Join Blogging4Jobs and tell cancer to “Suck IT” as part of our Movember campaign.  Deets here.  We’re matching any donations made to Movember on Blogging4Jobs by donating to the Susan G. Koman Fund too. Suck it Cancer! 

With November officially beginning today, you may have overheard some of the males in the office discussing “Movember,” a month-long mustache-growing event. You’ve probably come across this term in the past few years when scouring Google to figure out why there were so many mustaches sprouting up during the month. However, to refresh your memory, Movember is a campaign designed to raise awareness about prostate cancer. The ultimate goal of the movement is to raise prostate cancer awareness and encourage regular check-ups and early detection.

The Evolution of Movember

Some readers may be shocked to hear that the Movember movement started in 1999. Although it has done well from its inception, the movement did not achieve the ubiquity of the pink ribbon until it began employing social media in its campaign. Throughout the month, the official Movember website receives several hits, and their Facebook page has over 38,000 likes in the United States alone. The official Movember Twitter account has approximately 25,000 followers, and that number is projected to grow as November approaches.

Facial Hair at Work

Those metrics are impressive, but what about the financial data? According to the SocialTimes, the campaign began with a meager $43,000 in 2004 (before to the incorporation of social media) and grew to an astounding $80.7 million by 2010. Movember’s official website reported a record-breaking $124 million raised to help raise prostate cancer awareness in 2011. Additionally, surveys revealed that one in five “mo bros” went to the doctor as a direct result of participating in Movember, while 91 percent thought about improving their health.

Applying Movember to the Workplace

The effects of Movember clearly indicate the importance of the movement, which should encourage some new participants to do their part to spread the word. From an HR perspective, Movember comes with plenty of opportunities to work together in the office and support a good cause in a fun and engaging way. This may be another way to remind employees of particular policies one of the facial hair variety.  One exciting way to do encourage Movember participation in the workplace would be to hold the mustache-growing contest for the month, where the winning team wins some kind of prize and a donation from the company to help fight prostate cancer.

Naturally, this contest may exclude female employees, so assign them the responsibility of persuading their closest male friend or family member to grow the most amazing mustache by the end of the month. This will help to spread the word and rally support even outside of the office.

Despite its somewhat ludicrous premise, Movember is the perfect representation of the strength of a marketing campaign, notably one focused on social media. The movement also demonstrates how easy (and enjoyable!) it is for everyone to join involved and support a worthy cause. Although the initiative has earned a significant amount of money for the event, the most important outcome is that it has raised awareness about this major health issue, which is truly priceless.

Join Blogging4Jobs and tell cancer to “Suck IT” as part of our Movember campaign.  Deets here.  We’re matching any donations made to Movember on Blogging4Jobs by donating to the Susan G. Koman Fund too. Suck it Cancer!