Social Media Survey Results

• The majority of people get their news from Electronic Online News sources such as CNN, MSNBC, New York Times and this is consistent with surveys in March 2010 and November 2008
• 25.5% of respondents said social media has replaced other forms of marketing in their business, compared to 17.4% in March of 2010.
• Almost half of respondents (48.7%) use Google Analytics as a measurement tool and 43.9% of respondents look at visual facts (number of fans, friends, likes, comments, followers, etc.). However, 36.5% of respondents don't use any measuring technique for social media.
• Many respondents site the time commitment, privacy/control issues, content accuracy and its "fad" tendencies as social media marketing concerns.
• The graph below illustrates the percentage of respondents who reported using the following social media sites

When I was diagnosed 21 years ago with breast cancer the activist within me was ignited. I was shocked that my world was not more aware of this insidious disease that in 1989 1 in 9 was the rate of this disease.

I worked tirelessly with all types of organizations, several in the San Francisco Bay Area as that seemed to be the place where the most noise about the disease was being made. Pat Anstett of the Detroit Free Press introduced me to Elenor Pred, founder of Breast Cancer Action, one of the first activist groups in the country.

My plastic surgeon and I developed hangtags that described how to do breast self-exam (BSE). We contacted bra manufacturers and were told by all that they did not want to alarm women that they might get breast cancer.

Then came the Pink Ribbon and then Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Astra Zeneca the manufacturer of Tamoxifen an estrogen-blocking drug that is routinely prescribed for women post-treatment started Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Astra Zeneca is also the largest producer of PCB's and Agent Orange.

Last month I was surrounded by a sea of pink. There were pink shoes for the football teams, pink pens, purses and even pink rubber duckies. It went on and on.

I'm certainly happy that the awareness has increased but I question the motives of the "cause marketing." There should be more transparency and more accountability by the companies that are running their campaigns for breast cancer. Where is the money going? Are they gaining more profits by the sympathetic well-meaning public's purchase of their products? Consumers need to be encouraged to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.

Some interesting postings on Wikipedia:
Business marketing campaigns, particularly sales promotions for products that increase pollution, have been condemned as pinkwashing (a portmanteau of pink ribbon and whitewash). Such promotions generally result in a token donation to a breast cancer-related charity, while exploiting the consumers' fear of cancer and grief for people who have died to drive sales.

San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Action has renamed the annual awareness campaign "Breast Cancer Industry Month" to emphasize the costs of treatment. Their "Think Before You Pink" campaign urges people to "do something besides shop." After explaining that some "pink" sponsors are polluting industrial giants or spend more money on breast cancer-themed advertisements than they actually donate towards research or treatment, BCA asks consumers to reflect thoughtfully on questions like, "How much money was spent marketing the product?" or "What is the company doing to assure that its products are not contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?" This group has particularly excoriated major cosmetic companies such as Avon, Revlon, and Estée Lauder, which have claimed to promote women's health while simultaneously using known and/or suspected cancer-causing chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates in their products.

I hear people complaining about laws, politicians and the government. We live in a country where the government is by the people, for the people and of the people. We have a choice in who represents us and creates the laws and policies that govern. We have the freedom to speak out against something we don't like. We have the power to choose other leaders when we aren't happy. We have the power to vote in a fair election that leads to changes we want. But the majority of Americans choose not to use their right and they do not vote.

I am tired of hearing people complain about laws and regulations they don't like. We live in a country where we can challenge and petition our political leaders without imprisonment or torture. We don't even vote, and it's the easiest way to demand change. People were happy when voter turnout was about 68% in Michigan in the 2008 presidential election. And yeah, in a way it was an accomplishment considering the national average is only around 55%. That percent only decreases for non-presidential elections, where typically mid-term elections feature around 40% turnout.

Today, we have another opportunity to cast a vote. Not only is this a monumental election for control of the Senate and House of Representatives, but also it's a year where Michigan citizens choose its next governor.

As a state with one of the worst economies and unemployment rates, Michigan voters need to choose someone to lead our state toward economic prosperity. The Michigan Primary voter turnout rates were only around 23%. If you're not amongst the 23% who voted in the primary or the group to vote today, stop complaining. You aren't doing anything to change it.  As George Jean Nathan said, "bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote."

So remember, TODAY is Election Day. Cast your vote and push for the prosperous future we all want.

Jaclyn Klein