Boobs are Good for Business

Remember when any talk of breasts at work usually involved a pin-up calendar, a mechanic, and a sexual harassment lawsuit? No more. Today, boobs may actually be good for business. At least during October.

It's a month when most organizations, including every team in the NFL, are wearing pink, selling pink products, or sporting pink ribbons all in the name of breast cancer awareness.

I recently read an article about an entrepreneur who made her first sale topless and, in the process, managed to make a powerful statement about breast cancer and rocket her business to success. A win all around.

As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, the importance of this cause is immeasureable. In business, though, there's also a value here that should not be overlooked. But, often is.

In my role as PR person for an internet video company, I am responsible for making sure our messages align with our brand so that they accomplish three goals: make brand ambassadors out of our clients, make brand ambassadors out of our employees, and leverage our expertise in the industry.

Our brand is about connecting communities and businesses through our digital technology, so we need to leverage that whenever possible, even if it's for a good cause.  I raised the idea of producing a video about breast cancer awareness for our clients with our (all male) executive team. Although they all have wives, daughters, sisters, and moms, their focus was a little lower--on the bottom line. "How much will it cost?" and "How will it make us money?" they wanted to know.

I explained that it was aligned with our brand, would help us build relationships with our clients, and that we could use the video to showcase our capabilities in ways that would open up new market opportunities for us. (And, oh yeah, it's the right thing to do.)

We produced the video using our employees, which made them feel good, and sent it out to our clients as well as anyone else we could think of. The executive team loved it. One wants to take it to a black tie fundraiser for breast cancer research. Another wants to produce a video just like it for another project.

While savoring this victory, the phone in my office rang. It was the lab where I had my mammogram done yesterday. They want me to come back in for more pictures.

Please let this just be a Kodak moment for my boobs.