Web 2.0 technologies, such as
Facebook and Twitter, have made it faster and easier for businesses and
organizations to reach their target audience thus reaching their marketing goal
faster than ever before. It is amazing how one post to social media can start a
movement. These movements, in most cases, can even begin with consumers.
Consumers with a passion for a charity, business, and/or product can quickly
spread their ideas through their network of followers. This was the case when
the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge made a huge impact in the amount our donations to
the ALS Association.
The Ice Bucket Challenge originated
as a way to motivate people into donating to different organizations. It began
to spread rapidly among Facebook friends, but it was not until it reached Pete
Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS, that it became such a grand movement for
the ALS Association. Pete Frates had a massive network of supporters that
helped spread the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge into such a successful movement.
In this case, the organization did
not start the movement, but it incorporated the movement into its marketing to
spread the word further. This in innovative marketing. The marketing department
of the ALS association had nothing to do with the original idea behind the Ice
Bucket Challenge, but they quickly saw it was becoming a success and started to
ride the wave.
Imagine what types of marketing movements
can be created if a business or organization just seeds the right people into
creating positive social media posts. Or even better, if a business is in tune
with what consumers are saying about their products and incorporate it into
their marketing campaign. This type of consumer created marketing can be more
powerful than any marketing a business can create because it comes from the end
users. When a consumer is considering purchasing a product they look at product
reviews to see if the product is a right fit for them. If consumers see social media
posts created by other consumers these messages instantly hold more credibility
than anything a business can say.
I remember when this challenge was happening across Facebook how many people turned their noses at it, saying that it was all show and no outcome as some kind of indictment against viral marketing, and was so pleased to see how much actual, tangible good came out of this movement. Key research was able to be funded because of this enormous increase in funding. So I think you are 100% correct about this innovative use of existing technology, the ALS foundation saw an enormous opportunity by recognizing that viral marketing can reach a far wider audience than targeted, paid marketing and saw real, measurable results by this embracing.
ReplyDeleteAlex -
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. This particular challenge was highly visible throughout many social media platforms. It was also a challenge that was highly publicized on television too. Your post is a prime example of just how powerful social media can be.