Allowing people to take time off for menstruation-related symptoms is gaining traction. A recent article from the BBC explored the topic, including if it unfairly benefits or, even worse, further stigmatises people with periods.
Menstrual leave has existed in various forms around the world, including in both Japan and Indonesia. However, it is still rare in some of the largest global economies, including the UK and the US.
As the topic gathers more momentum, femme-care brands could benefit from positioning themselves in the middle of the conversation. With this in mind, we look at some of the tactics brands can use to help drive the narrative.
News agenda hijacking for femme-care.
News agenda hijacking isn’t a new concept; however, it has become increasingly important in this extremely competitive time for PR. With digital platforms adding an extra layer to potential coverage, there are now more opportunities to capitalise on the popularity of a news story.
Firstly, as a story is breaking, search intent online increases. This allows you to position the experts within your business as spokespeople and positively position your brand alongside the story. An example of our work in positioning an expert at the forefront of a national debate can be found here.
Subsequently, consider what other content you can produce. This could include articles and blog posts, social media posts or videos. The right platforms to use depends on the story you’re covering and how the audiences will best consume the content you are outreaching.
Position yourself correctly.
Often when breaking news stories occur, consumer intent for products related to the story is elevated. Therefore, it is important to stay up to date with your target online publications. In particular, femme-care brands should focus on stories that align with what they feel their experts are qualified to speak on.
In addition, brands should regularly revise and review the publications they would like to target. This allows you to offer something different or unique to what has previously gained traction.
Finally, you must act quickly. By staying familiar with previous reactive material that may have been published on your target sites, you will better understand if positioning yourself against a story is the right thing to do.
Choose your topics wisely.
It is important to remember that this form of Digital PR requires an always-on approach. There are tools available that send journalist requests straight to your inbox that ultimately can provide you with a plethora of topics to align yourself with.
There are many current topics that femme-care brands can position themselves alongside. Topics that are gaining traction right now include the menstruation-leave debate, tampon tax and the choice between rising living costs and keeping clean.
Finally, don’t feel the need to immerse yourself in every topic. Choose topics that can offer the most value and ones that your content can cut through.
Getting more than just coverage.
Digital PR allows your brand to reach a broader audience that wouldn’t be reached through purely traditional channels. It complements other marketing channels including traditional PR, content marketing, social media and SEO.
The key is to understand the keywords being searched for during a particular breaking story. By undertaking the research and aligning high-intent keywords with quality content femme-care brands, you can generate backlinks that help extend beyond simple brand awareness.
These increased backlinks can have a positive effect on the authority and trust of your site consequently driving higher-quality traffic.
Here at The PHA Group, we are always happy to offer advice. For an informal discussion about joining a national debate or conversation related to your brand then click here
