5 PR takeaways from Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and hopefully you will be spending quality time with friends and family, as well as preparing (or just enjoying) a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Despite the warm feelings the holiday inspires, thinking about the holidays may also send you in a panic.
An all too common feeling public relations pros know well when looking at their To Do lists.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and to help ease that anxiety, here are five PR lessons you can take away from the holiday.
Plan a menu
Preparing a Thanksgiving meal is a huge undertaking, which usually involves a lot people.
It’s important to lay out as much as possible so you know which tools you will need, how much time it will take, and what needs to happen.
A grocery list is key for your pre-Thanksgiving trip to the store and can keep you from having to rush back multiple times prior to your guests arrival.
Or from spending a million dollars buying items you don’t need.
A planned menu also helps you determine who is bringing what to dinner.
Four different types of stuffing and no turkey would make for a sad meal, don’t you think?
Like drawing up a menu is crucial for Thanksgiving dinner, so is drafting a plan for PR pros.
Regardless if it’s for the launch of a new product or trying to get brand noticed and included in holiday gift guides, knowing who is doing what and all the moving parts is key.
That way you won’t forget to create that fact sheet which is crucial to your next media event or leave out the key item necessary to make your next press mailing worth even mailing to the media.
Know your guests
Would Martha Stewart ever invite a vegetarian over for Thanksgiving and only serve a meat-centric menu?
No, she would not.
Like Martha, it’s important in PR to understand who your guest or audience is.
This way, you can create only content that is relevant to them.
Plus, by providing only what is relevant to your guests and audience, you’re able to better meet the expectations of those being served.
Everybody wins.
Recruit help
Even the world’s greatest chefs have sous chefs.
Yes, even the experts know their limits.
So, they recruit help.
Assuming you can cook an entire Thanksgiving meal yourself and have every single dish turn out Pinterest-worthy is simply not logical.
Neither is thinking you can singlehandedly implement every part of your PR efforts while achieving nothing less than stellar results.
As painful as it might be, get comfortable with delegating tasks and asking for help.
Assigning specific tasks and knowing who is doing what will minimize stress and potential disasters.
When all else fails, it also doesn’t hurt to call in a pro.
try your luck
On Thanksgiving, somethings were meant to be broken.
No, not the dishes.
We meant the wishbone.
Sure, it’s gross and slimy. But you have a 50 percent change of coming out the lucky winner.
However, if you don’t take a chance, you’ll never know.
The same goes for PR initiatives.
If you don’t take a risk and try something new, you’ll never know if you could’ve been a big winner.
Now, this doesn’t mean blow your entire annual budget on a huge PR stunt and shut down Times Square to draw attention to your product.
But it does mean to think about fresh, creative tactics to use in spreading your brand’s name to those outside your normal circle of influence.
You know, think outside those Instagram or Facebook followings you’re so desperate to grow.
What if that risk doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped?
Assess the situation, take what you learned, and perfect your strategy for the next time.
relationships matter
Last, but not least, the holidays are about getting together and spending time with family and friends.
Because it’s easy to forget how much relationships matter in life, personally and professionally.
Everything about PR is built around developing relationships.
Relationships are how you gain media coverage, ensure these same media appearances go well, and call in a favor (or two) during times when you really need publicity.
The way you engage and what kind of relationship you have with your target audience also matters.
This holiday season, remember to take the time to enjoy the wonderful people in your life and spend time building relationships.
