Betty White has always been an icon in the world and my household. Growing up we would watch Golden Girls and many of the movies she was in. I’ve always adored her spicy, yet caring spirit throughout her 99 years of life. Betty White was a huge pet lover and even hosted “Pets on Set”. It’s amazing how much she advocated for the safety and love for animals of all kinds. There's a challenge spreading throughout the country honoring Betty White and her dream to help animals.
In MarketWatch’s article, they discuss the #BettyWhiteChallenge which is an amazing opportunity to honor Betty White’s legacy on what was supposed to be her 100th birthday. The challenge is to donate $5 to an animal shelter or organization in her name by this Monday (January 17th). Shelters across the country have already accrued so many donations with some totals as high as $25,000. Isn’t that incredible?
Not only are fans taking part by donating, but shelters themselves are taking this challenge to the next level. A pet rescue in Hillsborough county, is waiving 100 cat and dog adoption fees in hopes to draw in people to hopefully adopt an animal. This is not only an awesome way to honor Betty White’s dream, but it is also an amazing marketing strategy. Shelters and rescues are taking note of this challenge and are jumping on the bandwagon in hopes of giving their animals a home and create awareness of their struggles.
This challenge is quite relevant due to the unfortunate event of White’s death on December 31st, 2021. Fans all over are mourning the inspiring and joyful icon that she was. There is no knowledge of how the challenge started, but one could assume that a fan wanted to honor Betty’s last wish to help and love animals.
A major challenge for shelters is finding people to adopt older pets and specifically ones that have been in the shelter for quite some time. Many people go straight to the kittens or puppies since they are cute and little. I mean can you blame them? Unfortunately, that leaves the older animals to, once again, wait for a new home.
Due to this challenge falling on a holiday of Martin Luther King Day, this poses a challenge of there being multiple charities and organizations encouraging donations at this time. It could take away from the donations towards resumes and shelters. Though it could interfere and put people in a tough position, I think donating is donating no matter where you go. Either one would benefit a community in a positive way.
Though harsh, organizations are utilizing this challenge to draw in fans and tug at the heart strings to bring in revenue and of course eliminate the abundance of homeless animals. It is a unique way to draw in the public and catch the eye of others through the internet and social media platforms. They truly appealed to their audiences.
One problem that I had with the marketing for this event was how there was not a lot of social media coverage. It was mainly broadcasted on the news or on the internet with only a little on social media platforms. Americans find the majority of businesses and events through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Due to the numerous shelters not doing this, we are very uniformed. I learned about it through the grapevine. I even asked multiple classmates if they have heard of this challenge and the majority said no unfortunately.
Personally, I would advertise and promote the #BettyWhiteChallenge on social media the most. Like I mentioned, the majority of people stream instead of watch television and choose social media over the internet. I feel like this way they would reach multiple audiences. I know that their main audience are those who grew up watching her since they were young, but with a cause like this, I would recommend reaching as many groups as you can. They aren’t losing money because there’s nothing to sell or lose.
Numerous people and organizations that worked with Betty White said that this event would make her smile seeing us all coming together. So I encourage you to take part in this challenge, helping carry on the legacy of Betty White and fulfill her dream.
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