Reenergizing Your Media Strategy Post-Labor Day

Hi Media Darlings!

Labor Day has come and gone,?marking the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of a new media landscape.?As we settle back into the rhythm of a more active news cycle,?it's time to reevaluate your media strategy and ensure your clients are positioned for success. The post-summer months can be a challenging time.?Newsrooms are ramping up,?journalists are eager to fill their content calendars,?and competition for media attention is fierce.?To stand out from the crowd,?it's essential to hit the ground running.

With a presidential election on the horizon,?the news cycle is likely to be dominated by political coverage.?While this can present challenges,?it also offers opportunities for the savviest of individuals. When it comes to navigating the presidential election news cycle, a few things should be kept in mind for those looking to break through the noise for their clients:

• Stay Informed:?Keep a close eye on the election landscape and identify potential tie-ins for your clients. By understanding the key issues across political discussions, you can story-mine tangible angles and topic that your clients can chime in on with their knowledge and intel as industry experts. It also presents an opportunity for execs to have a clear stance or strong POV on a topic to set them apart from competitors.
• Avoid Partisanship: While it's tempting to align with a particular candidate or party, it's crucial to maintain a bipartisan approach to avoid alienating potential customers and damaging your brand's reputation in the process. By focusing on issues that resonate with a broader audience, you can position your company as a neutral and trustworthy source of information. Additionally, non-partisan storytelling can attract further media attention from a wider range of outlets, increasing your visibility and reach.
• Highlight Non-Political Stories:?Look for ways to showcase your client's contributions to CSR, community initiatives or innovative solutions to pressing societal issues. These topics, while not directly political, often intersect with current events and public discourse. By highlighting your client's positive impact on these areas, you can position them as a thought leader and attract more media attention during an election year.

As the news cycle continues to heat up,?there are several strategies you can leverage:

• Anticipate News Cycles:?Stay ahead of the curve by?identifying potential news cycles?related to your industry or current events.?This could be anything from a?major industry conference?to a?government policy change.
• Identify Seasonal Moments:?Look for opportunities to tie your client's story to seasonal themes such as Hispanic Heritage Month (September/October), Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October), Q4 business spend/year-end business planning (fintech and enterprise tech can win big), holiday season and consumer trends (e-Commerce/retail tech, adtech/martech and fintech thrive really well here) and 2025 predictions (predictions stories tend to gain a ton of traction during an election year given the timing follows directly afterward and people are in a “wait and see” period).
• Desksides and industry events: In-person meetings and events can be a powerful tool for building relationships with journalists. As media professionals return from vacations and begin attending industry events, the Fall season can be an ideal time to capitalize on these opportunities to nurture existing relationships or establish yourself as a trusted source for newer ones.?

What are the media saying?

In recent conversations with friendlies of mine at Bloomberg Tech and Reuters, I gained valuable insights into what can help pitches stick right now. While tailoring your pitches to specific publications is important, focusing on emerging trends and relevant sectors can also significantly increase your chances of securing coverage. For example, the healthcare industry has garnered increased attention due to the accelerated growth of AI advancements. Similarly, finance continues to be a hot topic given the uncertainty of the economic landscape, policy instability, and inflation. By emphasizing your client’s impact and/or relevancy to these trending sectors at the top of your pitches (or within the bullet point breakdown of what your client can speak to), you can significantly increase media interest in pursuing further conversations. They also added that in the lead-up to the election, stories exploring the potential impact of tech on voters or the economy will be especially relevant, particularly if the interview is an exclusive with experts or backed by a data-driven analysis.

The post-summer months can offer a fresh start and new opportunities for PR pros?looking to thrive in the increasingly competitive news cycle. Share your post-summer media strategy tips in the comments below.

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