Believe it or not, working in PR over summer isn’t just about going for a cool refreshing Pimms after work or rocking the latest Gucci sunglasses… like our reputation as PR luvvies might make you think. The summer months are often a busy period for us PRs as editorial departments go on the hunt for stories and clients look to plan their Autumn/Winter PR campaigns.
While half of the office is off on annual leave there’s still time to take advantage of the summer months to boost your PR campaigns. Here are four ideas to boost your PR activity while the sun is still shining:
- Get pitching: Holiday season means that much of the PR and marketing community is out of the office. This often means that the media has fewer stories to fill their pages with. Right there you have a golden opportunity to try and gain that front page story as there’s less competition for the headlines. Perhaps summer is the time for a business to carry out a product launch that it’s hoping for great media coverage for?
- Carry out a summer themed campaign: As we so often see at Christmas or Easter, PR pros can cleverly turn seasonal events into a campaign that works well for a client’s brand. The summer offers the perfect opportunity to do this too. For example, one summer we worked with our law firm client to create some commentary on the employment laws behind dress codes in the workplace. Be creative, and consider how you can relate the summer to your brand.
- Events: While the weather during the British Summertime is unpredictable to say the least, it’s still the most popular season for events and festivals. Longer evenings and warmer temperatures offer the ideal opportunity to host an outdoor event, so make the most of what’s left of our summer while you still can.
- Inspired audiences: Let’s face it, we all feel a little more motivated when the sun is shining compared to the cold and dark winter months. This gives you opportunity to carry out campaigns that require a bit of audience participation. For example, the Manchester Metrolink’s ‘Catch the Summer’ campaign promoting off-peak travel is currently underway. It requires Instagram users to post their favourite pictures over Summer and tag them with #catchthesummer. This campaign demonstrates that you don’t have to be an airline or a soft drinks company to take advantage of the summer months to help raise brand awareness.
This summer look at how you can make the season a period of PR success, then treat yourself to that well earnt, cold glass of Pimms. Whether your brand has an obvious link to summer or not, you’re bound to find opportunity with your creative PR hat on.
Alex Brown enjoys being one of the Skout blog’s most regular contributors.
