International Women’s Day is an excellent example of how organisations control their visual online message when promoting awareness campaigns.
Each year, International Women’s Day campaigns encourage women around the World to showcase and celebrate their success stories, while simultaneously highlighting the work that still needs to be done to raise awareness of gender equality.
Data from 38 countries around the World confirm that, while men and women have increased their workloads during Covid-19, women greatly outnumber the men in terms of just how much.
A Global Approach
IWD.com’s ‘Global – Local – Everywhere’ mantra means that the message needs to cross language and culture barriers; this begins with an appropriate brand palette. The UK’s first IWD took place in 1911, with their choice of primary colours already established by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), founded in 1908.
Any one colour can in itself represent a powerful visual message to its audience. This will differ widely depending on personal perspective, so an explanation as to why colourways were selected – and told as part of a story – will alleviate any misconceptions. IDW.com gives clarity to their primary palette:
Purple: justice and dignity
Green: hope
White: purity (IWD.com understand this is controversial today and needs addressing)
Staying On Message
IWD.com’s message is simple – although complex in its delivery – and addresses:
“Women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements, plus a call for gender equality.”
Each year countries around the World chose their individual theme. The UK’s 2021 topic:
“Choose To Challenge” – A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change.
The Key to Control
IWD.com has ensured that everyone engages and shares on-brand, by creating templates using their official campaign colour purple, along with specifically designed social frameworks. These are then offered as easily accessible, free downloads on their website. However, it’s interesting to note that permission is required to use their logo. This is highly recommended for any brand. It’s imperative that third party brands sitting juxtaposition with yours are aligned with your values.
The hashtag
The global hashtags #internationalwomensday and #IWD2021 is used in unison with IWD.com’s specific campaign hashtag #choosetochallenge. Each organisation selects its own hashtag – the UN uses #generationequality for example – but whichever personal hashtag is used, these are paired with the global ones, shared by all thereby making their message easily re-sharable.
So the key is simple…
Number One: Create your on-brand social templates
Number Two: Promote as freely available giving clear guidance & instructions
Number Three: Have fun engaging with your campaign countdown
Number Four: Share everyone’s stories
Header image credit: IWD.com