February “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

National Cancer Prevention Month

In February, there’s lots of awareness around cancer prevention. Medical experts recommend healthy living and regular screenings as two critical actions for cancer prevention. The month is an excellent time for your health care clients to reiterate messaging about annual mammograms, Pap smears, colonoscopies or other screenings. They can do this for a broad audience on radio. They can also target digital awareness ads for their specific service area via geofencing.

Health care organizations aren’t the only ones that can help spread awareness in February. Retailers and restaurants can partner with providers to share important information on social media or with video ads.

Outside of awareness, retailers, restaurants or other companies can also designate certain days for donations. These businesses can donate a portion of the proceeds on those days to a cancer prevention nonprofit. It can create more traffic for in-store purchases for those who want to support the cause.

Gyms, health food stores, or other businesses promoting healthy living may also want to advertise. For example, they could offer promos to new enrollees or shoppers. They may also want to do awareness campaigns about their healthy options and why they’re good for people.

Black History Month

February is the month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans. It’s a time to reflect on their role in U.S. history and their importance in the country’s story. There are many ways for your advertisers to participate in this celebration.

Advertisers may be sponsoring events of associations or nonprofits, and they’ll want to promote them to encourage attendance. Those ads would be great for radio since they cover most of the population. Social media marketing is another opportunity to get these events in front of people.

Black-owned businesses often have special events throughout the month that honor their roots. They might also partner with nonprofits to donate proceeds. In either case, they’ll want to get the word out. Digital display ads targeted to their surrounding geographic areas are one option. They should also consider email and SMS to announce these to current contacts.

Another option is working with large enterprises in your community that partner with Black-owned businesses. This could mean they sell goods from Black-owned companies or collaborate with them in some way. These companies may want to highlight these relationships through a series of ads throughout the month. One idea is a social media campaign that highlights multiple businesses. They could also create story-based video ads for OTT/CTV.

American Heart Month

February is the month of love, including the health of hearts. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming more lives than all forms of cancer. During February, health care professionals and communities want to shine a light on the disease and build awareness around prevention.

Local media sellers can support many different advertisers with concepts for American Heart Month. Local hospitals and cardiac care clinics can benefit from awareness ads on social media, OTT/CTV and radio. These could include heart health facts with CTAs to visit their websites to learn more or make an appointment.

Retailers and restaurants may be hosting events or contributing donations for research. If so, these are worthy of targeted display ads within the geographic area and email or SMS campaigns to existing customers. It’s a good way to get consumers to their stores so they can give back collectively.

Nonprofits are another potential customer for this theme. They may be hosting donation events to benefit the American Heart Association or other cardiac care groups. They’ll need to get the word out through advertising using channels like radio, social media, OTT/CTV and video ads.

National Snack Food Month

America is a country of snackers. What consumers choose to snack on varies from the very healthy to indulgences. Research suggests that about 90% of those in the U.S. have one to three snacks daily. Surveys on typical snack items list fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, yogurt and confectionary items as the top five.

Snack Food Month would be a great campaign for grocery and convenience stores. These advertisers are often spenders in their local markets. Supermarkets will likely spend more on local advertising in 2025, so this is a great idea to present to them.

Display ads and video would showcase top snacks with promos. Geofencing would be an excellent add-on for either fencing competitors or places where people may be considering snacks (e.g., ballparks, kids’ activity centers, yoga studios). Social media ads or social display would be a great complement, as well.

Focus on promos for the creative content that drive someone to take advantage of these snacking deals.

Groundhog Day (February 2)

Groundhog Day is an American pastime and a chance for advertisers to do something light and fun. Everyone will be waiting to see if winter will end early or drag on, which could be a great theme. Retailers, restaurants, spas and salons could offer promotions that align with either. If the verdict is a longer winter, the special could relate to staying warm. If spring is early, they could offer something related to getting ready for warmer weather. Social media, mobile messaging and email are ideal channels.

Another industry that could be a good fit for this day is landscaping. Depending on your location, most landscapes are dormant until spring. Landscape and sprinkler companies will be eager to fill up their schedules to prepare yards for spring. Pitch them some fun creative featuring groundhogs and preparing lawns for warmer days. These would be great social media and display ads.

National Wear Red Day (February 7)

National Wear Red Day is a day to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Those same advertisers that want to support American Heart Month may want to do something specific for this day. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. Some of the same cancer prevention ideas can also work for this day. The central theme of any message from health care or other advertisers should be about the dangers, symptoms, risk factors and impact of heart disease. Consider ads that use language like “healthy heart” and drive people to facts and information.

On the promotional side, health-centric retailers could promote items relevant to good heart health, like certain foods or supplements. De-stressing is another way women can reduce the risk of heart disease. You could present these ideas to massage therapists, yoga studios or acupuncturists. Recommend social media, geofenced display ads and radio spots.

National Pizza Day (February 9)

Pizza is one of the country’s favorite dishes. In fact, the average American eats 180 pieces of pizza per year! With so many options for crusts, cheeses and toppings, there’s a pizza for everyone. To mark this occasion, talk to local pizza places about running special promotions on the day.

Video spots featuring their mouth-watering offerings with a promo code would be great for social media. You can also advise these advertisers to send special deals to existing customers via email marketing and mobile messaging. This year, the day falls on Sunday when the big game will air, so there’s the opportunity for some cross promotions.

“The Big Game” (February 9)

The Big Game will have many advertisers ready to spend ad dollars. Restaurants, especially sports bars, will want to capture business. Wing specials are often at the top of the list. Recommend that they start ads at least two weeks before to ensure orders come in ahead of the big day.

Grocery stores will also want some of the action. They’ll likely have beer specials, snack promotions and catering options.

Since we’re talking about food, visual ads will be most impactful. OTT/CTV is perfect for this and has targeting capabilities. Social media ads are another option to create buzz.

The other big spenders around the game will be sports betting advertisers. It’s the largest sports betting day of the year. If your state has legal sports betting, either online or at physical sportsbooks, you can offer them both traditional ad spots and targeted digital ads.

National Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17)

Everyone needs more kindness in their life, and many advertisers likely want to observe this day. It’s an excellent opportunity for a feel-good ad that can produce positive sentiment. One fun and interactive idea is to create a game and giveaway. They can request that customers share stories about kindness, and others can vote to award a winner. Social media will be the prime spot for this. You could also recommend email and SMS campaigns to encourage participation.

National Love Your Pet Day (February 20)

In 2023, Americans spent over $147 billion on their pets, including food, treats, toys, supplements and other services. These furry family members get lots of love and attention, so it’s another opportunity for advertisers in the industry to create deals to entice pet parents. Key targets would be local pet shops, dog daycares, veterinarians and other specialty retailers. Being visual in presenting these offers is key. No one can resist a cute face, so these ads would be great for social media.

National Margarita Day (February 22) and Tortilla Chip Day (February 24)

As if there needs to be a day to celebrate margaritas! For restaurants that serve them or retailers that sell the ingredients, it’s a great time for them to say cheers to their customers. Restaurants can promote happy hour deals, while grocers or specialty drink stores can create bundles. These are great for social media and digital so you can target the appropriate age group.

What goes perfectly with a margarita — chips and salsa, queso or guacamole. Since these days are so near, restaurants and grocery stores could bundle a deal for both.