Comments on: Social Media is More than a Meme

By: heatherwhaling

heatherwhaling — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:10:42 +0000

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think we're talking about two different things. I didn't say the person(s) who started this chain letter should have known to include an link or a stronger call to action. However, you know as well as I do, that there are lots of companies who bring on a social media consultant in hopes of creating the next viral video. And, now you can be sure that there are people asking how to create the next Facebook meme. My point was that that's not enough.

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:02:32 +0000

But of course. If this meme was launched by a breast cancer organization, your points would likely have been utilized. But as nobody really knows who started the virus, what more can we expect?

By: heatherwhaling

heatherwhaling — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:57:47 +0000

Ari, of course a meme can be fun. But, when it involves something as serious as cancer, I don't see any harm in trying to make the fun more meaningful … use fun as an “in” to actually make a difference, instead of just learning what color bra your co-worker, friend or family member is wearing. The Facebook reference was just a starting point for this post. I was really talking about a larger issue that many organizations face: separating a flash-in-the-pan social media “hit” from a longer lasting presence that will move the needle. Thanks for commenting.

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:51:34 +0000

…and I thought the whole purpose of any meme was to have fun. Are you implying the fun factor wasn't there? Why must it be more? It's Facebook for crying out loud.

By: heatherwhaling

heatherwhaling — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:04:36 +0000

Abby, that's a great point — you're probably right in saying that this spread so quickly because there wasn't a big company/organization behind it. It really did look like grassroots. That said, I wish one of the big cancer organizations would have jumped on this to take it to the next level. What could have happened if Komen sent a message to all their fans thanking those who participated in the meme and asked them the next day to put a link to the Komen Foundation in their status instead of or along with their bra color?

Hadn't heard about the White House Black Market initiative — thanks for sharing! Now I love that store even more!

By: Abby

Abby — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:30:23 +0000

I thought it was interesting to watch this take place on Facebook, but more could have been done with it if it had been tied into a breast cancer awareness campaign. This could have been just one facet of something much larger, as you suggest above. Instead it's something that people are already forgetting.

I saw that White House | Black Market and Soma Intimates actually jumped on this opportunity. They offered to donate $1 to Living Beyond Breast Cancer for every bra color posted to their Facebook fan pages. I thought this was a smart move on their part. They were able to engage their fans while tying their brand to a good cause that already had momentum on Facebook.

I wonder, however, if something like this could have taken off the way it did if it had been implemented by a big company or brand. Many people don't want outsiders interfering with their online social lives, especially on a network like Facebook where many use privacy settings. Would we be as receptive to something like this if we knew a big brand and a budget was behind it? I really don't think so. But nonprofits and awareness campaigns may have success with something like this in the future if they tie it into something larger and follow your suggestions.

Great post, Heather.