NBC Today Show meteorologist Al Roker set a world record this week for the longest uninterrupted weather report, clocking in 34 straight hours between Wednesday night and Friday morning. The stated purpose for the event was to raise money for the USO, but the stunt surely didn’t hurt NBC's ratings. The Today Show has been locked in an ongoing battle with ABC's Good Morning America for top weekday morning show for longer than most people care to remember. Rokerthon definitely provided a nudge for the peacock.
Roker’s marathon weather report is a feat to admire. Sure, weather is the number one topic of conversation for the entire human race, but who can really talk about it for 34 straight hours? And raise $70,000 for a charity at the same time?
#Rokerthon was a top Twitter hashtag during the event, and social media was alive with Roker selfies, updates and shouts of encouragement from celebrities and fans.
This simple stunt made for great PR for Roker, the Today Show and the USO. Sometimes the most impressive PR activities are the ones that are simple in their conception and execution. Who would have thought that pouring buckets of ice water over peoples’ heads would become a social media phenomenon that would raise awareness and money to combat ALS? Al Roker’s 34-hour weather report is smaller in scale but follows the same idea. Keep it simple, make it about something people can get behind and, of course, make it fun.
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