Social media provides an opportunity for people all over the world to connect that may not have otherwise. This channel can be leveraged in a variety of ways, one of which being mobilization. According to Mahoney and Tang, there are a few key elements that help a movement go viral. These include the ability for a user to create their own identity in the movement, engaging with them along the way, and encouraging participation.
While these aspects can help a movement go viral, the Breast Cancer Meme example demonstrates that it’s not just about checking off boxes.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, users were encouraged to participate in a variety of activities on social media, posting about their bra color but not including what they were posting about. The goal was to “have the men guessing”. Many women participated in this and it did encourage participation.
The downside? There was no tangible result.
Personalization, purpose, and feeling part of something help to create the illusion of “helping” the cause. In reality, there was not a tangible impact. The call to action had nothing to do with raising awareness or donating, so it fell short of mobilization. The impact was lacking.
The campaign did encourage people to engage with the content and certainly checked off the boxes around how to help a movement go viral. While it may have caused a stir, it did not lead to users being more informed or making a contribution to the organization.
To make viral social media efforts impactful, experience and participation must be connected with an outcome.
The Ice Bucket Challenge is a great example of how this concept can be leveraged to have an impact.
People were encouraged to take a video of themselves dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads, posting it on social media, and making a donation to support ALS. This social media phenomenon had people confused, but they were able to learn more about it with posts that included #ALSicebucketchallenge. By connecting the activity to the movement, people were able to understand what the purpose of the content was for.
This movement is a perfect example of what the Breast Cancer Meme could have been, and highlights where it fell short.
Both activities were viral and were based on social media, with the purpose of raising awareness and funds for an organization. One reason the ALS movement may have been more successful is the offline engagement element. People feel more connected to an activity and are willing to take action if they participate in the physical world (Mahoney and Tang). People had to participate in the activity in their personal life to create the content. We know user generated content is gold, so this combination was powerful for the ALS movement.
The Breast Cancer Meme had great elements, but needed to take the activity to the next level by connecting their purpose with the mission, and having a tangible action for viewers to take.
Digital First 