Winner: Katrina McGhee, Vice President of Marketing, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Key to making Susan G. Komen for the Cure the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists is an avid staff and strong marketing initiatives.
Both can be linked to Katrina McGhee, Komen's vice president of marketing, who oversees the organization's cause marketing programs and 65 corporate sponsorships. With her
passion for the cause and knack for perfectionism, McGhee has been instrumental in conducting and executing new programs for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Pretty in Pink
In October 2006, McGhee led her marketing team to develop The Passionately Pink for the Cure program, a fundraising and education effort that enhanced Komen's signature pink
color and targeted businesses, places of worship, community organizations and schools to ignite passion for finding a breast cancer cure among diverse audiences.
Under McGhee's leadership, the team marketed to corporate partners and initiated media tactics that included a satellite media tour, which connected more than 750,000 viewers
in 22 markets. These strategies helped Komen double its financial goals for the program, not to mention doubling the number of projected participants in the program's first
year. The program raised more than $3 million in 2006 and was set to earn 2007's target of $5 million.
No Rest for the Weary
McGhee refused to rest on her laurels. She spearheaded Komen's Circle of Promise program to raise awareness of breast cancer disparities among African Americans and other
multicultural women, and to engage African Americans as advocates in the breast cancer movement.
A multifaceted approach leveraged a partnership with Essence magazine to profile four African American women who announced the campaign on Good Morning America. The segment
reached more than 4 million viewers.
Komen's Circle of Promise is ongoing, with a goal of recruiting 100,000 African American advocates to join the program by October 2008.
Out-of-Office Reply
In her spare time, McGhee is a member of the American Marketing Association and National Association of Female Executives. She continues to serve on the Advisory Board for
the Celebrating Life Breast Cancer Foundation, as she has for the past five years.
T I E With
Winner: Emily Callahan, Director of Communications, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Being director of communications for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, is not an easy task--it
includes the daunting responsibilities of developing and executing the entire organization's communications messages, and forming relationships with key constituents. Lucky for
Komen, Emily Callahan is a master communicator.
In 2006 and 2007, Callahan managed all proactive and reactive communications activity for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign, which resulted in a 49% share
of voice in the market, increased focused coverage by 72%, boosted prominence by 86% and raised organization coverage by 100%.
The campaign's print coverage circulation was more than 63 million impressions, the online placements UVPM topped 108 million and broadcast hits equaled more than 230 million
viewers and listeners.
Additional coverage included Time, The New York Times, Elle, Redbook and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, with which the organization partnered to raise $1 million to benefit its
mission.
A Passion for Pink
Callahan led the communications launch of the "Passionately Pink for the Cure" program, a "wear-pink-to-the-workplace" fundraising
project; her outreach effort subsequently garnered major media coverage.
Callahan was also a key organizer of the internal brand launch among Susan G. Komen for the Cure's 125 affiliate chapters. She helped spearhead the coordination and training
of more than 500 of the organization's volunteers and staff in 2007, which marked the nonprofit's 25th anniversary.
Working Around the Clock
In August 2007, Callahan was confronted with a new project: arranging and executing Komen's annual Mission Conference, a platform
that highlights, among other issues, breast cancer research.
She inaugurated video shoots with six presidential candidates. Added to those shoots were Komen leaders and industry experts. Media outlets on-site included CNN, Reuters and
the Associated Press, resulting in more than 100 print, online and broadcast hits to an audience of more than 250 million.
In addition to her job-related activity, Callahan is on the board of Girls in Motion, a nonprofit organization that promotes positive body images in girls.