You’ve heard it time and time again, “we live in a powerful age of social media, viral challenges, and seamless connectivity.” It’s nothing new. With a few taps, you have the power to share information with countless people thanks to the internet. Challenges are the new frontier used in creating awareness for specific issues ranging from health, social injustice and political mobilization. So in this new age of viral campaign movements, how effective are the numerous efforts we have observed in the recent past?
In 2003, the founders of Movember hijacked the month otherwise known as November with an aim to spread awareness on men’s health issues. The movement aimed to bring into focus issues such as prostate cancer, suicides and other health concerns often overlooked by society. The challenge encouraged its participants to unleash their mustache’s full potential during the entire duration of 30 days. Since its inception, the Movember movement managed to build a healthy following of 55,700 members on Instagram. Additionally, the campaign has since raised 559 million dollars to date.
Another viral challenge that was successful in creating awareness and raising funds for a charitable cause is the Dog Selfie challenge. A raid on the Manchester Dogs’ Home saw the kennel set ablaze and killing more than sixty helpless canines. The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service managed to rescue more than 150 of the dogs. In the real spirit of the social media age, a viral challenge jumpstarting the “dog-selfie” movement was initiated. Within days of the launch, the campaign managed to raise more than 700,000 pounds. Such is the immense power of viral challenges in creating awareness and raising funds.
No list of successful, awareness-raising viral challenges would be complete without mentioning the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The campaign was used to raise awareness and millions of dollars for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. To participate in the challenge, one had to dump a bucket of icy water over your head, take a video of the act, upload it onto a social media site, nominate someone else and donate funds towards the cause. It helped raise 115 million dollars for ALS research.
The mannequin challenge is yet another supporting case for how useful viral challenges are in spreading awareness. The viral challenge was likened to Westworld, a hit HBO series which made its debut around the same time the campaign was launched. In the TV show, robotic host in a west-themed park could be frozen while the guests carried on with whatever trappings they saw fit. Similarly, the mannequin challenge involved a group of people posing in a frozen stare while in action mimicking mannequins and a moving camera films them. The campaign was successfully used to encourage the young electorate to come out and vote during the last presidential elections in the United States.
As the viral challenges discussed above demonstrate, viral campaigns are perhaps the most effective marketing tool out there today. Viral challenges are very useful in creating social awareness and driving social change. Activists have realized the immense potential viral challenges innately carry. To this end, numerous viral campaigns are targeting to create awareness on issues ranging from social injustice, police brutality, health, the plight of refugees and much more. It is, therefore, safe to conclude that, viral challenges are the perfect driver for social awareness and change.
