Did You Know October 15 is Global Handwashing Day?

Dial®, a trusted leader in hand soap and other personal-care products, is bringing attention to the fact that October 15 is Global Handwashing Day with a new marketing initiative called “Dial Step 1”. This campaign encourages people to make handwashing their official Step 1.

“Washing your hands should always be ‘Step 1’ before engaging in any activity, whether you’re cooking, starting your morning beauty regimen or your daily workout routine,” says Maya Atallah, Senior Brand Manager, Dial, Henkel Canada Corporation. “But, while most people understand they should be washing their hands first before engaging in any activity, many Canadians still do not take this all-important first step.”

In a national survey sponsored by Dial and conducted by bms – marketing research + strategy in May of this year*, it was revealed that a third of those who participated in the survey admitted to only “sometimes” washing their hands before eating a meal. To help call attention to the issue, Dial is asking media outlets, journalists and influencers who regularly post step-by-step recipes, regimens, or routines, to ensure that ‘Wash Your Hands’ is listed as ‘Step 1’ for every activity, on October 15 and ongoing.

According to globalhandwashing.org, Global Handwashing Day is a globally recognized day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap.

Dial launched its #DialStep1 campaign this month via a digital and social media campaign intended to encourage Canadians to always make handwashing the official Step 1 (see video here).

As a reminder, the Public Health Agency of Canada recommends Canadians “wash hands for at least 20 seconds” each time.

*The conducted sample with 1,000 respondents is representative for the Canadian population and has no limitations concerning gender, nationality and living in designated provinces. The sample size allows valid conclusions on a 99% significance-level within a deviation of 3.89%. The reported results are all far above these criteria and therefore highly significant.