Warm summer breezes. The smell of the ocean. Lazy summer days down the shore.
For those in public relations, “lazy days” are hard to come by. But, for consumer brands and media, the mid-summer months are often the slowest. So, how to enjoy the flow while keeping things going before the Q4 hysteria? Read on.
Back to School. Long lead opportunities are long gone. However, for those working with product, there are still opportunities to be had. Spend your time reaching out to bloggers and keep your eyes peeled for last-minute reporter queries.
Editorial Pitches. If you’ve been working with the same product for some time, there’s only so long you can pitch the same people the same thing. If you have the time to get creative, do it! If your client sells housewares, write a summer entertaining piece, including many tips and maybe one mention of how your client’s product can be utilized. Is your client a source expert? Include his/her tips here as well.
Thought Leadership. If you’re working on a product centric account for some time, without new product, now’s the time to turn the tables. What is your client an expert on? What can he/she speak to? Interview him/her, define his/her areas of expertise, research editorial calendar opportunities and draft a pitch that doesn’t rely on product news. And, keep the Google alerts flowing on these topics.
Giveaways. No news? Who doesn’t want free swag? Come up with a creative and engaging social campaign. Create social content and blogs. Build an active and engaged social community. Your brand doesn’t have to go quiet because there’s no new product news. This is your news. And, your brand isn’t all about you—it’s about your customers. Give them a chance to be heard and listen—they’ll appreciate it. At lotus823, we’re lucky to be integrated, encompassing a variety of teams with many areas of expertise. If you have these assets, utilize them.
Holiday Gift Guides. There’s a reason they call it Christmas in July—it’s PR professionals who have Christmas on the mind these days. Want to learn more about preparing for holiday editorial opportunities? Stay tuned for more PR tips from the lotus team.