The Leukaemia Foundation’s press release, “World Leukaemia Day: 50 years of support for Australians facing leukaemia”, stood out in September not only for its milestone focus but also for how effectively it connected with national awareness initiatives, particularly Women’s Health Week. From a PR and communications perspective, this was a textbook example of how to maximise timing, relevance and narrative strength to secure broad media resonance.
(News values: Timeliness, Significance)
By framing the campaign around 50 years of support, the Foundation created a natural “why now?” hook. Anniversaries give journalists a reason to reflect on both progress and ongoing need, making the release immediately newsworthy and nationally significant.
(News values: Timeliness, Relevance and Human Interest)
Launching during Women’s Health Week linked leukaemia awareness to an established national conversation on women’s wellbeing. The release also underlined how women with blood cancer face unique challenges, from delayed diagnoses to caregiving pressures. This framing added human interest and relevance for outlets already covering the week’s events.
(News values: Prominence, Impact)
The strategic overlap with Women’s Health Week encouraged journalists to pick up the release as an additional angle while also enabling other health organisations to cross-promote or reference it. This snowball effect amplified visibility and demonstrated the Foundation’s ability to influence the wider health communications agenda.
The release is easy to lift: clear headline, tight top-para summary, quotable spokespeople, direct takeaways and accessible background context. Under tight deadlines, that “plug-and-play” formatting reduces newsroom friction and increases the likelihood of pick-up and accurate framing.
(News values: Continuity, Significance)
Having earned Medianet’s PR of the Month earlier this year in March, the Foundation’s September campaign demonstrated that its communications success is consistent, not accidental. Journalists value organisations that can be relied upon to deliver timely, relevant, and well-crafted releases that fit neatly into editorial cycles. This consistency strengthens the Foundation’s standing as a credible, authoritative source.
This is a prime case study in orchestrating news values - timeliness, significance, human interest, impact, prominence, proximity, continuity - around a milestone that’s smartly co-timed with World Leukaemia Day and Women’s Health Week. The result: a charity announcement that transcends the calendar, earns cross-beat relevance, and sustains momentum throughout the month.
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