No ALS bucket challenge for me

First, I want to be honest and say I sadly did not know Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was still a serious matter.  I always remembered it being called Lou Gehrig's disease- This is what my grandfather always called it.  Lou Gehrig was a famous baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in June of 1939.  I didn't realize this disease was that damaging to this day.  A co worker of mine told me they had someone in their family battling this disease that currently has no cure.



The ALS challenge started with 2 young men who were diagnosed with the disease. The marketing world is buzzing over the "ALS" bucket challenge and kudos to it being  a phenomenal campaign.  Everyone has been dumping ice cold buckets of water in their face as a way to show solidarity. This might be controversial but how many people who do this challenge even know what ALS stands for?  That could be an interesting question to ask.  Marketing is powerful but if people don't understand it, is it really affective?  

All over Facebook and Twitter, you see everyone doing the challenge and challenging friends and family to do it as well.  "You have 24 hours." How many of these people are donating money to a worthy cause.  I have talked to a couple of people that have done the challenge and they keep saying they will donate but haven't. 

Viral marketing is powerful especially when you have celebrities and past presidents challenging other people in congress.  Famous athletes and movie stars bringing easy PR to themselves while helping a cause? Monkey see-Monkey do.  It's easy to dump a bucket of water on yourself in what is most likely hot summer weather for everyone within the United States.  It's harder to pull your wallet out and donate money to a cause most people know nothing about.  If you noticed, I said Viral marketing and then I said PR- The practice lines are starting to blur.

Today I want every single person  to ask 10 people what ALS stands for. I'm willing to bet out of 10 people, only 1 person will be able to tell you one word in the abbreviations. 

Some people are on along for a PR ride of attention and vanity.....

Some are just doing what everyone else tells them  to do..  I was challenged to do the ALS bucket challenge and I don't plan on doing it.  I don't do something if I don't know the history behind it or connect to it.  I will donate money to a cause because I believe in helping others genuinely.


Before I stop writing, 

Can you think of Lou Gehrig's great accomplishments as a baseball star before his crippling disease? 

It's tough that he's synonymous with a disease.  THAT's Marketing.