Behind the scenes of the Movember campaign
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Movember is a charity event held in November each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health. It is about real men growing real moustaches and talking about real issues. From 30 Mo Bros in Melbourne in 2003 to 854,288 men sporting moustaches around the world in 2011, Movember has become a global movement that is having a tangible impact on the health of men around the world. In 2012, Movember will run official campaigns in 21 different countries.
How did the idea for Movember come about?
The Movember idea was born in Melbourne by two mates discussing fashion and recurring trends. They questioned where the moustache had gone and joked about bringing it back. A bold challenge to bring back the moustache was made and Movember was born.
How was Movember marketed?
Movember’s growth in the early stages was largely organic, spreading through conversations initiated by the moustache. The development of the movember.com website was also a key driver for growth.
The campaign offered a fresh approach to fundraising, with its focus firmly upon having fun and doing good. By growing a moustache for 30 days in Movember, men effectively became walking, talking billboards for men’s health. The idea was to prompt public and private conversation to educate and raise awareness of men’s health issues whilst raising funds along the way. In doing so, Movember focused on breaking down the barriers of communication that are commonly experienced by men when it comes to talking about their health.
What is the most effective piece of marketing advice you have received?
Make sure you have a dense and well-rounded campaign. Big advertisements and cover stories are great for boardroom walls, but the volume of carefully planned activity that supports those big ticket items are what will truly define the success of your campaign.
What marketing initiatives proved ineffective? Why?
Movember’s approach is to keep it simple and focus on the growing of Mos. Less effective initiatives tend to have resulted from trying to complicate the message and from moving outside of the campaign’s core focus. Fortunately there have not been any major disasters along the way.
Was any market research conducted? If so, what was investigated and how?
For the last four years we’ve carried out independent research with partners IMI to better understand the Movember community, with a view to constantly challenge and improve the campaign. Both participants and non-participants were asked a series of questions relating to participation, brand, message, attitudes towards health and demographic information. Aside from providing vital campaign data, the research showed a trend for those engaged in Movember to be better informed about their health and more likely to seek help when faced with a health issue.
How did the campaign crack the international market?
Movember campaigns typically begin with passionate Mo Bros and Mo Sistas raising awareness in a territory, making our entry into a market an intuitive step. Movember also evaluates any territories’ need for men’s health programs and presence of reputable partners to deliver programs.
As the organisation grows and expands into different countries, the challenge is to maintain the culture that has made Movember so unique, while recruiting the skills and installing the processes that will allow it to operate effectively and efficiently. Movember has tackled this issue by focusing on recruiting people who share the Movember value set and motivation to change the face of men’s health.
What tips would you give to other organisations looking to expand their campaigns internationally?
Understand your market and the real need for the campaign or product. Be bold enough to maintain the key aspects of your campaign, even if it’s confronting at first, but speak in a tone of voice that resonates with the local audience.
How have you used technology to strengthen your campaign?
Movember is an online campaign and thus all communications drive people to our website. Through this platform we are able to talk to the Movember community and provide them with regularly updated news, fundraising tips and information about men’s health. The site offers participants the opportunity to share stories, encourage others and document their Movember experience.
During the 2011 campaign there were 26,927,373 visits to our website, with the average length being 4:01 minutes. This is a great result by industry standards and demonstrates the importance of having relevant content for visitors.
Is social media as powerful as the hype?
Social media is an incredible tool for any public-facing campaign, but the value of the medium is directly related to relevance and authenticity of your message. If people want to hear what you have to say, they will continue to engage. Conversely, social media offers you the ability to be highly selective in the messages you receive. Entertain, engage or inform or you’re gone.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having the campaign limited to one month of the year?
Having the campaign focused around a concentrated period of time is an advantage as it means we aren’t constantly asking people for their time and money throughout the year. The challenge lies in ensuring the community remains engaged between campaigns and informed about where their funds go. This is achieved through strategic communications which focus on outcomes in the off season.
How does Movember keep its campaign fresh each year?
Each year, aside from the core messages of growing moustaches and raising funds and awareness, the campaign explores issues of masculinity, grooming, trends and social behaviour. This year’s theme, Movember and Sons, looks at the role of fathers in our lives and the transfer of knowledge and skills.
Menchie Khairuddin is a writer Deputy Content Manager at Akolade and content producer for Third Sector News. She is passionate about social affairs specifically in mixed, multicultural heritage and not-for-profit organisations.
