PRs. Step Away from the Calendar!

If I see another Mother’s Day themed PR brief or embargoed press release, I am going to shoot myself in the face.

Bit extreme? OK I won’t do that.

But for the love of God PR people! The Valentine themed release you sent to every journalist in the world didn’t make a line – and now you are turning your attentions to Mother’s Day. Why?

*Phone rings at 72Point HQ* …“Hi this is Suzie from Massive Melons PR. Just wanted your advice – I’m thinking we should run a poll about mums…you know – so – like, how much mums do for the family… who are the best celebrity mums… how many Brits will forget Mother’s Day….yadda yadda yadda…Oh and we want to fill it with quotes about what to buy mum for Mother’s Day and send it out to every journalist and blogger in the world – just before Mother’s Day.”

Genius.

The reality is that even if your calendar date themed PR story is the mutt’s nuts – most papers will only run one calendar date related PR tale within the news pages on said calendar day date.

So unless your story is an absolute belter, you’re not likely to get a great show.

Therefore, I ask you – is it worth putting all your eggs into one basket – spending your time and energy on a Mother’s Day themed PR story when HUNDREDS of other PRs will be filing the same stories to every journalist in the world on or around the exact same date???

My advice would be DO send your PR story around Mother’s Day – but send a story that has absolutely nothing to do with mums or families.

If your story is decent and it’s also the only release a journalist has seen all day that isn’t about Mother’s Day – it has a much better chance of landing on or around Mother’s Day!

Hang on that’s my phone ringing…

“Hi this is Suzie from Massive Melons PR, I’m thinking we should run a poll about mums…”

*Sound of Single Gunshot*

By Harriet Crosse