February 2020 PR Calendar Cheat Sheet: Valentine’s Day, Spring 2020 Collections, Mobile World Congress And More
February is a month to celebrate critically acclaimed films with the annual Academy Awards and spend time with your significant other on Valentine’s Day. Other highlights in the month include brands unveiling their Spring 2020 collections and the Mobile World Congress, a marquee event in the mobile technology industry. Here’s a list of major events and festivals to help you plan your PR campaigns and activities this month.
Key dates:
4 Feb: World Cancer Day
9 Feb: The 92nd Academy Awards (OSCARS)
National Press Day (Indonesia)
11 Feb: National Foundation Day (Japan)
14 Feb: Valentine’s Day
19 Feb: Makha Bucha Day (Thailand)
24 Feb: Mobile World Congress
28 Feb: 228 Memorial Day
29 Feb: Mardi Gras (Australia)
February 2020 Highlights
1. Brands unveil Spring 2020 Collections
Spring is a great opportunity for brands to unveil their first crop of new products for the year. Casual footwear giant Crocs has added two celebrities to its global ambassador roster in the 4th edition of its annual global marketing campaign, “Come As You Are”. They are India-born actress-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Chinese actress Yang Mi. Products-wise, Crocs has unveiled the Women’s Crocs Brooklyn Wedge, featuring the comfortable LiteRide™ foam technology and intuitive upper straps that create a stylish all-day look.
German jeweller Thomas Sabo has launched its Spring/Summer 2020 collection of jewellery and watches that are inspired by a magical garden for these seasons, featuring hummingbird, kaleidoscope and dragonfly designs.
2. The 92nd Academy Awards (9 Feb)
The Academy Awards, which shines the spotlight on the best achievements in the film industry, is famed for being a glitzy and star-studded affair. The highly-coveted awards, which is fondly nicknamed ‘the Oscars’, often highlights thought-provoking issues through film.
One of the nominees is using his short film to promote a cause from reel to real life. Film-maker Bryan Buckley has directed a docu-drama SARIA, which scored a nomination in the Short Film (Live Action) category. The film chronicles the hardships and abuse faced by young female orphans in Guatemala, which led to a tragic fire. Riding on the film’s buzz, Buckley met with two congressmen to discuss the next campaign phase of bringing justice to the 56 young girls, who were killed in the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home that was featured in the film.
On a lighter note, the Oscars’ red carpet is also closely-watched for the latest fashion and beauty trends by Hollywood A-listers. Lash applicator Eye-Am Conchita has rolled out a new product, Lash-App & Curl, which allows users to apply faux eyelashes in a fuss-free way. It also touts that actresses such as Christina Milian and Yolanthe Cabau use this tool to get themselves looking red carpet-ready.
At the post-awards Governors Ball event, Mexican tequila label Tequila Don Julio, which is owned by alcohol giant Diageo, will be a beverage partner at the tipple-happy event. Tequila Don Julio has teamed up with acclaimed mixologist Charles Joly to curate Oscars-themed cocktails such as Nominees’ Negroni, a zesty tequila-based concoction.
3. Valentine’s Day (14 Feb)
Valentine’s Day can be either highly-anticipated for those with a special someone or perennially dreaded among singles. According to a study by global online dating company, Plenty of Fish, 43% of singles considered Valentine’s Day to be the most pressure-filled holiday, with one in five people wishing the holiday was cancelled altogether. The Pressures of Valentine’s Day & Dating study delves into the pressures that singles face in their dating lives.
Survey findings also reveal that the pressure tied to Valentine’s Day is stronger among younger singles, with 60% of Generation Z and 52% of Millennials feeling the heat, and the pressure decreases as singles age. The study also revealed that the biggest pressures come from external sources tied to societal expectations (58%), commercialization and non-stop advertising of the big day (57%), and social media hype (48%).
Another global social discovery platform, Dating.com Group has come up with a list of “What Not To Do” on Valentine’s Day if one wants to avoid heartbreak. The list of things includes not contacting one’s ex-partner and not drawing too much attention on the occasion. The group also released results of a survey on online dating activity and behavioral trends to help breakdown today’s complex dating scene. Key findings include 63% of users indicated feelings of loneliness during February and 45% agreed that they turn to online dating as an effective and quick fix to their anxiety or sadness.
4. Mobile World Congress (24 – 27 Feb)
Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s largest mobile technology exhibition that showcases cutting-edge technology from 2,400 exhibitors, will take place in Barcelona in late February. The event’s theme, “Limitless Intelligent Connectivity”, touches on the next-generation possibilities of 5G Connectivity with the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and the Internet of Things. Other event topics include Customer Engagement, and Security & Privacy.
For more press releases that are related to the Mobile World Congress, click here.
Based on international media monitoring data from Cision Communications Cloud, there is an increase in MWC-related content from mid-January, especially among online consumer media outlets. Tapping on Cision Communications Cloud, PR Newswire took a closer look at the topics that journalists are seeking to get insights from the relevant experts from various businesses and industries:
- The convergence of technology and how it influences the future
What journalists want to know: Key trends and innovations brought about by the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, and how different industries can harness these technological innovations to improve lives.
Suitable for: Artificial Intelligence, IoT and 5G-related companies
- Trend & movements in cybersecurity
What journalists want to know: Web security is an essential aspect of technology applications. With the recent rise of cybercrime, what can businesses and individuals do to address web security challenges?
Suitable for: Cloud and big data companies
Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific in 2020. Click here to view the PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar.
This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
Kenneth Goh 