As I did my normal perusal of Facebook today I noticed something very odd. Many of my friends had a color as their status update. Just a color…nothing else. My page was rife with: green, white: plain white, beige, black, leopard and even a champagne.
I thought it was strange, but it was a limited group at first, so I brushed it off. Fast forward a few hours and when I look at Facebook all I see is colors and I now have some Facebook messages inviting me to join. The messages said something like this: “Some fun is going on…. just write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send this on to ONLY women no men …. It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men will wonder why all the women have a color in their status…”
WHY DIDN’T ANYONE POST PINK?
Now, the really amusing thing was that many of the color updates that I was viewing were posted by men. So much for keeping them in the dark (and good for you for being secure enough to come out with your bra wearing habits boys!).
Let me say straightaway that I am a HUGE supporter of breast cancer awareness. I had my first mammogram at age 30 because of a family history that includes both my mother and her sister. My aunt passed when she was 38 from breast cancer. I actually put my $ where my mouth is…..btw.
That being said…I am not really clear how this update business will help fuel Breast Cancer awareness. I went ahead and posted this as my Facebook status: “I am a huge supporter of breast cancer awareness, but I don’t think anyone really cares what color my bra is….or that telling you will make anyone more aware. If you are interested, just use your imagination: I am sure that will be more exciting than the reality.”
The responses came in and were plentiful. Many people were confused about what was going on and were thankful that I put it out there so they got some answers. My response to them is: Why are you too chicken to ASK? I went on Twitter and said WTF is going on with Facebook statuses being all colorful and got the answer right away.
Many people agreed with me. But one person didn’t agree, my Twitter friend Melissa Case DelGaudio (@startabuzz), and she came right out with a very valid point: “As silly as it might seem, I submit that EVERYONE is talking about this right now. So whether anyone actually cares what color anyone’s bra is, it’s got people talking about awareness, which was the whole point. :)”
My opinion on this topic isn’t swayed by her point…I still don’t see how Breast Cancer research will benefit from knowing what color my bra is (and I am still not telling you dirty lecherous beasts). I do see her point and I get that it brought this to everyone’s attention, BUT what it brought to my attention was THIS….
SOCIAL MEDIA IS FAST.
Before you get too deep into “duh Lesley”….I knew this already, you did, too, but I mean REALLY REALLY fast.
How powerful is this tool? How amazing that someone (and do we even know who started this bra nonsense anyways?) decided that today would be the day to post your bra color (tee hee hee) and suddenly WOOSH every woman (and many men-not that there is anything wrong with that!) were doing just that and within hours it was a huge topic of conversation.
What does that tell us?
Well, it tells me that my grandmother was right…clean underwear all the way. Cuz if I get in an accident I don’t want you all going viral with the fact I died in dirty underwear.
What it tells me (really this time, no REALLY I swear) is that social media is becoming the most powerful marketing tool in history.
People, fasten your seatbelts: this is the best ride ever!
oh and ps. Go donate to Breast Cancer Research.
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#1 by Audrey on January 7, 2010 - 11:18 pm
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I think it is an awareness thing. You are right, knowing what color it isn’t that big of a deal. I just think it can be fun, or interesting, how involved we can become through social media. Like you, I didn’t get what was going on with the color update, but once I knew, I was game.
I support Breast Cancer Research as well. I think we need to fight the Health Care folks that say we don’t need to have mammograms until we are 50, early detection is the key.
So, weather it is for attention to the cause, or for some fun, I think as long as we can band together to keep it in front of folks to be proactive for early detection then we will be more successful with saving lives.
Beige.
#2 by Dani Daniels on January 7, 2010 - 11:28 pm
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I wrote a post about this today as well, I guess so long as it is being discussed then all is well. Cancer of any form is devistating, plain and simple. Even more so when we are afraid to talk about it because we are afraid to say breast in front of our family or prostate at the dinner table. Of course it’s inappropriate but so is cancer coming into our lives and taking those that we love.
#3 by Mike Mueller on January 8, 2010 - 1:57 am
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It wasn’t just the gals - I know of one guy who might have joined in the fun… http://www.facebook.com/n/?%2Fprofile.php&v=feed&story_fbid=271761395020&id=682007215&mid=1b0c126G28a69aafG48bbaa3G36
For the same reason I left my twitter background the same since October (http://twitter.com/MikeMueller). If it causes, or urges one person to get tested and find something sooner rather than later, it’s all been worth it.
You may not remember Karen George on ActiveRain. She was a fellow loan officer and I was following her battle to the very end. I still subscribe to blog - just because.
BTW: Guess what color I’m wearing?
#4 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 9:45 am
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Thank you for sharing Mike. I didn’t know the woman you mention, but I know many others. And as far as color: transluscent?
