People around the world are living longer and are in better health than any generation before. Still, there are challenges that need to be addressed — from medicines and vaccines, to new approaches to fighting both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

As a global community, we must work to ensure that global advances in health and wellness are spread equally across communities and around the world. Aligned with this message and as part of an integrated partnership with GSK Consumer Healthcare Products, National Geographic built the Chasing Genius platform to improve global health by sourcing solutions from ‘everyday geniuses.’

Big or small, local or global — health problems can be tackled with a single idea from an everyday genius; it’s not just doctors who are bringing big solutions to the table. From a clever approach to mobile medical services, to a new path toward clean water and sanitation, Chasing Genius encouraged people everywhere to share their ideas to help communities around the world thrive and live longer, healthier lives.

Based on the belief that transformational ideas can come from anywhere and anyone, Chasing Genius is a purpose-based community designed to inspire, ignite and unleash the genius inside each of us to turn ideas into catalysts for positive change in the world.

National Geographic crowdsourced ideas to identify the issues the global community is most passionate about, resulting in an initial challenge aimed at generating solutions for improving global health, as one of three challenge categories.

To engage the global community, National Geographic developed a rich suite of content with inspiring stories, as well as probing questions and statistics, that enlightened perspectives and helped contextualize the issue of health to stir up conversation and generate action. We then challenged the community to submit 1-minute videos describing their idea to enhance global health for a chance to win $25K to take their visions further.

The Chasing Genius Challenge was announced on May 9, 2017 and was maintained through a multi-tiered content and promotional rollout across broadcast, digital and social for three months. Consumers were encouraged to join Chasing Genius, submit 1-minute video ideas and share the challenge with their own networks.

In addition to the 277 posts across National Geographic's social channels, the brand supplied social media assets and copy to strategic partners including 1K+ universities, innovation incubators and health organizations — extending our reach well beyond National Geographic’s social footprint, generating an additional 8,7K posts with a potential extended reach of 50MM followers.

Voting began four months after submissions opened. The winner of the Global Health category was then announced on September 18, 2017 after having their video idea judged based on innovation, creativity, viability and inspiration by the Chasing Genius council.

More than 26,000 members joined the Chasing Genius community; nearly 3,000 people shared videos describing their solutions, 737 in the global health category alone; the campaign generated 225M+ impressions, 19M+ video views and 3M+ social conversations — demonstrating that National Geographic drove a global conversation around the notion that one idea can change the world.

The community submitted innovative global health ideas — from a cooler that preserves vaccines for longer periods of time, to a health monitoring platform that could catch the first signs of cancer using sensors and AI technology. Kevin White, won the global health category for USee, a simple kit that helps provide eye care with affordable, transportable, easy-to-use vision correction kits.

In both metrics and mission, Chasing Genius succeeded — generating a rare and coveted level of consumer engagement by tapping into collective passions, and rousing the world to improve global health.

Chasing Genius was built on the consumer insight that millennials believe they can make the world a better place. In addition to making the platform as accessible as possible, we focused communication on igniting and unleashing an idea — continuously gathering engagement data to fine-tune messaging.

We were able to connect with our audience via a multi-tiered content strategy, which leveraged organic and targeted social, university and NGO outreach, and engagement with maker groups, Nerd Night events and influencers.

We optimized participation with world-class storytelling focused on critical health issues — including mini-documentaries, quizzes, articles, galleries and interviews — that we shared across our global social network as encouragement.

The strategy culminated with the community generating thousands of 1 videos, and with four winners receiving $25K each to take their idea further — judged by the Chasing Genius council and voted on by the larger community.

National Geographic has been on the forefront of science and exploration for more than 130 years, investing in the cutting-edge alongside the top best scientists, explorers, photographers, and filmmakers.

For as long as the brand has been publishing, purpose has been a cornerstone of our business model and our ability to engage consumers globally. It’s through our bold, dynamic storytelling that we inspire new ideas, enlighten perspectives, provoke conversations, and create catalysts for innovation and action.

In 2017, as part of an integrated partnership with GSK Consumer Healthcare Products, National Geographic created the Chasing Genius platform — an initiative designed to inspire and accelerate transformational ideas from consumers everywhere to make their lives, communities, and planet healthier.

Inspired by National Geographic’s first scripted series, “Genius,” the platform’s objective was to host a purpose-based collaborative community, where consumers can join, be encouraged to share ideas and ultimately become catalysts for positive global change via an innovative challenge.