While awareness weeks in the voluntary sector might seem somewhat 'old fashioned', a flexible PR approach can still ensure their effectiveness, explains Macmillan's head of media Emma Guise.

This month we’ve had Dying Matters Week, Dementia Awareness Week and Sun Awareness week. Within the cancer sector alone there are a dozen awareness weeks and months that aim to raise awareness of different types of cancer and increase understanding of the signs and symptoms. With so many awareness weeks and months can charities really get cut through with the public or are they wasting their time and resource on an outdated and overused PR tactic?

The media appetite around awareness days has certainly changed. Increasingly it’s simply not enough for national news and specialist correspondents unless you’ve got a strong story. But even then there is always the risk they will drop the awareness element. Features and consumer titles of all types still commit significant coverage if they see a strong alignment with their audience. For example Breast Cancer Awareness Month remains a huge success and this is largely driven by the women’s consumer publications and broadcasters like This Morning (as well as great campaigns from my peers in the third sector of course).

However the real opportunities now lie with social media which has completely opened up the range of ways charities can promote awareness weeks and provide a great way to engage audiences, especially if they feel like they are getting behind a movement that will get noticed on their social media networks. The #NoMakeUpSelfie was a great example of this. Whilst it helped raise much needed funds it undoubtedly helped raise awareness of cancer at the same time, even though it wasn’t linked to any specific point in time.

And that’s another crucial thing charities have to learn. Sticking rigidly to a date doesn’t always yield the best results.

For example Sun Awareness week usually takes place in May which isn’t always warm and if it rains stories won’t land that well. Sun awareness campaigns are far more successful in summer months and there are always other hooks to consider such as start of the summer holidays, longest day of the year or perhaps having preplanned stories ready for the inevitable British ‘heatwave’.

Social media trends can be just as unpredictable as the British weather and won’t always fit neatly into your communications timetable. So being opportunistic and flexible with your PR collateral is key.

But it’s not all bad news. Awareness weeks can be a good hook when you have a natural alignment, and a clear ask or call to action significantly helps you stand out and engage audiences. Alzheimer’s UK recently used Dementia Awareness Week to launch a new hard hitting advertising campaign and the call to action ‘become a Dementia Friend’ is simple and has significantly pushed the cause up the agenda.

As well as awareness these weeks are also a great opportunity to thank people, and again this is where social media comes into its own. Macmillan Cancer Support will be using National Volunteers Week this June to engage with and thank our current volunteers. Our external communications activity will centre on social media and run in parallel with conferences organised to inform, develop and recognise our fantastic volunteers. It’s a nice excuse to stop and appreciate people.

So whilst there is certainly media fatigue and stiff competition for airtime awareness weeks can still be a good hook for charities and business. However the PR essentials have to apply; make it targeted and relevant to your audience, have strong media collateral with a clear call to action and put social media at the heart of your strategy.  

Emma Guise is head of media at Macmillan Cancer Support