Strategic insights
Pink is for Breast Cancer

As you might have noticed this site has gone pink, and it is not because I have suddenly developed feministic tendencies - it is about something much more serious. Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In 1993 Evelyn Lauder introduced Breast Cancer Awareness Month across the world. Since then October has been awash with pink ribbons, now a global symbol for breast cancer awareness.

- Breast Cancer Care

On top this Matthew Oliphant came up with a great initiative - PinkForOctober.org. Its purpose is to bring awareness to breast cancer by urging website owners to "pinkify" their sites during the month of October.

Breast Cancer is not fun!

Cancer is a very important issue to me. One of my family members died 2 years ago, and another one was luckily cured of breast cancer earlier this year.

It is not anything like other diseases I have seen. It strikes quickly and deadly and you cannot cure cancer just by eating a few pills and go to sleep. You need surgery, radiation treatments and possibly chemotherapy - none of which is very fun.

The worst part of Breast Cancer is that we do not know enough about it. The general population - you and I - do not know what it is about. The doctors do even not fully understand it. And, the problem is rapidly getting worse. From 1983-2002 the breast cancer incidence increased by 45%. Not to mention that 1 out of 9 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer without their lifetime.

On top of this, there are a serious need for help. The scientists needs money to fund their research, the hospitals needs money to get the latest medical technology (and this is an area where technology makes a huge difference) and the cancer foundations needs money to help the people who suffer from it.

What can you do?

There are several things you can do:

• Pinkify your site. There is still time (October is not over yet). If you do not want or can change your entire site, change smaller part of it. Your logo, an image - anything helps creating awareness.
• Buy one of the many Breast Cancer support products. From Breast Cancer Care (UK) or Støt Brysterne (DK).
• Donate! Breast Cancer Care (UK), Komen.org (US), Støt Brysterne (Denmark)

...and above all, LEARN and SHARE! This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the point is to spread the word and to understand, so we can help those who needs it.

• Brystkræft måned (Kræftens Bekæmpelse, Denmark)
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Breast Cancer Care, UK)
• Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Komen.org, US)
• Pinkify your site (Pink for October)