case study on social media and planned parenthood
What was the root cause of Susan G.s problems in the case?
In what ways does the case reflect the connections between internal and external communication?
In what ways does planned parenthood embrace new power principles?
What lessons can you take from this case for your workplace?
HKS729
Case Number 1975.0
This case was written by Laura Winig, Case Writer, for Professor Archon Fung, Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and
Citizenship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. HKS cases are developed solely as the basis for
class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or
ineffective management.
Funding for this case was provided by the Joseph B. Tompkins, Jr. Fund for Case Study and Research.
Copyright 2012 President and Fellows of Harvard College. No part of this publication may be reproduced, revised, translated,
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Social Media and the Planned Parenthood/
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Controversy
In the early afternoon of Tuesday, January 31, 2012, The Associated Press released what would soon become
a major news story, writing: The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its
partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two
iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands
of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.1 The article cited newly adopted criteria barring grants to
organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities and referenced a congressional
investigation of Planned Parenthood as the key reason for the change. Planned Parenthood accused Susan G.
Komen for the Cure of bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Planned Parenthoods president, Cecile
Richards, told The Associated Press, “It’s hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of
saving women’s lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying. It’s really hurtful.”2 Over the next four days the
controversy roiled the nation, drawing politicians, activists, the press and supporters of both organizations into a
painful battle that pitted one venerable womens health organization against another.
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (Planned Parenthood), the nation’s largest nonprofit sexual and
reproductive healthcare provider and advocacy organization, traced its roots to 1916 when nurse Margaret Sanger
defied U.S. Comstock laws45-year old legislation that made contraception illegalby opening the countrys first
birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York.3 Sangers dedication to the effort was personal: she believed her
mothers death age fifty was the result of the strain of bearing eighteen pregnancies.4 In 1923 Sanger opened a
1
Planned Parenthood Blames Pro-life Bullying After Cancer Charity Cuts Funds, The Guardian, January 31, 2012,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/planned-parenthood-bullying-cancer-charity, accessed November 15, 2012.
2
Planned Parenthood Blames Pro-life Bullying After Cancer Charity Cuts Funds, The Guardian, January 31, 2012,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/planned-parenthood-bullying-cancer-charity, accessed November 15, 2012.
3
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
4
Public Broadcasting Service, The Pill, People & Events, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/peopleevents/p_sanger.html,
accessed November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/planned-parenthood-bullying-cancer-charity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/planned-parenthood-bullying-cancer-charity
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/peopleevents/p_sanger.html
HKS Case Program 2 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
new clinic in Manhattan, which later became Planned Parenthood.5 Thirteen years later, the ban on contraceptives
was declared unconstitutional by the courts and by the 1960s, the American Medical Association legitimized the
use of birth control, a term coined by Sanger, as part of accepted medical practicethe same year that Planned
Parenthood funded research led to the development of oral pills for contraception. Demand for the pill was
overwhelming: by 1965, 25% of married women in the U.S. had tried oral contraceptives.6
Casting itself as an advocate for womens reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood began to call for the
legalization of abortion. In 1972, after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade
recognizing the constitutional right to privacy and women’s right to choose abortion, Planned Parenthood began to
offer abortion services. The organization became the standard bearer for abortion rights but Americans were
polarized on the highly controversial and emotional issue; the agency soon garnered loyalty from patients and
supporters and disdain from conservative activists and opposition groups. Indeed, throughout the 1980s, the
organization was subjected to violent protests, including clinic bombings, sidewalk barricades in front of clinics and
the murders of doctors and healthcare workers by vocal and well-organized anti-abortion groups.7
As a result, Planned Parenthood began to engage in advocacy work and in 1987, actively opposed President
Ronald Reagans appointment of Judge Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in response to Borks support for
overturning Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood stated that its efforts to block his appointment (undertaken with
more than 250 other organizations) marked the start of a new era of mobilization.8 Indeed in 1989, Planned
Parenthood officially established its political and advocacy arm, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, to lead
public education campaigns and grassroots organizing in support of abortion rights.9
In the 1990s, Planned Parenthood lobbied Congress to pass the Equity in Prescription Insurance and
Contraceptive Coverage Act requiring health insurers to cover contraceptive care in the same way they covered
other prescriptions and medical services. In 1998, when health insurers agreed to cover Viagra, a new drug for
men created to treat erectile dysfunction, Planned Parenthood launched a campaign to publicize what it described
as hypocrisy. In a subsequent victory, a federal judge ruled in 2002 that an employer’s exclusion of prescription
contraception from its health benefits was illegal sex discrimination.10
In addition to lobbying, Planned Parenthood organized protests, letter writing campaigns and events to enlist
