Buying pink may not mean what you think

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Throughout the month of October, most NFL players have been wearing pink gloves, shoes and other gear during games to show the league's support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems everyone is going pink, but the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is telling consumers to think before you buy pink.

Many shoppers say they would purchase one product over another if it had a pink ribbon on it because they would assume a portion of the proceeds were going to a good cause, but that's not always true. The Susan G. Komen organization said some products donning pink ribbons may not be living up to your donation expectations.

24-Hour News 8 found cases of soda with a pink ribbon on it but a closer look revealed no proceeds were going to breast cancer awareness.

"I would assume if it had some kind of label on it with a pink ribbon it would be donating proceeds to a cause," said a surprised shopper.

The cleaning products aisle is full of pink boxes with pink ribbons promoting awareness that early detection saves lives, but that's it. Your purchase of many of those products will not lead to a monetary donation.

Wendy Noe of the Indianapolis chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure believes there are products or companies using Breast Cancer Awareness Month as a marketing tactic.

"I think there could be organizations that could slap a pink ribbon on a product and say they're supporting breast cancer awareness month," she said.

The products that are legitimate donors have the official Susan G. Komen for the Cure logo, which is a pink ribbon with a dot above it. The products also specifically list how much money will be donated to the cause. For example, the organization points to Yoplait yogurt and General Mills as primary sponsors.

The Better Business Bureau is also warning about the marketing tactics of some companies during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you have any question about whether a company is affiliated with Komen for a Cure, the non-profit organization has a list of sponsors and partners on its Web site .