Following on from our post on what's happening in August (download our 2024 August Calendar if you haven't already), we thought it might be useful to give a few examples of how these sorts of milestone dates could be useful to insert your business into the newscycle.
So, here are three different businesses and a couple of different news angle ideas for each to mark Bullying No Way Week (12-16 August) 2024:
If you own a Health Food Business, here are a couple of ideas that might work for you:
Launch a campaign to run in Bullying No Way Week that emphasises the link between nutrition and mental well-being.
Do a quick search to find home-grown research that supports your idea that a balanced diet can improve mood and resilience against bullying, and use this as the foundation of your campaign. (The media LOVES to quote data and facts.)
The campaign could include giveaways of nutritious snacks in local schools or community events, along with articles/blog posts discussing the needs of bullied children and how nutrition can play a role in their recovery.
You could also host a series of workshops in schools that focus on healthy eating and its link to improved self-esteem.
These workshops could engage students in hands-on activities to create healthy snacks and talk about building self-confidence through nutrition. You could even partner with local influencers or mental health professionals to provide further insights on the importance of nourishing the body and mind and how this helps kids to stand up against bullying.
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If you're in charge of a school of some kind, here are a couple of ideas that might work for you:
Highlight student-led projects and initiatives aimed at fostering an inclusive environment during Bullying No Way Week.
This media pitch/release could showcase efforts such as 'Kindness Committees' or peer mentoring programs designed to support students experiencing bullying and promote a culture of respect. Student testimonials and success stories could enhance the impact of the news angle. Likewise, great photography or other media of kids actioning these types of initiatives would be well received by the media.
Perhaps your school or educational facillity could organise a symposium where parents, educators and students come together to discuss the effects of bullying and ways to combat it.
Invite guest speakers, including psychologists or anti-bullying advocates. Promote the school's proactive policies and programs to create a safe, supportive environment for all students, establishing the school as a leader in bullying prevention.
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Finally, if you're in more of the B2B or B2C space, here are a couple of ideas that might work for you:
Announce a partnership with local schools or an anti-bullying organisation to support Bullying No Way Week through community outreach programs.
This could include funding workshops, providing resources, or engaging employees as volunteers during educational activities in schools.
Your media pitch or release could highlight your company's commitment to social responsibility and demonstrate how bullying prevention aligns with your organisation's corporate values.
Launch an internal campaign within the business to educate employees about bullying prevention, emphasising the importance of respectful interactions in the workplace.
This could involve providing on-site training sessions, workshops and resources to employees to help them recognise and address workplace bullying.
This could also include testimonials from employees about the importance of creating a positive workplace culture and how it can translate to community actions during Bullying No Way Week. (A fresh take on anti-bullying might be to take a look at 'Toxic Positivity' and its impact on worker motivation and happiness.)
If you're considering this option, another way to attract the media's attention is to focus on the data that demonstrates how much more productive (in terms of profitability and output) a happy, bullying-free workplace environment is.
In summary, effectively newsjacking a milestone like Bullying No Way Week offers businesses a unique chance to inject their messaging and their brand values into the media narrative and get meaningful (and likely positive) media attention.
We hope it's inspired you to look more creatively at these types of calendar events and dates to see if you can weave your own story into current events and trends.
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