public support. In 2001, for example, Americans sent more than $600,000 to Planned Parenthood and 30,000
5
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
6
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
7
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
8
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
9
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
10
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
HKS Case Program 3 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
letters to President George W. Bush in response to Planned Parenthoods announcement that Bush had introduced
a global gag rule restricting funding for international family planning. Later in the year, thousands of Americans
donated their federal tax rebates to Planned Parenthood.11 In 2003, after President Bush signed into law legislation
that criminalized abortions under certain circumstances, Planned Parenthood joined two other organizations in
suing the government and the law was struck down when federal district courts determined that it failed to
protect women’s health, posed an undue burden on a woman’s right to choose, and was unconstitutionally
vague.12 In response, Planned Parenthood organized the March for Women’s Lives in 2004 in Washington, D.C., the
largest pro-choice demonstration in history with more than one million participants.13
Planned Parenthood in 2012
In 2012, Planned Parenthood had more than six million supporters and donors14 and proudly promoted the
fact that one in five American women had visited Planned Parenthood for healthcare at least once in their
lifetime.15 Planned Parenthood described its mission as promoting a commonsense approach to womens health
and well-being, based on respect for each individuals right to make informed, independent decisions about health,
sex, and family planning.16 The organization was comprised of 77 locally governed affiliates across the U.S. that
collectively operated just under 800 health centers.17
Though Planned Parenthood was well known for its controversial abortion services, the organization noted
that 76% of its clients received birth control services and only 3% of all services were for abortions. Planned
Parenthood also provided cancer screening services annually (nearly 770,000 Pap tests and 750,000 breast exams)
as well as tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The organizations affiliates
offered educational programs that reached 1.1 million people annually.
In its 2010 annual report, the organization reported $970 million in revenues of which 84% was spent on
medical services and programs and 16% on administration and fundraising.18
Though Planned Parenthood did not
publish its major donor or corporate sponsor list, supporters that reported donations on their own tax filings
11
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
12
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
13
History & Successes, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-
are/history-and-successes.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
14
Planned Parenthood at a glance, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-
us/who-we-are/planned-parenthood-glance-5552.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
15
Who we are, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-
4648.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
16
Who we are, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-
4648.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
17
Who we are, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-
4648.htm, accessed November 15, 2012.
18
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Annual Report, 2009 -2010,
http://issuu.com/actionfund/docs/ppfa_financials_2010_122711_web_vf?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage, accessed
November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/planned-parenthood-glance-5552.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/planned-parenthood-glance-5552.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
HKS Case Program 4 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
included Sol Goldman Investments, Bonanza Oil, CREDO Mobile, Telosa Software, Bank of America and Nike; most
donations were less than $250,000 and only one reached $1 million.19
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
As if it were yesterday, I can remember the phone call I received from Suzy one Tuesday afternoon. Her doctor
had found a lump in her breast that was not a cyst. He recommended a biopsy. . . I decided to fly home to Peoria.
When I got off the plane, my father was waiting there alone with an expression on his face I will never forget. He
didn’t have to say a word. At the age of 33, Suzy had breast cancer. Nancy Goodman Brinker20
In 1980, after battling breast cancer for three years, Susan Goodman Komen, a model from Peoria, Illinois,
died at the age of thirty-six. Before she died, Komen, extracted a promise from her younger sister, Nancy Brinker,
to end the shame, pain, fear and hopelessness that a breast cancer diagnosis carried.21 “Nan,” she said, “. . . let’s
do something about this. You can find a way to speed up the research. I know you can. . .”22
After Komens death, Brinker traveled back to her home in Texas and in 1982 founded the nonprofit Susan G.
Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Komen). Though the organization would eventually grow to become a global
leader of the breast cancer movement and what Komen described as the worlds largest grassroots network of
breast cancer survivors and activists, in the 1980s the disease received little public attention; Brinkers first
challenge was raising awareness about breast cancer, which had remained largely out of the press since the mid-
1970s, when former First Lady Betty Ford, a breast cancer survivor, went public with her story about battling with
and surviving the disease.23
In 1983, Brinker created the first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a fundraising event in which participants
ran or walked 3.1 miles and solicited friends, family and supporters to sponsor their participation by making
donations to Komen. To promote the event, Komen created a logo of an abstract female runner outlined with a
pink ribbona color and symbol that would be associated with the organization for the next 30 years.24 The first
event, held in Dallas, drew 800 participants; by 2012, Komens races registered more than 1.6 million participants
19
Top Organizations Disclosing Donations to Planned Parenthood, 2012, Center for Responsive Politics,
http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2012&cmte=Planned%20Parenthood, accessed November
15, 2012.
