Companies put a lot of stock—and money—in their brand colors. You see the golden arches and you instantly know that McDonald’s is just up the road. Coca-Cola practically owns red. Think pink, especially in October. That belongs to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

October is breast cancer awareness month and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization knows what it means to claim a color. This pink movement happened thanks to an amazing story and strong partnerships that helped them build their brand. Here are a few examples of their marketing efforts.

Find Unique Audiences
Do not adjust your TV sets. Those are some pretty manly-men sporting pink to support breast cancer awareness. The National Football League has players wearing pink shoes, gloves, sweat bands and pink ribbons on their helmets. Coaches and referees wear pink hats. Goal posts don pink padding and the football is even branded with a pink ribbon. This effort reaches an unsuspecting and nontraditional audience that helps raise money for the cure.

Build Support From Big Names
The fact is that breast cancer affects every walk of life, so when a celebrity gets behind a cause, you know you’re gaining good support. Christina Applegate and Sheryl Crow lend their name to the cause to find a cure. Other major corporations such as Coca-Cola and Visa also use their marketing budgets to promote the pink ribbon. Of course, this helps their marketing efforts, but it drives awareness for the cause.

“Product” Placement
Even with the support of big names, the Komen organization gets their brand in the hands of practically every walk of life. It seems that you see pink everywhere these days. Wrist bands, car decals, pens, water bottles, coffee mugs and various articles of clothing help spread awareness of breast cancer.

To find out more about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, visit www.komen.org.