24 May How to (and how not to) use awareness days in your marketing plans
Awareness days are a useful tool in any communications strategy. These allocated days in a year are designed to raise awareness of a cause and be a talking point for a particular issue. With a wide range of areas covered by these special days, there are lots to choose from to align with when it comes to a PR and marketing strategy. Here are Parrot’s top tips for getting it right.
Choose wisely
As already mentioned, there are now plenty of awareness days covering a wide range of issues. While it can be tempting to fill your marketing calendar with tie-ins so you know you’ve got activity plotted in, this can look suspect and not carefully considered. It is better to pick just a few to start with, perhaps one a quarter, and only if they genuinely align with your brand or an initiative you are running.
By being more selective, you can ensure your messaging is purposeful and meaningful, avoiding the risk of looking like you are simply capitalising on an opportunity to shout about your brand.
Research themes
Many awareness days will have specific themes each year. For example, this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week held in May had the theme ‘Movement: Moving more for our mental health’. By ensuring any messaging is aligned with the theme, it will show that you genuinely want to engage with the issue, not just tick a box in your comms strategy.
Use hashtags on social media
If you are using social media to share your awareness day messaging, be sure to use any hashtags that are associated with the event. Not only will these help to spread your message more widely, it will demonstrate that your brand has truly explored the special day and is true engagement with the initiative.
Plan ahead
As awareness days generally fall on the same day, or certainly around the same time, each year, there is plenty of time to plan for your communications. Leaving it to the last minute risks an unconsidered approach that will potentially leave your brand open to criticism.
If you’re planning a communications strategy and need some extra support to make it take flight, the team at Parrot are here to help. Get in touch today to see how our colourful communications can help you spread your wings.