e.politics: online advocacy tools & tactics

As Komen Backs Down, Essential Reading on the Planned Parenthood Funding Debacle

February 3rd, 2012

Breaking news as I write this: in the face of a massive backlash, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has reversed its decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. What happened? Komen ran into the power of citizen-activism, for one thing. Did the organization’s leadership do it permanent damage? Quite possibly — the Komen brand has taken a massive hit. Below are some good articles that look at what Komen did, what it could have done, and the public reaction that changed its mind.

• The Accidental Rebranding of Komen for the Cure
• How Komen flushed their brand in 24 hours
• Komen Kan Kiss My Mammagram, PinActivism, and Newsjacking for a Cause
• Lessons Learned When Your Community Revolts
• Komen Website Hacked, Planned Parenthood Rakes in Donations, and News Surfaces That Komen Official Resigned Over Decision
• Planned Parenthood Saved Me (a Tumblr blog collecting stories)
• Backlash grows over Susan G. Komen-Planned Parenthood flap (enter the Senators)
• Update: Lessons from the Susan G Komen Foundation/Planned Parenthood firestorm: What other non-profits can — and can’t — take away
• Update: Susan G. Komen flap spurred on by social media

LOTS of mistakes to learn from here…so let’s not repeat ‘em.

– cpd