It is time to look back on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which earned its place, locally and globally, as the summer’s viral guerrilla campaign. Many a brand or agency would love to claim it. It required a minimal budget and was impossible to escape on social networks. We freely watched acquaintances, friends, relatives and celebrities, whether relaxed or nervously squeezing their eyes shut, pour litres of icy water over themselves while hoping we would, or would not, be nominated. The media joined in during the summer news lull, combining critical observations with detailed analyses of the online element. All of this kept a much-needed conversation about the neurological disease going. ALS was top of mind. Any PR professional paying attention in August will have noticed that the disease did not become a talking point by accident. What can we learn as communications professionals? First, let us examine the Dutch timeline of this PR success.
The origins of the Ice Bucket Challenge are not entirely clear. Versions of it can be found online as early as 2013, sometimes linked to a charity and sometimes not. Its association with ALS may date to early August. Around that time, Philips and Accenture announced a proof of concept for people with conditions that prevent them from controlling their bodies. ALS patients were the starting point. Among other things, the concept converts brainwaves into digital signals, potentially helping patients regain some independence. Although it remained a concept and had not yet been tested with ALS patients, it was widely covered by the media. The timing was ideal. The annual Amsterdam City Swim, which raises money for ALS through a swim in the canals, was also on the agenda. The challenge was already well under way in the United States when it reached the Netherlands on 13 August. Dutch racing driver Meindert van Buuren was nominated by Canadian Drew Seeley. Meindert passed the challenge on to Professor Leonard van de Berg, a neurologist at UMC Utrecht, Beau van Erven Doorens and Gorrit-Jan Bloksma, director of Stichting ALS Nederland. That set the snowball rolling. We enthusiastically embraced the icy water, but there was one drawback: hardly anyone mentioned ALS Nederland’s bank details for donations or the possibility of donating directly through Facebook.
What’s next?
Over the past two months, I have enjoyed it, chuckled and occasionally raised an eyebrow as almost everyone seemed to put their own spin on the campaign. Academics were quick to describe this kind of campaigning as slacktivism: people seeking a virtual pat on the back without having to do very much. It went a step beyond the traditional version, in which people simply click a like button.
Even so, all the attention generated unprecedented donations and visits to ALS websites. The Ice Bucket Challenge has now passed its peak, and some of the occasional videos still appearing online no longer even mention ALS. The American ALS Association decided not to pursue a trademark for the Ice Bucket Challenge, an elegant gesture towards other non-profits keen to use this form of participation. But what comes next? Will we see more of this? The formula seems guaranteed to work: let your audience campaign online and peer pressure mobilises ever more people, locally and globally. The videos are good content, the task is easy, and a nomination creates pressure that is hard to resist. Altogether, it is a compelling topic for online and offline conversation. This time, the money raised was unprecedented. Yet people may take part and share on social media without donating, especially if the goal of raising money is not made explicit. Using slacktivism is therefore a PR challenge we should approach thoughtfully.
Stella
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