20
Susan G. Komens Story, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/SusanGKomensStory.html,
accessed November 15, 2012.
21
Nancy G. Brinker, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html, accessed November
15, 2012.
22
Susan G. Komens Story, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/SusanGKomensStory.html,
accessed November 15, 2012.
23
Nancy G. Brinker, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html, accessed November
15, 2012.
24
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2012&cmte=Planned%20Parenthood
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/SusanGKomensStory.html
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/SusanGKomensStory.html
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
HKS Case Program 5 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
annually in more than 150 cities worldwide.25 Over 80% of race participants were women, with nearly half
reporting household incomes over $75,000; the majority, 56%, were 35 years of age or older.26
In 1991, Komen distributed pink ribbons at the New York City Race for the Cure in 1991 and encouraged
participants to wear them.27 Komens Strategic Relationships Vice President, Susan Carter Johns, attributed the
rapid growth in the popularity and size of the races to that decision, noting that Komen began to recognize breast
cancer survivors at the events with pink T-shirts, visors or ribbons indicating how many years had passed since
their initial diagnosis. This inspired incredible hope, said Johns. Youd see a woman going through
chemotherapy next to a woman with 21 ribbons on her visor. This sea of pinkit gave a very visual picture of how
many women were affected by breast cancer. Thats when it really caught fire.28
Beginning in the late 1980s, Brinker successfully drew corporate sponsors to endorse the organizations work
by manufacturing pink-colored versions of their products and marketing them to consumers through traditional
retail outlets, making Komen the first charity to market breast cancer as a cause to consumers.29 Other large
corporate sponsors, including American Airlines, New Balance and Yoplait yogurt signed on throughout the 1990s,
attracted to Komens commitment to addressing an importantand non-controversialwomens health issue.
George W. and Barbara Bush were early supporters of Brinkers cause and in 2001 President Bush invited
Brinker to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, which, by law, meant she had to resign her seat on Komens
board.30 She returned to Komen in 2003 but Bush again called her to service in 2007 as Chief of Protocol for the
State Department.
In 2007, the 25
th
anniversary of its founding, Komen changed its name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
announcing, We have realigned our resources, refocused our research efforts and recommitted to finally, once
and for all, finish what we started. And because so many millions of people are counting on us, we will invest an
additional $1 billion over the next decadeby 2017to do exactly that. Without a cure, 1 in 8 women in the U.S.
will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancera devastating disease with physical, emotional, psychological
and financial pain that can last a lifetime.31
25
International Races, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/internationalraces.html, accessed
November 15, 2012.
26 Susan G. Komen for the Cure, accessed November 15, 2012.
27
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
28
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
29
Nancy G. Brinker, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html, accessed November
15, 2012.
30
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
31
Our work, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/OurWork.html, accessed November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/internationalraces.html
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/OurWork.html
HKS Case Program 6 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded Brinker the countrys highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, for her work with Komen.32 Later that year, Brinker returned to Komen, this time to serve as CEO. The
organizations revenues had declined between 2004 and 2009 and the press speculated that her decision to take
on a larger role was driven by her determination to put the organization back on track.33
Komen in 2012
Since its inception, Komen had invested nearly $2 billion in breast cancer research, education, screening and
treatment making it the worlds largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.34
Komen did not provide direct services or conduct research; rather, the organization relied on its high profile brand
image and public enthusiasm for its races and licensed products to raise funds that were in turn granted to health
service providers, research centers, academic institutions and other organizations working to cure breast cancer.
Komen placed particular emphasis on funding cancer screening; the organization analyzed communities with
the highest breast cancer mortality rates and subsequently designed programs to improve services. For example,
Komen provided transportation to low-income women so they could visit their doctors for mammogram exams.35
Critics, however, decried Komens unwavering focus on screening, noting that it came at the expense of efforts
to better investigate environmental causes or more generously fund treatment for poor women.36 But the
organization was committed to screening and engaged Komens political advocacy arm to lobby lawmakers when it
was necessary to advance the organizations cause. In 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an
independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care appointed by the federal Department of Health and
Human Services, amended its long-standing recommendation that women be taught breast self-examination
techniques and undergo yearly mammograms beginning at age 40, finding little evidence necessitating
mammograms before age 50.37 Brinker, herself a breast cancer survivor, was concerned that the Task Forces
guidelines could result in funding cuts for breast cancer screening. All these fragile people you were able to
educate and get them focused on their bodies and show them theres something they can do . . . and then you get
something like that clumsy announcement about changing screening procedures. . . To me, its a crime whats
going on here, said Brinker.38
32
Nancy G. Brinker, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html, accessed November
15, 2012.
