Unless you’ve spent the summer on Mars, you can’t fail to have noticed the incredible social phenomenon, theice bucket challenge.
The challenge was devised to encourage charitable donations to the ALS Association, a US organisation that funds research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or motor neurone disease, as we know it in the UK.
The challenge is brilliantly simple – you video yourself having a bucket of icy water thrown over your head and then nominate three friends to do the same within 24 hours. The results have been staggering – between 29th July and 27th August, $94.3 million in donations received compared to $2.7 million during the same period last year, from a combination of existing donors and 2.1 million new donors. Wow.
And no wonder it's gone viral – it perfectly combines altruism, humour, mild humiliation and a personal angle – well who would you nominate? Throw in the celeb factor and it’s just about the holy grail of social media sensations.
And this brings me to my point – brands have inevitably grasped the opportunity to leverage the goodwill and incredible viral potential the ice bucket challenge offers. But it’s a fine line they tread – ‘do your bit’ in support of a most deserving charity as a corporate paragon of virtue? Or face a media backlash as your company is branded a shameful opportunist? PR departments across the world are right now assessing the pros and cons – and hurry, you don’t want to be late to the party!
Some have done it well – Bill Gatesreally thought about it having been nominated by his old buddy Mark Zuckerburg.Samsung gave it a cheeky twist with their Galaxy s5 'calling out' their nemisis, the iPhone 5. Whilst some, like Coca Cola, wheeled out an anonymous boardroom big wig alongside the Coke bear (get the branding in!). The viewing numbers are telling.
And then there are the nay-sayers to contend with, those who brand us all ‘hashtag activists’, only standing up for charity when it’s an easy win. Well, it’s not done the ALS Assoc. any harm and there will be fringe benefits for other charities in general as fund-raising spin-offs inevitably emerge.
So, as a healthcare brand considering its options, it looks like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Personally, I think brands should be seen to show their human side and take part – after all, it’s for a very good cause and they have the power and social reach to spread the word far further than my merry band of Facebook friends. But do it right – make it genuine, make it funny, add a twist and get the boss under the bucket – it’s the CEO we want to see dance at the Christmas party, right?
In writing this, I’m only delaying an icy shower myself. I’ve been nominated and the clock is ticking!