#5 by Morriss Partee on January 8, 2010 - 4:45 am
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Melissa is correct. This form of fast-spreading social media meme is no less powerful than wearing a pink ribbon in support of breast cancer. The accomplishment is the same. It spreads awareness, which spreads actions, which it has done in this case, as you have blogged a link to donate to breast cancer research. In fact, this meme is far MORE powerful than a pink ribbon because a.) men are participating in (and therefore spreading) the meme without even knowing what it’s for. b.) the mystery factor taps into our human curiosity; we want to know what it’s about, so we ask. So the fact that there was no decree (that we know of) that today is “put the color of your bra as your facebook status with no other explanation” day, does not diminish the effectiveness of the meme, but instead enhances it.
Let’s see which of the “Made to Stick” principles this meme employs:
1.) Simple (check)
2.) Unexpected (check)
3.) Concrete (no)
4.) Credible (n/a)
5.) Emotional (check - people have an emotional reaction to personal things, whether it be knowing someone who has fought breast cancer, or caring about someone who may have to fight it someday)
6.) Stories (no)
3 out of 6 principles of memorableness is not too shabby at all.
#6 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 9:48 am
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You are right on the ribbon thing….and I already conceded that awareness is important. You brought to my attention that it was enough to inspire this post which holds a call to action to donate to research: so it did work. I think the part of it that still doesn’t set right with me was the silly “don’t tell the boys what we are doing” bit: that makes it seem very immature and in some way reduces the importance of what the call to action was supposed to inspire IMHO.
#7 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 9:50 am
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Also, many of the people posting colors never really knew what exactly it meant….they were just going with the flow.
#8 by Shari on January 8, 2010 - 7:57 am
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Lesley, I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t think its enough that people are just chatting about it. Money has to be raised for research. Just as important (but often forgotten), money has to be raised to help families in crisis cope with the devastating financial effects that often coincide.
So what if the Facebook thing was more like: “Post your bra color AND donate $1 to support families struggling with Breast Cancer”, and included a button to donate? Maybe not as many responses, but certainly a whole lot more useful than a conversation.
#9 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 9:48 am
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Shari, I think it would have been more effective that way, too. Perhaps you and I should start our own viral version.
#10 by Jeannette Tibbetts on January 8, 2010 - 9:29 am
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Wow, your post is GREAT! As I was reading it, I skimmed back to see the comments to my update on FB (”puuuleezzze! How can stating the color of our bras help with breast cancer awareness?”) and basically the same thing: people are talking about it, so there…and it’s fun.
You are so right about it proving how fast social media is…it started slowly but took off.
idk–it was cute to see grown women getting silly, I guess. But I still think it was some perv who started it…and I’m glad I didn’t tell the color of mine! Thanks for tweeting this link!
#11 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 9:49 am
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I hadn’t thought about it being a perv who started it….good thing I didn’t follow temptation and take actual pictures of the color of my bra to post
#12 by monika on January 8, 2010 - 10:47 am
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My update said Pink and it took my hubby about 15 minutes to figure it out. I don’t know that it helped awareness but it did get people talking and I thought it was fun. I see people are still doing it today.
#13 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 10:57 am
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I wondered why more women weren’t putting pink. I am not surprised to discover that you are the one that did!
#14 by Susie Blackmon on January 8, 2010 - 10:52 am
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I very rarely get involved with too many ‘awareness’ issues in public. For me, the most interesting aspect of all these people responding about the colors of their bras is exactly what you stated… social media is becoming the most powerful marketing tool in history. Maybe they should add a bra app to Farmville! I don’t do that either.
#15 by LesleyLambert on January 8, 2010 - 10:57 am
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It IS interesting, isn’t it? Thanks Susie!
#16 by jf.sellsius.theclozing on January 9, 2010 - 10:35 am
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Pink is nice. Bra is nice. But to stand out from the crowd (no pun intended), you must experiment. Display the image unconventionally to attract attention and increase awareness. Be remarkable to get remarks. Do you want to join me in the outrageous bra event I am organizing in Grand Central?
#17 by LesleyLambert on January 9, 2010 - 3:11 pm
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Outrageous bra event…do tell!
#18 by Elisabeth Kuhn on January 9, 2010 - 3:02 pm
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Aw shucks. I missed out on all the fun! About pink? Maybe not all that many women are actually wearing pink bras? I don’t think I even own a pink one. Black, white, read, grey, purple, blue. No pink.
But maybe it wasn’t about the “real” color anyway. Being a breast cancer survivor myself, and having written a book of poetry with some of the story in it (Average C-Cup), maybe I ought to acquire a pink one, just because…
P.S.: The bra on the cover of my book (scroll down on my page to see the photo) is actually purple even though it looks like of pinkish on the photograph on that page.)
#19 by LesleyLambert on January 9, 2010 - 3:12 pm
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Thank you for stopping by! I don’t think many of the colors posted were the actual bra color….that was my thought on the pink, too. I will look into your book: I love poetry and write some myself!