In the way that October turns pink in support of Breast Cancer charity, November is the month of the moustache for Movember. Movember is an international charity movement raising awareness, tackling, and raising money for mental, physical, and emotional men’s health.
Whilst it might be international now, Movember started in a bar in Melbourne in 2003. Inspired by Breast Cancer Awareness in October, two guys convinced 30 of their male friends to bring back facial hair fashion and grow moustaches to raise awareness and money for men’s health and prostate cancer.
Movember has grown into an international movement, with over 6 million Mo Bros and Mo Sisters supporting and funding over 1000 men’s health initiatives. The organisers attribute their success to the strength of their community of supporters.
This Movember, you might be wondering how your business can get involved in supporting men’s health. From growing moustaches to hosting charity events to encouraging conversations with your staff. Read on to find out how you can raise awareness this Movember.
How To Prepare Your Organisation For Movember
Start Growing!
The most obvious – and straightforward! – way for your business to support Movember is to encourage your male staff to grow moustaches if they choose. Often there can be dress codes or appearance guidelines in companies, so make sure that you communicate in advance of November with your staff to let them know that your business will support Movember.
By anticipating the beginning of Movember, you can ensure that Movember begins with some fully grown moustaches rather than starting in November. Whilst this also increases the enjoyment of the campaign and will encourage more conversations around Movember, it also gives you a better opportunity to snap some great photos of your team’s facial hair in Movember.
Arrange Business Participation
Moustaches are great for raising awareness of Movember, but you need to follow through on this visual support with more substantial support as a business. Businesses can look to support Movember with donations of money through fundraising or donating profits. In addition, if you work in the service industry, you can dedicate pro bono time to the cause, which can be invaluable to those that might not be able to afford your services.
We, of course, know that most businesses can’t refuse a competition, and this year there is the Movember Business Club, described as “…one epic, month-long competition between businesses of all kinds.” The Movember Business Club has been designed to build teamwork, encourage conversations and educate the workplace. For businesses to participate, they must pledge to donate $10k for internal fundraising. Find out more about the Movember Business Club here.
Get Moving for Movember
One of the main ways the Movember charity encourages fundraising is with Move for Movember. The basic premise is to commit to walking or running 60kms in 60 days to highlight the 60 men lost to suicide every hour.
Move for Movember is something businesses can engage with and support by organising their own event. Whilst you might not be able to coordinate a 60km run, you can still organise a 1km, 5km or 10km event. Shorter runs like this are more accessible to a much wider community. Customised wristbands for Movember events are an excellent tool for coordinating fund runs and other large-scale activities. Not only do they help coordinate your event and make it more efficient, but they also build an environment of inclusivity and excitement amongst participants.
If you want to Move for Movember, there is a wealth of excellent resources on the Movember site to help you organise your event and communicate it to your staff and the wider public.
Host a MoMent
If your business is considering coordinating an event for Movember, check out the Host a MoMent campaign. Creating a bespoke event for your business or company is an excellent way to raise awareness for Movember. The charity encourages businesses to host events in person or virtually.
Whilst businesses can host events, so can individuals and families. Movember Host a MoMent is all about getting ‘crews’ of people together to create challenges where people Mo Bros and Mo Sisters can have fun whilst raising money for a great cause.
Source Awareness Merchandise
One of the best ways to communicate your Movember commitments is through branding! First, you can design your own customised Movember wristbands using our wristband designer to build excitement around your event. Plus, the Movember charity has an excellent network of stockists that will have branded Movember merchandise, from snacks to remedy drinks and, of course, moustache paraphernalia.
Buying this branded merch will elevate your Movember MoMent, and a percentage of all purchases are donated to Movember. So it’s another great way to support the cause. The Movember site also has great templates for posters, donation bucket banners, email footers and more.
Important To Remember
The Movember movement is built on a community having fun, where “whatever you grow will save a bro”. But it is important to remember that the charity is raising awareness of men’s health, mental, emotional and physical. And this support starts at home. Would you know if one of the men in your life was struggling? And if so, how would you support them?
The key piece of advice from Movember is that if you spot a mate whose behaviour is out of the ordinary, trust your gut. Have a conversation with them. Don’t ignore it; reach out.
If you want to direct them to further support, look at Beyond Blue, Men’s Line, and Kids Helpline, helping young people aged 5 – 25.
Ways We Can Help
At The Wristband Co. we regularly work with customers planning awareness campaigns of all sizes. We are happy to assist in any way we can, including helping you find the right wristbands for your campaign. Get in touch with us today on 08 8363 4850 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
You can find out more about our company here.
Meet the Author
Laura Sayer – Marketing Specialist at The Wristband Co.
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