On 16th September, it’s officially just 100 days until Christmas, and believe us when we say, time flies in this industry.
“Christmas in July” is a well-known event in the PR world, and we’re not kidding around. For us, Christmas really does begin in the summer, when journalists are requesting their gift guide submissions and we’re starting to think about what festive campaigns we want to launch for our clients.
So, with the countdown on, here’s some advice on how to prepare for your festive PR campaigns.
Get The Creative Christmas Juices Flowing
Our biggest top tip would be to start thinking like it’s Christmas. Why not host an office brainstorm wearing Santa hats with festive tunes playing in the background? It’s not easy to think of December when the sun is still shining outside, so this can be really encouraging in getting into the yuletide spirit.
Learn from previous PR trends
One of the best things you can start doing now is thinking about what previous trends have worked well (and those that haven’t!) in the PR and marketing space over the festive period.
We’re always sharing creative campaigns we love in the agency, and it helps inspire us for our own ideas. It’s often said: ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, and this can be really true in PR. Certain campaigns are much more favoured by journalists than others, so don’t miss out on your Christmas coverage by trying to be *too* different.
But that being said, make sure you’re not planning to copy others’ works. You should think about how your client can sit within a viral trend or a tried and tested method – for example do you have any crazy research ideas, or could you launch the ultimate dream job for Christmas?
Plan way in advance
Journalists are already planning gift guides now – is your brand going to be in them? It’s a good idea to start gathering pitching materials and reaching out to your contacts now to reap the rewards come Christmas.
It’s also time to start thinking about a month-by-month plan, which covers your timeline between now and Christmas. When are you going to launch your campaign? Are you going to tease it beforehand? What will the follow-ups look like? These are all things you should have an idea of come the end of summertime.
Set your deadlines earlier than you think
Anyone who works in PR and marketing knows that external factors can disrupt deadlines. Therefore, our top tip would be to always allow for more time when setting them. Don’t leave it to the wire with journalists either. If they’ve set you a deadline, it’s good practice to get content to them beforehand so you’re not pipped to the post by another brand.