More Marketing Lessons from the Ice Bucket Challenge

As of August 26^th, donations from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge have reached 85.5 million dollars. The campaign is a roaring success in terms of awareness, brand building and donations. The IBC captured the zeitgeist of the public as a perfect platform for engaging viewers with visual spectacle while encouraging participants to be creative and build their own personal brands. It is a genius example of a co-branding program where everyone involved receives a satisfying payoff. Check out one of Kinetic’s favorite creative responses.

The campaign is so inescapable at this point that we can expect ambitious marketers to imitate its’ success ad nauseam for years to come. While imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I would advise you to avoid doing this at all costs. Huh? What? Am I crazy? Let’s be truthful. Your odds of replicating the IBC results are slim and none. However, there is plenty to learn from studying the IBC phenomena that can set you up for the best chance of success in the future.

It is nearly impossible to create a viral internet phenomena. It may surprise you to learn that the ALS Association didn’t invent the Ice Bucket Challenge. They capitalized on an emerging social trend used by many charities called “The Cold Water Challenge.” The CWC encouraged people to jump into a chilly lake, ocean or pool as a charity event. So, how did the ALS Association take this “event based” campaign idea and make it the biggest marketing idea on the planet in 2014?

1. They moved quickly. ALS markers saw an emerging trend, jumped all over it, and most importantly committed to the idea.
2. They made it simple and visual. The rules are easy to understand: take the challenge and or donate and call out three other people who must respond in 24 hours. With the ubiquity of smart phones, there is no barrier to creating sharable videos. The format encouraged engagement, creativity and co-branding.
3. They made it social. The use of Twitter hashtags and Facebook sharing was key. In addition, they provided brand badges for Twitter and Facebook for challenge participants, making it easy to brag.
4. They sealed the deal with celebrity endorsements. As the time honored dunking booth proves, everyone loves to see famous people get drenched.
5. They received timely media attention and were damn lucky. The promotion grew from a fun slot on the Golf Channel show to the Today Show and then exploded.  Drowning in a summer of horrible news, the public was crying for something positive to focus on.

As a marketing leader, what can you do to give your company a shot at glory without being an annoying imitator?

• Do not copy exactly. There’s already an awful and derivative 5 Gum television campaign. Trust me; you really do not want to be “that” person.
• Be on the prowl for new ideas or old ideas. You don’t have to invent everything yourself from thin air. You just need to be inspired and committed. With a little thinking and hard work you can make it your own.
• Be ready with resources. You need people and or an agency that can move at breakneck speed to put your program together. You don’t have to break the bank, but you should have a “rainy day/great idea” fund at your command.
• Figure out how to speed approval cycles. If you are a marketer for a large corporation, who by its nature is risk adverse, executive and legal reviews could delay your program by several months. You need a way around the red tape.
• Be prepared with social media basics; Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you need to reinvent social media with your project. You just need to take advantage of the infrastructure that already exists by being present and updating frequently.
• Know your audience ahead of time. Keep your latest insights at your fingertips. The speed these programs need to go-to-market often precludes traditional user testing. If you do not have a user or audience advisory panel for quick feedback, create one today.

Obviously, this little blog just skims the surface of all the insights you can glean from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I could ramble on about the genius of the IBC co-branding and user creation for hours. I encourage you to think about your next social project. Mike and I at Kinetic Story are always eager and available to collaborate and help you.