Moustache Movember vs Ice Bucket Challenge: Trends vs Causes

Every once in a while there’s a movement that brings awareness to a great cause. Some come, some go.

Ice Bucket Challenge, anyone?

ice bucket challenge fail

The viralness of the ice bucket challenge brought awareness of ALS to mainstream America and helped raise an estimated $100 million.

But, it burned out.  And fast.

Below is a Google Trends search for “ice bucket challenge.”

ice bucket challenge searches

You can see that online searches burst onto the scene and then vanished all about three months.   Even though the trendy challenge had a short shelf life, no marketer could say they wouldn’t enjoy that type of success.

It seems that most successful marketing campaigns have a few of the same things in common.

• catchy hook
• easy to do
• a cause

What do we mean?  Since it is November, let’s take a look at “Moustache Movember.”  What does the November moustache movement have in common with the ice bucket challenge?  1)  Catch hook.  The ice bucket challenge had the fun idea of dumping ice water on yourself (if you call that fun).  Moustache Movember has a catchy name to hook you and make you remember it.  2)  The ice bucket challenge was easy, and so is the moustache movement.  All you have to do is not shave.  Easy enough, right?  3) The ice bucket challenge focused on bringing awareness to ALS.  Moustache Movember draws attention to men’s health.

The one thing that Moustache Movember has over the ice bucket challenge is staying power.  The chart below show how every year there’s a spike in searches about the movement.  Interestingly enough, the search volume grows each year.

Moustache Movember searches

It raises the question; was the ice bucket challenge a trend, while Moustache Movember is a cause?  While it remains to be seen if the ice bucket challenge will return annually, it is unlikely.  Only time will tell.

What does all of this have to do with internet marketing?  There’s great takeaways from both movements.  They provide insight into what gets people interested in something (your company) and how to keep the momentum going.

Would you rather turn-n-burn like the ice bucket challenge, or create a brand that lasts and is relevant in the long-term like Moustache Movember?

Moustache Movember