As the volume of online content has continued to rise exponentially in recent years, "going viral" has become an incredibly difficult task. While in most cases, you can't plan for your content to go viral, there's simply too much out there on social media and beyond tugging at the worldwide audience's attention. However, despite these barriers, one of the most viral trends in recent memory was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which was most popular in August 2014. The campaign raised both funds and awareness for this devastating disease that's desperately in need of a cure, but in a fun and engaging way that got people involved on a global scale within a matter of weeks.
The Ice Bucket Challenge: User Generated Content for a Cause
What many who remember the height of the Ice Bucket Challenge don't know is that the ALS Association actually did not start the the campaign itself. Rather, it was the family of Anthony Senerchia Jr., who suffered from the disease, who started the Ice Bucket Challenge first. However, the concept became an online trend after its first famous supporter, former college baseball player Pete Frates, who also suffered from ALS, popularized the challenge to a large audience. Within days, thousands of videos were posted of people pouring buckets of ice cold water over their heads while challenging others to donate to the ALS Association and do the same.
It wasn't long before the ALS Association took notice of the videos and donations pouring in and began raising even more awareness for the challenge. The beauty of the challenge (both in the sense of generosity and marketing strategy) was that the entire campaign was driven by user-generated content. While the ALS Association did put some of its own marketing resources toward re-sharing videos, promoting the challenge, and giving updates on how much money had been raised and how those donations would be used, the majority of the content that made the campaign go viral was completely outsourced to all the brave and generous folks that took on the challenge. The ALS Association simply made the most of the attention that the challenge was getting in order to make the most of the fundraising opportunity sweeping the world.
But when so many charity drives and donation campaigns are started online every day, what made the Ice Bucket Challenge stand out? On one hand, the challenge was so trendy simply because it was funny to watch people's reactions to the ice water. The humor injected into this campaign, when many altruistic posts can depend on sadness and sympathy to drive donations, is just one element that made the videos sharable and the challenge desirable to participate in. The rules of the challenge also leant well to viral sharing and online traction. The challenge had clear action items that helped ensure it would keep going: make a donation to the ALS Association, brave the bucket, then tag your friends, family, and even favorite celebrities to do the same.
Finally, the support of well-known challenge participants made the challenge near impossible to ignore. The list of famous celebrities that made videos and donations is long and varied. You may have seen Tom Hanks, Taylor Swift, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Gates, Oprah, Lebron James, and many, many more filling their buckets and spreading the word to their fans and audiences. This sort of celebrity endorsement allowed the campaign to continue to grow exponentially.
Keeping the Challenge Going Beyond the Trend
At the height of the Ice Bucket Challenge around August 2014, over $115 million was donated for ALS research. Looking back on the campaign, some of the statistics are truly staggering. However, some of the most impressive stats actually come from analyzing what has happened since the original Ice Bucket Challenge went viral. The ALS Association says that since the initial challenge's 8-week period in 2014:
- $84 million has been dedicated to research for treatments and a cure for ALS
- 200+ research products have been funded by the ALS Association
- 5 new genes have been discovered that may lead to new therapies for ALS
These are only a few of the advancements that were made possible because of the overwhelming global support for the Ice Bucket Challenge. However, the ALS Association has not given up on raising both funds and awareness with the new platform it's been given, and the challenge is far from over.
To follow up on the Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS Association created the ongoing campaign "Every Drop Adds Up," which is dedicated to continuing to spread the message of the Ice Bucket Challenge, even if the trend has waned since its heyday. The ALS Association has declared August the official month for fighting ALS by raising funds and awareness annually. The association has organized more fundraisers, such as online auctions, during the Augusts since 2014. The landing page for the continuing campaign also provides a wealth of information, from patient stories to research progress to resources for creating your own unique ALS fundraiser. By keeping up the momentum that was built during the Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS Association has been able to make huge strides in ALS research and treatment, all thanks to some silly internet videos that brought people together and truly made a difference.
