Sarah Ford | August 28, 2014

Measuring #IceBucketChallenge Awareness

By George Weiner, WholeWhale.com

It is a rare moment when our collective attention turns toward causes as worthy as ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge has become an example of the increased awareness and fundraising that can result from the combination of creativity, social media and a compelling cause.

Like all media campaigns, this one also has its cynics. They point to a disconnect between awareness and action, and cite the many people dousing themselves with cold water without any understanding of the disease inspiring their unpleasant bath.

To all of these people I say searches for “ALS” in August just passed Justin Bieber in search interest. What’s more, for 2014, “ALS” searches just surpassed Justin Bieber’s infamous arrest in search interest in the US. After watching Justin’s iceless bucket challenge video, I decided to explore this further using a mix of Google Trends and AdPlanner tools. 

>> Continue Reading

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Explore More Articles

Emergency Assistance Fund Compliance: How to Stay IRS-Compliant While Maximizing Employee Impact

June 17, 2026

Why Emergency Assistance Funds Matter More Than Ever Financial insecurity remains a critical challenge for today’s workforce. Approximately 37% of Americans cannot afford an unexpected…

Open Position – Director of Marketing

June 16, 2026

Position: Director of Marketing  Department: Business Development  Reporting Structure: VP, Business Development   Exemption Status: Exempt  Location: Remote  Overview of the Role:  Reporting to, and partnering with, the VP,…

Celebrating Juneteenth and Continuing to Work in Solidarity for Racial Justice, Equality, and Equity

June 9, 2026

June 19 — also known as Juneteenth, or the nation’s second Independence Day — commemorates the end of slavery in Texas, and therefore the nation,…

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.

newsletter-mock