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People taking the Ice Bucket Challenge
Jockeys Louis Steward and Johnny Murtagh doing the ice bucket challenge. Photograph: Dan Abraham/racingfotos.com/REX Photograph: Dan Abraham/racingfotos.com/REX
Jockeys Louis Steward and Johnny Murtagh doing the ice bucket challenge. Photograph: Dan Abraham/racingfotos.com/REX Photograph: Dan Abraham/racingfotos.com/REX

Ice bucket challenge: what are the lessons for marketers?

This article is more than 9 years old

Five marketing, social media and PR pros share what they think other campaigns can learn from the ALS ice bucket challenge

Share your thoughts and comments below

Eb Adeyeri, strategy director, We Are Social

Play to social personalities
The ice bucket challenge plays on many of the personality traits that emerge when using social media. It encourages a competitive spirit, with each participant trying to make their video more amusing, absurd or outrageous than the last. It also plays on the fact people often have narcissistic tendencies on their own social media feeds and enjoy an excuse to post images and videos of themselves.

It works perfectly with the guilt factor. Even if you think it’s a stupid campaign it’s hard to ignore a personal (and very public) nomination from a friend in the name of charity. It also embraces the community spirit of social media; rather than sponsoring someone to climb a mountain or run a marathon, the low barrier to entry means everyone can get involved and feel as though they’ve done something good with their day.

Simon Skinner, PR and communications manager, EMC

Don’t forget to educate
I lost my father to motor neurone disease – of which amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a form – so I know first-hand how limited awareness has been of this truly horrible illness. As this ice bucket challenge has become a phenomenon, much like #nomakeupselfie, it’s difficult to ignore the impact that a social media campaign going viral can have. It’s also a great example that while campaigns like this can drive immense awareness, their ability to educate and inform are far less effective.

For something that is quite literally all over the press, how many people really know what ALS is or even stands for? The lesson for anyone to take from this is that while the initiative itself has been incredible, that’s just one part of it. Underpinning a campaign like this with information to educate is vital.

Lauren Ingram, media relations specialist, Clarity PR

Use video
For the first time my social media feeds are filled with videos of people I know – the ALS challenge has made everyone a broadcaster. For better or worse, I think we’ll see a lot more videos of our friends, families and colleagues than we ever did before.

The ice bucket challenge has proven the long-held hypothesis that video will be the dominant online medium of the future. The proliferation of connected smartphones has made the creation and sharing of video incredibly easy. As a result, marketers need to put video at the very core of their digital strategies and find creative ways to engage with consumers via the medium.

Joe Edwards, digital and social director, MOI

Keep barriers to entry low
It’s relativity easy to get some ice, water and a bucket. Most of us now have mobile phones that can capture video and post to social networks. Think the same when building your campaigns: the lower the barrier to entry, the more chance you have of getting people to consume it.

Also on consumption, ice bucket challenge videos are never really longer than 60 seconds, which means they’re quick to watch. The lower the commitment to consume, the better your content will spread. It’s only when your audience get further down the buying cycle that you should ask them to commit more time to your content.

Warren Johnson, founder, W Communications

Incorporate good causes but make it authentic
On the surface, the success of the ALS ice bucket challenge isn’t necessarily something brands can evaluate, pick apart then choose to replicate. As with the #nomakeupselfie campaign for Cancer Awareness, the ice bucket challenge is fuelled by the power of a good cause, combined with celebrity involvement.

Commercial ventures will struggle to transpose the same level of engagement and willingness to share that’s possible for a charitable fundraising drive. What brands can do – and what they are increasingly doing – is incorporate good causes into the heart of their marketing mix. If brands approach this with sophistication they can make a genuine and positive difference while operating in a way that is consistent with their overall ethos and speaks to their target audience.

Some great recent examples include MTV and Durex partnering to create the Someone Like Me campaign, which raises awareness about sexual health in a way that speaks to MTV’s youth audience, while Kenzo has launched a No Fish No Nothing line of clothing to financially assist the Blue Marine Foundation. The key here is that these brands aren’t simply writing cheques but working to incorporate pro-social initiatives into their overall ethos and operations, which can be powerful and engaging.

What are your top marketing lessons from the ice bucket challenge? Let us know in the comments section below

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