When should you start planning a seasonal PR campaign?

The truth is, it’s never too early to start planning a seasonal PR campaign.

Whether it’s around a key time of the year like Christmas, Easter or Halloween, or for a particular season, for example the summer, planning and prepping well ahead of time is essential.

Leaving it until the last minute is never an option when it comes to a seasonal campaign, particularly when you’re competing with multiple competitor brands to gain the same space, secure the same influencers and more importantly, take a lead on the competition. 

Like any good PR campaign, planning is key, identifying your audience is essential as is targeting appropriate titles, journalists and influencers. The only difference to any other campaign is that it has to land at a certain time for it to be a success and perform for your brand.

So what should your brand be taking into account when planning a seasonal campaign?

Timing

As I’ve already mentioned, it’s never too early to start planning. The more groundwork you put in, the better the results. As with any campaign, you need to think about the audiences you want to reach, how you’re going to reach them, then start to build your contacts. 

‍Solid PR planning

A seasonal campaign needs good planning. Think about the different ways your brand will reach its audience. What PR tactics will you use to reach them and increase brand awareness? If your company is product based, are you relying on product placement or are there other avenues you’re exploring?

Influencers

Working with influencers is an important element to a seasonal campaign. Think about those you already work with and if there are new influencers you can introduce ahead of your seasonal campaign. If you have the budget, think about any big name collabs too. A quick scroll through social media and you’ll see lots of brand partnerships being launched ahead of this Christmas.

‍Pitching

Pitch with time to spare. Think about the lead times of the titles and journalists you’ll be targeting - they’ll often be longer than you think. Christmas gift guides certainly aren’t put together in December. They’ll be commissioned months earlier. 

‍Follow ups

If you’re pitching and placing products, always follow up, especially if you've sent samples. Media outlets will often ask for samples to shoot themselves for holiday gift guides. You want to see some return on the items you send in.

‍Measurement

Measuring the success of any campaign is important. Agree the metrics before you begin and make sure you summarise once the campaign is complete.

To have a look at some of Motive’s greatest campaigns, take a look here and get in touch to find out how we can help with your seasonal campaign. 

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