Valpak makes a business case in its support for Susan G. Komen

Valpak turned its familiar blue envelopes pink in October, as the St. Petersburg-based direct marketing company raised funding and awareness for breast cancer.

In its partnership with Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and with appliance maker KitchenAid, Valpak also is giving itself an edge with socially-conscious employees, said Mike Davis, president and CEO.

Mike Davis, CEO, Valpak

“People more than ever want to work for companies that give back and are socially aware,” Davis said. “With the unemployment rate as low as it is, employees have more options than ever. When weighing this job and that job, they look for quality of life and companies they respect.”

Valpak, with 700 employees, is among a growing number of companies focused on corporate social responsibility, a broad term to describe a company’s efforts to improve society. It not only boosts employee engagement, but it also attracts and retains investors, improves public image and increases media coverage, according to Double the Donation, an Atlanta-based company with matching gift software for nonprofits and schools.

Valpak will make a corporate donation of $50,000 this year to Komen, regardless of sales, the company said.

Valpak also sought donations to Komen from the companies that have ads in the 37 million envelopes sent out nationwide in October. More than 3,000 advertisers collectively raised over $170,000, and their ads have a special pink border, said Lisa Gibbins, vice president of marketing and communications.

Davis believes the ads will make a difference for consumers.

“When a consumer is using a dentist or a plumber, they want to know it is someone who is giving back,” he said.

Valpak plans to study its own data, but a 2017 study by Cone Communications found that 87 percent of consumers surveyed said they would purchase a product because a company supported an issue they care about.

Celebrity chef and breast cancer survivor Sandra Lee was featured on Valpak’s October envelopes.

The October Valpak envelope highlighted celebrity chef Sandra Lee, a breast cancer survivor and advocate for women’s health, and introduced a sweepstakes, inviting consumers to nominate someone who has taken action in the fight against breast cancer. Twenty-five winners will get a set of KitchenAid appliances.

Five hundred Valpak envelopes also featured instant winner coupons for a KitchenAid immersion blender.

Valpak has been active in corporate social responsibility initiatives previously, but this is the first single-focus message on all 37 million monthly envelopes, Davis said.

Breast cancer resonated in part because 70 percent of the consumers who open Valpak envelopes are women, he said. One in eight women in the United States will develop cancer at some point in her lifetime, according to Komen.

Many of Valpak’s 700 employees told “incredibly moving stories” about experiences with breast cancer — either their own or someone close to them, Davis said.

Susan G. Komen will give Valpak the REACH award, which goes to a corporate partner who has actively recruited and engaged new activists for the cure through multiple mediums. Valpak will get the award at Komen’s 2018 Partner Summit Thursday evening.

Valpak is committed to continuing to have a cause month each year, Davis said, although the company has not yet determined what other causes it might support.