Breast Cancer Awareness and Mammography

  • September 13, 2013 7:17 AM PDT

    A rather large, regional medical care provider (hospital, clinics, therapy services, etc) is interested in targeting one group of women a little heavier during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The group is women in their 40's and early 50's, who are putting off getting their first mammogram, or who don't get one frequently enough. Any ideas on how we could put a little more focus on this group of women, to encourage them to get their annual mammo? The greatest issue seems to be the "it won't happen to me" mentality. Copy ideas, additional promotions and other thoughts are welcome. Thanks much.

    • 1373 posts
    September 13, 2013 8:36 AM PDT

    Lisa, a while back there was a discussion on Breast Cancer Awareness Promotional Ideas; there might be some useful tips there.  Our company, Grace Broadcast Sales, produces a series of 30-second breast cancer awareness features.  While they do not discuss mammograms per se, they do emphasize the importance of early detection, self and clinical exams, as well as any other exams that your doctor recommends (which would certainly include mammograms). Hope this helps, but I'll be sure to include your question in next week's newsletter.


    This post was edited by Rod Schwartz at March 22, 2024 12:31 PM PDT
    • 170 posts
    September 20, 2013 9:02 AM PDT

    A month long campaign is difficult to maintain interest and expensive to promote - a theme beyond Breast Cancer Awareness month is a good idea.  It's obvious to use the 'pink',... 'Think Pink'... our regional hospital does a 'Paint Big Rapids Pink' month-long campaign with events scattered thru the month -  including local hair salons that will put a strip of pink temporary color for $10 with a percentage of that fee going to the local cancer center. It's become a kind of fashion thing for women to have this in October. Other local businesses will have a 'pink' day wherein their employees wear pink and they collect donations for the cancer center. Collections can be for a fund that pays for women to have a mammogram who otherwise may not be able to afford one.  Most of the national work now focuses on encouragement v scaring women into getting mammograms so if your client has a sense of humor about the campaign there are myriad ideas along the line of "i love boobs'  or "Boobs are best when they're cancer-free', 'I would LOVE your BREASTS to be cancer-free... get a mammogram today!', 'Fight like a girl' - these are all great tees to give for a cancer walk, stilleto run or the like. Some engage men in the campaign. Google 'funny breast cancer tees' and you'll find a bunch of theme ideas. Monetizing this for you may involve a co-op buy-in from the local businesses who want in on something like this that effects their female customer base as well as working with the hospital alone.

    • 993 posts
    September 20, 2013 9:32 AM PDT
    You might interview one or two breast cancer survivors...or family members who lost a loved one to breast cancer...ask how the mammogram made (or might have made) the difference. Use their emotion-laden appropriate snippets to make your case. Done well, this is one of the most powerful ways to craft a message that penetrates.
    • 24 posts
    September 30, 2013 8:29 PM PDT

    Build the entire campaign around 'it won't happen to me' then it happens to one of the girls in the group.

    Write dialogue commercials, highlighting that line in the creative...with women reading magazine articles to eachother...then one of them gets it, then another and another....could you be next??  (totally thinking out loud here)

    Something I've been meaning to  look into myself is if you can do an enter to win via streaming....anyone who gets a mammogram, is entered for a chance to win a trip...you can't do this on-air but I think you can do it on line..that could be a fun incentive.