Some marketing and PR teams dismiss calendar-driven opportunities (think awareness days, predictions, or seasonal hooks) as tired or irrelevant. I'd argue the opposite. For reporters and editors, these moments are what keep newsrooms humming between breaking news cycles. They're plannable, pitchable, and perpetually in demand.

For as long as I've been in this business, these thought leadership moments have been table stakes for authority building, brand awareness, stakeholder engagement, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

With that in mind, we've put together a list of the most impactful days, weeks, and months executives and their teams should have on their radar, particularly those of us in technology, software, and security. 

This isn't exhaustive, but it's a strong starting point for planning your blog posts, LinkedIn articles, podcasts, webinars, speaking engagements, and media pitches.

Enjoy!

A note: This list focuses on industry and business-relevant moments. Many companies also align thought leadership with cultural observances and heritage months. If that's part of your communications strategy, plan those with the same intentionality.

January

• New Year predictions coverage (early to mid-January): Reporters are actively seeking expert forecasts through mid-January—but pitching should begin in early November.
• Data Privacy Day/Week (Jan. 26–30, with Data Privacy Day on Jan. 28): Dates shift slightly year to year, but this is a goldmine for security, compliance, and data-focused companies.

February

• Safer Internet Day (second Tuesday of the month): Strong opportunity for cybersecurity, edtech, and parenting/family safety angles.

March

• International Women's Day (March 8): A well-established moment to highlight women in leadership, STEM, and entrepreneurship.
• Women's History Month: Extends the opportunity beyond a single day. 

April

• Tax season wrap-up (mid-April): For fintech, accounting software, and financial services, great for tips on security, fraud prevention, or lessons learned.
• Earth Day (April 22): Relevant for companies with sustainability initiatives, green tech, or ESG commitments.

May

• Graduation season (mid-May through early June): Perfect for founders and executives with career advice for new grads. What skills are you hiring for? What do you wish you'd known starting out?
• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (May 17): Ideal for tech and telecom companies promoting connectivity and innovation.
• Mental Health Awareness Month: Increasingly relevant for workplace culture, HR tech, and employee wellness angles.

June

• World Environment Day (June 5): Another hook for sustainability-focused messaging.

July

• Ransomware Awareness Month: A natural fit for cybersecurity companies. Share threat intelligence, prevention tips, or incident response insights.
• Amazon Prime Day (mid-July): For executives in retail, customer experience, and payments, how can small businesses compete? How can shoppers protect themselves from scams or impulse spending?

August

• Back-to-school season: Relevant for edtech, cybersecurity (student data protection), and retail.
• Summer slowdown content: August is typically a quieter month for news, BUT a great time to pitch evergreen thought leadership or secure Q4 speaking slots.

September

• National Insider Threat Awareness Month: For security companies focused on insider risk, data loss prevention, or employee monitoring.
• Fall conference season begins (September through December): Events like KubeCon NA, AWS re:Invent, and SXSW drive major industry conversations. Even if you're not on stage, be ready to comment on the news, trends, and announcements coming out of these conferences. Reporters are looking for expert reactions and analysis in real time.

October

• Cybersecurity Awareness Month: The biggest annual opportunity for security companies. Plan campaigns, contributed articles, and media outreach well in advance.
• Ada Lovelace Day (second Tuesday of October): Celebrates women in STEM, a natural moment to highlight technical women leaders at your company.
• Open Enrollment season begins: Relevant for HR tech, benefits platforms, and employee wellness companies.

November

• Pitch your December/January predictions: Your boldest, most compelling forecasts should be ready to pitch by early November. Don't wait.
• Holiday shopping week (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday): Retail, payments, fraud prevention, and customer experience angles abound.

December

• Year-in-review content: What did your company or industry learn this year? What surprised you?
• Charitable giving and CSR: Highlight end-of-year giving, volunteer programs, or social impact.

The key to making calendar-driven PR work isn't just showing up. It's showing up early, with a genuine point of view. Reporters can smell a generic pitch from a mile away. Bring data, bring a fresh angle, and bring it a week or two ahead of the date.

Need help building out your editorial calendar or shaping executive thought leadership? Growth Stack Media can help. Let's talk about your goals.