For years, we’ve heard about the “Holiday media slump” and why pitching stories during the December Holiday period may be akin to cheerleading in an empty stadium. There may well be breaks in a demanding news cycle at that time, and seasonal celebrations and vacation time out of the office leave holes in the calendar for PR pros and reporters alike. But the reality is, the Holidays are a great (and undervalued) time to conduct media outreach.
The thinking used to be that you only put out bad company news on Fridays in the summer and during the Holidays…. because no one is around to see it. The truth is, we are always connected to the news these days through our devices, and I would argue, many people may actually have MORE time to sit down and read a newspaper or watch the evening news during some much needed time off or because things may be less hectic at the office.
Even though some reporters are on vacation at this time, the fact is, editors still need to get their newspapers out, and TV producers still need to produce a broadcast. So, in some ways, it is actually an IDEAL time to make a story pitch. Plus, many PR pros also take vacation at this time, so there may be less competition for an editor’s consideration of your story idea.
Outlook pitches for the new year are always welcome. Depending on the publication cycle, we may need to get those pitches out in late October or early November for a monthly trade publication. Otherwise, pitching an outlook in December is the perfect time to get a client some ink in stories that are typically already planned this time of year, as well as to establish the client as an authoritative resource for the coming year.
“Evergreen” stories (i.e., stories that are not time-sensitive, but are relevant anytime) work especially well when there are breaks in hard news. And given people’s vacation schedules, these kinds of stories allow reporters to develop the content at a more leisurely pace because they are not chasing breaking news.
Not every pitch has to have a Holiday angle. Only pitch with that angle in mind if it really makes sense for your story idea and serves a client’s marketing goals.
I find reporters may be more willing to hear your story pitch this time of year. Maybe it is the “magic of the season” or more generally, the more leisurely pace of business in December, but even if they cannot do the story right now, the Holidays are a great time to make connections with reporters and introduce a client as an ongoing resource.
The net net is, if you have a viable story and an accessible spokesperson, the Holidays, as with any time of year, are a great time to continue your media outreach and secure solid placements. If you’d like to discuss potential stories from your company to pitch in December, let’s chat.