Our Sixth Annual Health and Wellness Calendar For 2022!
The staff of MediaTracks is pleased to curate this planning guide — it's the perfect resource to help you develop or enhance health-related public relations and marketing campaigns. This year has been a roller coaster of hope and disappointment. COVID vaccines became available, but we witnessed the Delta variant show us that it isn't done with the world yet. In real-world terms though - health means more than just physical wellness; mental well being too can make all the difference in whether you survive personal crises like health emergencies! The MediaTracks 2022 Health and Wellness Calendar provides a comprehensive month-by-month compilation of health awareness topics that impact us.
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Tips for Using our 2022 Health and Wellness Calendar
Fourth-quarter of the year is the perfect time to look back at what your clients have done this year. Some may have been sitting on the sidelines because of the pandemic. Remind them that better days are ahead. Ask yourself, “What worked for them? Why did it work?”
And even more importantly, ask yourself and your clients, “What didn't work this year? What part of your public relations plan would you like to do differently?”
Make notes, and look around your industry to see what other companies are doing. No company is an island — apart from their community or apart from their demographic. So let's get started:
- Get familiar with health and wellness topics. With 85 unique awareness opportunities on the 2022 calendar, there are multiple options for your clients. Think about their demographic target, the products or services they offer, and how particular health or wellness topics could be a good fit for each client.
- Consider your community. Look at the demographics of your community. Are there unmet needs? A community with a large population of older adults might need more access to vision care or a food bank, especially for seniors where rising grocery prices have forced hard choices. A community with lots of young families might need more childcare options. Where could your clients' sponsorships or donations help with unmet community needs?
- Tying in with local healthcare providers - in 2021, hospitals became stretched to their limits, particularly as the Delta variant surged across our nation. Sponsoring local health fairs that offer to test for blood sugar levels and blood pressure checks not only raises the profile of the facility, but it's also doubly helpful for low-income residents who lack access to simple health screenings.
Practical Advice for Health-Oriented Sponsorships
Sponsorships require a little sleuthing on your part. Ask questions, and then listen carefully. Sometimes, one question opens the door to help your clients have a successful and meaningful sponsorship. Lots of people are willing to share their experiences.
- Find out if someone may have a story to tell about their health crisis or how they overcame an injury or illness. Ask engaging questions? Do you have a favorite charity? Is there a cause you enthusiastically support? Real-life stories always resonate in sponsorships.
- Think outside the box. What makes your client's product or service different from the others? Locally-manufactured? Do some local schools or teams utilize their products or services? Do you have a food drive at work? What do your employees love to do in their spare time?
- Ask if employees might want to volunteer — communities always seem to rally around a 5K race or raffle when employees get involved.
- Be sure that every campaign includes social media — tweets, Instagram, and Facebook posts help get others to participate.
- Contact local media outlets to get coverage of events on radio and TV.
- Plan ahead. Help your clients by providing a timeline for scheduling media, printing materials, or reserving tents or space well before any event.
Things to Avoid For 2022 Health & Awareness Events
Maybe you've heard the term — Pinktober — it refers to the inappropriate use of pink (the “official” color of the ribbon used for breast cancer awareness). Unfortunately, too many companies and agencies decided to “pink up” their products, whether it made any sense or not. We've all seen too many items with pink ribbons. Make sure that your client's health or wellness sponsorship makes sense for them and properly represents the cause. To learn more about the appropriateness of any health or wellness campaign, visit ThinkBeforeYouPink.
Other Calendar Sources Outside of the 2022 Health & Awareness Calendar
For some other sources of daily, weekly, and monthly observances, check out these resources:
- Daily Fun Calendar. Called the National Today, you'll find both silly and serious daily topics — and even food and just-for-fun days.
- Observation Day Calendar. The National Day Calendar is a source of almost 1,500 celebrations of special days, weeks, and months that acknowledge everything from bacon and chocolate to biking, hunting, and yoga days. The National Day Calendar accepts applications to add “new days” to their calendar; perhaps one of your clients might be a target for developing a day for inclusion in the National Day Calendar.
Will COVID affect the United States in 2022?
The United States can expect a new normal by the spring of 2022. We may see a combination of mask-wearing, vaccine requirements, and individuals making more COVID-related decisions based on their personal circumstances. We may also see “mini” surges in different parts of the country, depending on the variants. There is an old saying that seems to sum up the COVID pandemic, “The more things change, the more that they stay the same.”
Our job as public relations specialists remains steadfast. Focus on what we can do to protect and enhance our health and wellness, locally, regionally or nationally.
Want to learn about using our 2022 Health and Wellness Calendar in your radio campaigns? Call us at 847-299-9500 or contact us via start a project. Make sure to include the MediaTracks Health and Wellness Calendar in your planning for 2022.
January Health & Wellness Awareness
- National Birth Defects Prevention Month
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
- National Glaucoma Awareness Month
- Thyroid Awareness Month
- National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month
February Health & Wellness Awareness
- AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
- American Heart Month
- National Children's Dental Health Month
- Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
- National "Wear Red" Day for Women's Heart Health (February 4)
- National Donor Day (February 14)
- Eating Disorders Awareness and Screening Week
March Health & Wellness Awareness
- Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
- National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- National Endometriosis Awareness Month
- National Kidney Month
- Multiple Sclerosis Education Month
- National Poison Prevention Week (March 20-26)
- Purple Day for epilepsy awareness (March 26)
April Health & Wellness Awareness
- Alcohol Awareness Month
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month
- National Autism Awareness Month
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month
- National Donate Life Month
- National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- Oral Cancer Awareness Month
- National Autism Awareness Month
- World Health Day (April 7)
May Health & Wellness Awareness
- Arthritis Awareness Month
- National Stroke Awareness Month
- ALS Awareness Month
- National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
- Healthy Vision Month
- Brain Tumor Awareness
- Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month ®
- National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
- National Osteoporosis Month
- Mental Health Month
- Lyme Disease Awareness Month
- Lupus Awareness Month
June Health & Wellness Awareness
- Cataract Awareness Month
- Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month
- Men's Health Month
- National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
- National Safety Month
- Hernia Awareness Month
- World Sickle Cell Day (June 19)
July Health & Wellness Awareness
- Cord Blood Awareness Month
- Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
- National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month
- World Hepatitis Day (July 28)
August Health & Wellness Awareness
- Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
- National Breastfeeding Month
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- Psoriasis Awareness Month
September Health & Wellness Awareness
- Blood Cancer Awareness Month
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
- National Food Safety Education Month
- National Recovery Month
- National ITP Awareness Month
- Healthy Aging ® Month
- National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
- National Food Safety Education Month
- National Sickle Cell Month
- National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
- Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
- World Alzheimer's Month
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
October Health & Wellness Awareness
- Eye Injury Prevention Month
- Health Literacy Month
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- National Bullying Prevention Month
- National Physical Therapy Month
- National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month
November Health & Wellness Awareness
- American Diabetes Month
- COPD Awareness Month
- Diabetic Eye Disease Month
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
December Health & Wellness Awareness
- World AIDS Day
- National Influenza Vaccination Week
- Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week