By Lynsey Barry:
Last summer in the UK we had a heatwave, this summer not so much! But whatever the weather, summer is a great time to take stock and prepare for the inevitable madness of September.
In my 20+ year career in PR, I've never known a quiet September, but it still always hits summer me around the face with launches, announcements, events, and just general momentum towards the end of the year. So, this year we're getting ahead of ourselves and using August to get September ready. After all, what else is there to do in the torrential rain?!
Here are my five tips for getting your comms ready:
1. Take a step back
If experience has taught me one valuable thing, it’s this. Once you’re in the furor of delivering plans and getting content approved this won’t be so easy. So take the next few weeks to really think about what it is you are trying to achieve and importantly why you are trying to achieve it.
2. Be selective
Is everything in your comms and marketing plan newsworthy? Does it all need to be issued to the media? The answer is, probably not. What do you want media coverage for, and what will be better sitting on your website or social media channels?
3. Review and refresh
Once you’ve taken that step back, check your H2 plans. With your new fresh outlook, does everything still work? Do you need to adjust dates and priorities? What are the things that absolutely cannot move? Build everything else around those and you’ll avoid being burnt out by bonfire night.
4. Save the dates
Now I don’t have a crystal ball but, my bet is that from now until Christmas, brands are going to really start getting their face-to-face events back on. I for one am excited by this, but it could be a busy one for journalists and customers as the invites land on their mat.
If you’re still sorting the detail of your events, consider getting an early save the date out to attendees. With space held in diaries, it buys you some time to get everything else confirmed.
5. October isn’t just for Halloween
Just a reminder that not EVERYTHING has to happen in September. October might be known for its ghostly goings-on, but it can be a great time for a launch too. Just saying 😊.