33
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
34
About Us, Susan G. Komen for the Cure website, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.html, accessed August 28,
2012; and http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html.
35
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
36
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
37
Gina Kolata, Panel Urges Mammograms at 50, not 40, The New York Times, November 16, 2009,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17cancer.html?_r=0, accessed November 15, 2012.
38
Judith Warner, Her Sisters Keeper, More, http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper, accessed
November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.html
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/NancyBrinker.html
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/her-sisters-keeper
HKS Case Program 7 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
In 2011, Komen reported $472 million in revenue, of which 57% was derived through its Race for the Cure
events and 38% through direct contributions.39 It spent 19% on screening and treatment, 44% on education and
18% on research; the balance supported administration and fundraising for the organization.40 Ford Motor
Company, Caterpillar, General Mills, Dell Computers, Energizer Batteries, Hallmark, Major League Baseball, Lowes,
Holland America Line, Payless Shoe Source and dozens more corporations were members of Komens Million
Dollar Council, a group whose members each pledged donations of $1 million annually to the organization.41
Komen operated internationally, sponsoring races, research and programs in 50 countries.42 By 2012 the
organization supported 124 affiliates.
Planned Parenthood and Social Media
On February 18, 2011, a bright media spotlight shone on Planned Parenthood when the U.S. House of
Representatives voted in favor of the Pence Amendment to Title X,43 which called for eliminating $75 million in
federal funding for Planned Parenthood.44 In the weeks leading up to the vote, Planned Parenthood launched what
it referred to as [the] most intense short-term campaign, we have ever run.45 Indeed, one executive
characterized it as the first Planned Parenthood campaign to experiment with channels and approaches outside of
traditional advocacy vehicles.46
Planned Parenthood had launched its formal online presence in 2002 and believed that its use of the Internet
evolved similarly to that of other large nonprofits: There was a web space that over time we figured out how to
make more interactive and engaging as the user experience has changed and become more interactive, explained
Heather Holdridge, Planned Parenthoods Director of Digital Strategy for Advocacy and Fundraising. Planned
39
Susan G. Komen for the Cure 2010-2011 Annual Report, Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf, accessed
November 15, 2012.
40
Susan G. Komen for the Cure 2010-2011 Annual Report, Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf, accessed
November 15, 2012.
41
Susan G. Komen for the Cure 2010-2011 Annual Report, Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf, accessed
November 15, 2012.
42
Our Work, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/OurWork.html, accessed November 15, 2012.
43
Public Law 91-572, also known as the Title X Family Planning Program, part of the 1970 Public Health Service Act, was a
federal grant program that provided funding for family planning and related preventive health services for low-income and
uninsured people.
44
Sandra Fish, Planned Parenthood Defunding: Family Plannings Not a GOP Family Value? Politics Daily, February 19, 2011,
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/19/planned-parenthood-defunding-family-plannings-not-a-gop-family/, accessed
October 22, 2012.
45
Erik Eckholm, Planned Parenthood Financing Is Caught in Budget Feud, The New York Times, February 17, 2011,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/us/politics/18parenthood.html?_r=0, accessed October 22, 2012.
46
Planned Parenthood and the Web, Personal Democracy Media, March 29, 2012,
http://personaldemocracy.com/media/planned-parenthood-and-web-how-adapting-networked-age-works-practice/transcript,
accessed November 15, 2012.
For the exclusive use of B. Libbin, 2018.
This document is authorized for use only by Bryan Libbin in 2018 Foundations of Strategic Communication taught by MICHELLE SHUMATE, Northwestern University from Aug 2018 to Feb
2019.
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content/AboutUs/Financial/FY11%20report%20FINAL%20100812.pdf
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/OurWork.html
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/19/planned-parenthood-defunding-family-plannings-not-a-gop-family/
http://personaldemocracy.com/media/planned-parenthood-and-web-how-adapting-networked-age-works-practice/transcript
HKS Case Program 8 of 30 Case Number 1975.0
Parenthood has had a strong e-mail presence . . .[that] has historically been the anchor and the main way in which
the organization has communicated with our supporters.47
While Holdridge noted that Planned Parenthood joined online social spaces such as Facebook (in 2004),
YouTube (2005) and Twitter (in 2006), as each site was launched on the Internet, it was not until 2011 that the
organization developed an active strategy to leverage the sites. The fight over the de-funding of the organization
caused us to re-think and fundamentally change how we approach the online space, said Holdridge. It also
opened the organizations eyes to the power of social media in terms of . . . the passion of our supporters in
speaking out on our behalf and doing it in
