As Facebook news feeds move from family beach pictures and ice bucket challenges to back-to-school snapshots (guilty on all accounts), the change in seasons and tempo is upon us. The post-Labor Day push into the final quarter of 2014 is here – where did the year go? If you haven’t already planned your September and Q4 media relations calendar, here are a few items to consider for your to-do list this week.
Map out your news calendar: Marketers and PR pros should sync up to plan for the rest of the 2014 announcements and PR pitches. Pay attention to holidays and known news announcements to either avoid or leverage as appropriate. For example, while Apple’s planned Sept. 9 announcement (presumably for the iPhone 6 and some wearables) may not have a heavy impact on the HR space, the news will likely keep mobile, advertising and consumer reporters busy for a few days.
Got conferences? Yes, a lot of them! – Name the industry and I can almost guarantee that there is a significant industry conference taking place in late September or October. Conferences are a great place to meet key reporters and industry thought leaders and brief them with news and end-of-year trends. Briefing schedules fill up fast so reach out now.
Holiday shopping isn’t far off: If your company has any alignment with the retail world, then your holiday shopping PR strategy should be well underway. Halloween decorations are already in the stores and that means the Black Friday and holiday shopping stories aren’t far behind. Find your angle and pick a date to start making connections.