“Shouldn’t we wait until September?”
Every year, without fail, from the middle of June through to the end of August, this question features prominently in conversations with clients.
In PR, there’s a reticence to make noise over summer. Either through their own reservations or under instruction from their agency, organisations opt to keep their news under wraps, believing that it will go unseen and unheard amidst everyone’s holiday making. What’s more, they often slow down other elements of their PR and marketing strategies, from creating thought leadership content through to posting on social media.
The rationale is simple enough: you want as many people as possible to engage with your news and your content. And irrefutably, more people are on holiday over summer.
There is another challenge, too. With more people being away in July and August, getting PR campaigns firing – developing the strategy, creating the content and getting sign-off – is more difficult if stakeholders are away from their laptops for extended periods.
But meekly accepting the summer slowdown is often an error. Here are five reasons why…
1. Less noise, more visibility
While your competitors sit on their hands, there is an opportunity to stand out. Making noise at a time when others go quiet will give you a better chance for your story to get picked up by journalists.
2. Journalists still need stories
Newsrooms don’t close for summer. And as noted above, with the government on recess and some PR teams going into hibernation, those who remain active during this time can build relationship with journalists looking for compelling stories, industry commentary or interview opportunities.
3. Stay front of mind with your audience
Ultimately, your customers, partners, and stakeholders don’t disappear over summer. For one, even if some weeks it might feel like it, not everyone is holiday all at once. And for seconds, let’s face it, even when on holiday, a lot of people still consume the news and social media. So, keeping your PR going ensures you remain visible, maintain momentum, and don’t lose the audience’s attention to someone else who is active.
4. Seasonal summertime opportunities
PR is very seasonal, and the summer presents some interesting topics and themes to latch onto. For instance, the impending return to school and start of a new academic year; consumer finances can be stretched if they have splashed out on holidays; there are often major sporting events; and there are still important political and economic events, such as the Bank of England’s interest rate decision earlier this month, or Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump in late July.
These events matter. The media is still reporting on them. Those who keep PR switched on and remain alert to opportunities can position themselves within these major stories, building brand awareness and reputation.
5. PR is not always a “one shot” deal
It can be counter-productive to see every PR story as having a tiny window in which to thrive. It’s a common mindset – a lot of pressure is put on making a big bang on one particular day.
In reality, the best PR campaigns are executed over weeks or months, even if there is big bang moment at the start. As such, instead of waiting for a big “September splash,” summer PR can warm up your audience, build anticipation, and create a runway to build on your major announcements.
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Here’s a great example of why summer PR works…
Our client Embargo recently closed a £2.6 million funding round. As ever, the question was raised of whether we act now or sit tight and wait for September to roll around. Unsurprisingly (assuming you’ve read the above), we told them to do the former.
In August, there’s a dearth of funding stories, and we found journalists very receptive to a story like Embargo’s. But we also approached the campaign strategically – to be specific, we didn’t just write up and distribute a press release about the funding, but instead used this as a hook to land an interview between the founder and a top tier publication.
The result?
An amazing interview published in Forbes, delving into Embargo’s, its mission, and its journey, including the fact it had just raised more investment. This was then followed by the press release being shared with key media, and some brilliant stories written about Embargo’s major milestone (e.g. Tech.EU, UK Tech News and EU-Startups.
We capitalised on the lack of noise; we engaged with journalists looking for their next summer scoop; we kept Embargo in front of clients and partners at a time when their competitors were dawdling; and we ensured the campaign drummed up positive, impactful media coverage, not just on one day, but over a sustained period.
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Summer, Spring, Winter or Autumn, if you want your brand to cut through the noise and be seen by your target audience, get in touch for a chat today.
