10 Ways #IceBucketChallenge Can Help You Ensure Future Pitch Success

Sick of hearing about the #IceBucketChallenge? Had your fill of the more than 2.4 million bucket-dumping videos splashed across Facebook? Like many people, I’m feeling a bit beaten down by the barrage, but mostly I’m astonished and impressed by how this effort to raise funds for a relatively little known disease has exploded across social media — and the planet. Just take a moment to think about all the high-profile people who’ve gone to the trouble of filming themselves participating in the challenge. Sure, you might have expected Taylor Swift or Justin Timberlake. Maybe even Cristiano Ronaldo or LeBron James. But Stephen King? Bill Gates? Buzz Aldrin? Anna Wintour??? Even Toronto Mayor Rob Ford got in on the action, presumably having completed his stint in rehab. Lots of people are dismissing the phenomenon as hacktivism, but I don’t think that applies when so much money is being raised for a cause in so short a time. The last figure I read said The ALS Association alone had received $94.3 million in donations over the past four weeks; that’s up from $2.7 million raised over the same period in 2013. And that’s not the only organisation — or cause — reaping the rewards of the challenge.

It will be interesting to watch how this plays out in the world of fundraising — here’s hoping charitable giving is not a zero-sum game — but I think the campaign has already taught some essential lessons that those of us in advertising would be smart to apply to our next new business pitch. Here are 10 ways to apply learning from the #IceBucketChallenge to make your next pitch more successful:

1. It contains a big, simple idea. Most clients respond to an idea they can understand, that’s simple to execute and has a real impact.

2. It has a simple hook — something that makes it easy to remember and describe to others. Fill a bucket with ice water, pour over head. Even Bieber figured it out. (Wait, nix that, it turns out he forgot the ice.)

3. It’s social by nature. You want to share it. Yes, there may be an element of narcissism in posting the videos, but the real fun comes from passing the challenge along to friends — complete with a 24-hour deadline. You’d better believe Russell Brand got some pleasure out of sticking it to Sean Hannity.

4. It transfers energy from the teller to the receiver. No one has to wait to be challenged. As soon as you hear about it, you can get involved. That energy is then transferred to the people who see your video, the people you challenge… and on and on. (Nothing feels better in a new biz pitch than seeing your infectious idea spread among the prospect team.)

5. It combines purpose and profit. One of the great aspects of the challenge is that its purpose is malleable. Most people in the US are using the challenge to fund research and support sufferers of the degenerative disease ALS (aka Lou Gehrig ’s disease or motor neurone disease in the UK). But it could raise funds for anything. An earlier iteration, the ‘cold water challenge’, supported cancer research. Actor Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org, opted to douse himself with a bucket of toilet water instead to help spread his organisation’s message about the scarcity of clean water, while also supporting ALS. More and more, we’re seeing the benefits of including a purpose component in our work for clients, whatever the industry.

6. It’s entertaining. Seen these yet? A pitch is entertainment with a purpose.

7. It's unifying across demographics, geographies, and philosophies. Virtually anyone, anywhere can get involved and create a purpose to suit local realities and preferences. In India, a woman transformed the #IceBucketChallenge into the #RiceBucketChallenge, encouraging others to donate a bucket or bowl of rice to people in need. Similarly, a big idea should cut across the widest spectrum of a brand’s potential customers — ideally with sufficient potency to turn them into advocates.

8. It contains a human truth. We all (well, most of us) want to help others in need—and we’re typically not averse to having our friends, co-workers, and acquaintances be made aware of our good deeds. It makes us feel good. Ask most marketers, and they will tell you the most impactful ideas are born of human truth— told brilliantly across mediums.

9. It has a low cost of entry. Bucket. Ice. Water. And someone with a video-enabled camera to record and post it. Read: We can afford the idea. It’s within budget. It’s inventive and clever.

10. It has a clear, measurable result you can track. Did I mention the tens of millions of dollars raised? How many ideas die on arrival because you haven’t thought through how to account for the investment? The ‘C’ that challenges the CMO is the CFO.

Matt Weiss is the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Havas Worldwide