizing and explaining.  They need to do it fast.  They need to have people outside of their organization accepting the apologies.  They need cancer survivors who they helped to have videos on Youtube.  Most of all, they need to be prepared for all the hatred that the groundswell with throw at them.  It may be a risky move.  However, at this point, the internet is so abuzz against them that putting themselves out there may just be the only move possible.