From BlogWorld Expo: Was #beatcancer a Guinness World Record?
Last year, the Guinness World Record for Most Widespread Social Networking Message had 209,771 unique mentions in 24 hours and contained the #beatcancer hashtag. In addition to activating the social network universe, the campaign drove $70,000 in sponsor donations. The viral message got a boost from the crowd attending last year's Blogworld and New Media Expo in Las Vegas, who joined together to show the power of social networking to rally around a cause. 
This year, bloggers and social media marketers were challenged to show they could beat the record.
For every tweet, Facebook status update or blog entry with the hashtag #beatcancer that was posted from October 15 9am PST - October 16 9am PST during Blog World Expo 2010, SWAGG and Paypal will be donating five cents ($0.05)* to the Stand Up To Cancer, Bright Pink and LIVESTRONG Foundations.
The repeatability and scale that Guinness World Records represent will likely continue to appeal to marketers in general, and they seem to be especially the rage for social marketers. MediaPost reported this summer that the company is extending the international success of its service line and live-events business unit, Guinness World Records Live, to the U.S. 
Cause marketing has traction among for-profit businesses that aim to marry their brands with charitable organizations to influence their audience's perception and position their companies as part of a campaign for social good. The appearance of the hot pink color across the NFL during Breast Cancer Awareness month, however, has resulted in some backlash about over-exposure for the cause.
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