Companies like Siemens and Philips come forward to spread awareness on breast cancer

NEW DELHI: Companies are going all out to create awareness on breast cancer either through external promotions or internal programmes. The world over, October is marked to raise awareness on breast cancer, but companies such as Estee Lauder, Philips, Tech Mahindra and Siemens are planning to extend the campaigns further.

Siemens and Philips are creating awareness among men to reach out to women for this programme. “Usually women take the lead as healthcare providers or nurturers but they take a back seat when it comes to taking care of their own health. Routing the campaign through men is working out well,” says a spokesperson at Siemens India.

Siemens has set up a pink photo booth at its Mumbai office wherein male employees dropped in to click pictures with a pink BCA backdrop. “We are using these pictures on the Siemens internal network to drive awareness and the role of men,” the spokesperson added. It has also parked a mobile van outside its office in Mumbai, run by women, offering mammography screening for employees, staff and customers.

Similarly, Philips has a mobile van running through Punjab with a mammography screening machine for underprivileged women. “Breast Cancer Awareness is not a short term campaign for us at Philips. We are in it for the long haul. We work in this area throughout the year and will continue to do so,” says Vivek Sharma, head of marketing, Indian sub-continent, Philips.

This is Philips’ second such campaign in India. Building on its brand image of health and well-being, Philips through this campaign is targeting women. “We already touch the lives of millions of women through our healthcare equipment, kitchen appliances and personal care products. Women are an important target group for us, not just as consumers, but also because they are the heart of the family and its well being,” Sharma adds.

Beauty products major, Estee Lauder, this year is running its BCA campaign under the theme, ‘We are stronger together’. The campaign “spotlights the truth that breast cancer is never a one-sided story; individuals touched by the disease and the people who support them share the experience together and empower each other in profound ways,” says the company spokesperson.

Till date, through its local partners (Taj Group, Universal Music Group, Ogaan Cancer Foundation and Four Seasons), Estee Lauder has raised over Rs 28 lakh in India.
In Pune, Tech Mahindra organised an awareness session for women in the nearby villages, besides a Pink Walk. “The Walk was followed by a PINK-ture at each location where associates wearing pink gathered to click a group photograph. There was also a performance by Techm associates where they spread awareness about breast cancer,” says a spokesperson.