I need to call my friend to make plans. I haven't seen him to catch up in about a year. But I'm avoiding him. The coffee chain he works for is in full swing with their For a Cure Marketing and I, for one, can't stand it.
Now I know I'm a bit unorthodox; I don't donate to medical charities or causes. Something that I will probably never get into here, and if you know me, you know why and that's all I'll say. But it's a choice I live my life by. I do however agree that breast cancer, autism, domestic violence and hat hair all need to be addressed. I don't, however, like being guilted into a purchase because of the color, or being pressure to buy a duplicate of something I already own simply because it supports a cause I should care about.
Here's a great example: I went into a large chain coffee shop (feel free to free-associate), and noticed they were marketing their water as a way to raise funds for water in under-developed countries. The water cost $2. How much of that was going to this noble cause? 5 cents. 2.5% of the purchase price.
Now, if water in said under-developed countries is really so important, wouldn't it make more sense to buy a case of water from your favorite discount-chain for approximately 50% less per bottle, and send the difference to the same exact charity? Or what about giving up bottled water all together, carrying a reusable bottle from home, and sending the money you would have spent to this worthy charity?
I want to buy a product because it's what I need, it's the right price and it's of good quality. I don't want to bring other factors in, especially ones meant to play to our heart-strings. I'm not naive enough to believe that we always make the most logical consumer purchases. But I think this is not only playing dirty and confusing the issue, it's just plain annoying.
I hope my friend will still be glad to see me in November.
