Name: Movember
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Big Idea: Every November, men around the world grow a mustache -- a "Mo" -- to raise funds and awareness for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer. The global campaign is driven largely by social media, online awareness platforms and a mobile app.
Why It's Working: Individuals grow mustaches and mobilize friends and family to donate online -- through a "Mo Space." Movember dominates social media chatter during November, and mentions of "prostate cancer" and "getting checked" increase, suggesting that Movember does in fact mobilize men to see a doctor. Aside from encouraging men to be proactive about their health, the 2011 Movember campaign raised more than $14.5 million for men's health research.
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"We as men don't feel comfortable talking about our health," says Garone, explaining why he and a few friends launched Movember in 2004. For the 30 days in November, men are asked to grow a "Mo" -- the oft-awkward facial hair "generates so much conversation" that it raises awareness and millions of dollars for men's health. At launch in 2004, social networks were minimal, but the rise of the social web has led to a snowball effect online.
"Over the last two years, we've seen an acceptance of social media," which helps to accelerate the amplification of the Movember messaging. says Garone. During Movember 2011, the U.S. Twitter handle @Movember saw 13,404 mentions, and "Movember" was part of 937,817 social media conversations. On one's Mo Space, a "Mo Bro" is encouraged to post updates about mustache growth, which is shared to his social networks on Facebook and Twitter, contributing to these conversations and helping to build a passionate community.
Beyond Facebook and Twitter, the Movember campaign also utilizes a mobile app and viral videos to take fundraising to the next level.
Thanks to social and digital savvy, Movember has grown into a global movement that spawned more than a million mustaches last November, helping to net more than $14.5 million. Check out the video above to see Adam Garone, founder and chief executive of Movember, talk mustaches and social media.
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Image courtesy of iStockphoto, selimaksan
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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