So Kentucky Fried Chicken is doing a cause marketing promotion for the Susan Komen Foundation. You know, the one that fights breast cancer.

And there are a lot of people scratching their heads about that.  Some are even angry.  Many are calling it a huge blunder.

It’s tough to understand how greasy fast food and fighting breast cancer go together.  It’s almost like saying “Come and eat the fast food that will give you high cholesterol and heart disease, and we’ll give $0.50 to fight breast cancer.”  There’s just something incongruent about it.

I completely understand about getting corporate sponsors and cause-related marketing deals.  I’ve done them many times in my career.  This one just doesn’t seem right to me.

My colleague Nancy Schwartz thinks Komen has made a huge blunder and that this will hurt them. Here’s what she says:

“As I see it, Komen’s decision to partner with KFC has damaged the trust that exists between it and its supporters. Specifically, their actions thus far have:

• Undermined its credibility. (It’s hard to believe they are focused on women’s health.)
• Eroded its authenticity. (What does the organization stand for if they can’t see what’s wrong with this partnership?)
• Alienated its supporters. (See the comments above from walkers and donors.)”

You can read her entire post here.

What do you think about this promotion?  I’d love to hear what you think.  Click on the comment link and leave your two cents.