Why I don’t do PR for less than six months or a year and why you shouldn’t pay for anything less than that.
Here’s why.
When you start a PR campaign (as in launching your company or product usually) it takes the first two or three months to develop a list (especially a customized one) plus develop the message and then shape it to appeal to the media. And then you have to start pitching it to the media. Sometimes market research needs to be conducted. This takes time. When you finally launch, it takes two to three months to get traction and see any results. A lot of companies want instant results immediately and that’s not how PR usually works.
There are a lot of variables in a campaign but as a general guideline the most activity in the media is seen between months 3 and 9 after launch. Often the campaign is stretched out for additional months due to lead-times of media outlets, interest from consumers, and changing facets of the campaign. Each campaign is unique.
And remember, if you are aiming for holiday coverage, magazines and TV shows tend to close, and retail wholesale orders are taken, in August if not before, depending on the industry (in the toy industry, for instance, shelf space is booked in early February). Yes, there’s always room for something unique. August is also when many companies plan their budgets for the next year.
The most effective time of the year for media exposure, and thus, for launching, is the second quarter – when coverage is almost double what it is the rest of the year. When your story goes out in June and July, you’ve aroused interest for the August push.
It all makes sense. IF you give it the right amount of time.
Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.