Thursday, 20 March 2014

Aromatherapy Awareness Week



Aromatherapy Awareness Week 9-15 June
Back-Pain and Clinical Aromatherapy


This will be the sixth year that we have sponsored Aromatherapy Awareness week and for the first time we shall be using a specific theme to gain even more interest. It would appear that 1 in 6 people suffer from back pain in the UK and it is the biggest cause of absent days from work in the UK next to stress.  This is an ideal opportunity therefore to demonstrate our skills in this area and get the word out there about the benefits of Clinical Aromatherapy particularly the IFA brand of Aromatherapy.

We shall of course be promoting the Week in the National Press but you as members could also use this opportunity to promote your own practices locally via your local press and radio stations. In addition, because of the effects of lost days on business due to back pain, the Week could provide an ideal opportunity to approach corporate clients with a view to treating their employees. 

First of all you need to decide on the promotional feature you would like to offer.  Here are some examples of what has been done in previous years:
            Discount treatments and offers
Demonstrations or Talks to:
                        Local Businesses
                        Schools
                        Gyms
                        Doctors Surgeries
                        NCT groups

Having decided on what you will do, you will then need to write a press release.  A press release template specifically for this Week is available from the IFA office.   As you will see from the template, it is important to keep the information very concise.  All you need to do at this stage is to get the attention of the journalist. 

Once you are happy with the Press Release you can contact the editorial department of your local newspaper, magazine and radio station.  This information can usually be found on their websites

You can then either telephone the Editors and ask them if they would be interested in your story, or you can email the press release directly to the Editor.   Most publications are always hungry for real news so don’t be shy – this is real news and making personal contact is always more effective.

If you do telephone make sure you have all the facts to hand that they might ask you about Aromatherapy Week and Aromatherapy in general.  The office has a bullet point sheet which is useful, not just for contacting the press, but also if you are going to be giving talks or demonstrations.  We are often asked ‘Is there sufficient proof that Aromatherapy works?”  The IFA website has several research papers on Back Pain as well as many other associated conditions.

Although we have a few months before the actual Week, you will need to start thinking about it now.   In terms of when to actually send out the press release: for weekly newspapers, you could contact them a month before; radio stations, a couple of weeks before.  Local magazines will depend on how frequently they appear.  If they are quarterly then you will need to contact them as soon as possible.  By giving the press sufficient notice it opens up the opportunity for them to do a more in depth feature for Aromatherapy Week.

The IFA office has a range of products i.e. leaflets, posters, smelling strips etc. to help reinforce and support your event.

Good luck and we hope you take this opportunity to make Aromatherapy Week exciting and fun both for you and the IFA.  Please let us know what you plan to do so that we may incorporate it into the IFA publicity and information.

Further information  on the effects of Back Pain





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