Along with the French, I love Jerry Lewis, not only because he’s an incredible comic but because he is the original social media marketer whose XX year run has a lot to teach us.
Consider these lessons.
1. Create Own-able, Original Content. The schmaltz, the cheesiness, the kids in wheelchairs, the has-been performers singing long-forgotten big-band songs, the B rolls of guys in white coats holding test tubes, the drum rolls and the tote boards that conjure up the ghost of Ed McMahon, the lame local anchors and the tear-wrenching appeals all signal Labor Day and MDA. Jerry has consistently used original content to claim significant year-round mind space and to drive a singular and differentiated brand message. There’s thousands of charities and thousands of celebrity do-gooders, but there’s only one Jerry Lewis and his kids.
2. Make a Personal Connection. We all genuinely know Jerry. He’s been a part of our lives since the 1950s. There is a great national catharsis each year as the telethon kicks off that focuses on Jerry. It’s partly a morbid health-watch to see which diseases and which side effects of treatments Jerry himself will display each year.
But even before he created a Facebook page or a Twitter account Jerry was engaging us by leveraging his comedy antics and by singing those signature songs – “Smile”, “What the World Needs Now” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Jerry understands, maybe better than anyone, that people buy people. He uses emotion, humor, schtick, flattery and frank talk to connect with different audience segments.
3. Persistent Positioning. Jerry and MDA have staked out a position and for 44 years they have delivered on it and raised more than $1.4 billion to fight muscular diseases. MDA owns Labor Day. There's nothing better and nothing more reliable and nothing more comforting than watching Jerry, on the 190 stations of the Love Network, and the predictable and familiar parade of firefighters, convenience store owners, letter carriers, realtors, oil companies, Harley Davidson executives and other random sponsors presenting those over-sized checks at random moments during the Labor Day weekend.
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Article comments
1 - Ryan
"[H]e is the original social media marketer whose XX year run has a lot to teach us."
Oops!
2 - Boobalack
Mr. Lewis has raised more than $1.4 billion.
He does not have a Facebook page. Somebody set one up pretending to be him, but that was brought to the attention of the Facebook admins, and it has been changed to only a fan page, which is acceptable.
About those has-been performers -- in order to be a "has-been" you must also be a "once-was." Not many of us can say we "once-were." ‹(^¿^)› Many people still like them, and there are also come contemporary performers who take part.
All in all, this was a nice little article. Thank you so much for encouraging people to donate.
3 - Boobalack
It has come to my attention that the Facebook page to which you referred is probably the MDA Facebook page, as Mr. Lewis also does not Twitter and does not Youtube. Sorry for the confusion.
4 - Dominick
Jerry doesn't raise crap. It is all the volunteers and the money does not go to help those with MD. They no longer pay for equipment, transportation to clinic, most clinic visits are covered by insurance, so they do not even pay that. They are far behind on the finding a "cure" part, too. Really the money goes to Jerry and his travel expenses.
MDA has shut down offices ALL over the U.S. In fact, the Toledo office shut down, firing a woman who has worked at MDA for almost 30 years, last October. They have consolidated a lot of offices and their CEO earns far more than the president of the U.S. makes. It is a horrible organization.
Jerry is just a figurehead, who treats people with MD like absolute crap. Look up "Jerry's Orphans" to see the truth about Jerry.