Every year as I turn the calendar to November the same question arises: how soon is too soon to start playing Christmas music? One local radio station starts playing holiday tunes full time on Nov. 1. Maybe it’s the warmer October weather we’ve had this year, but that seems premature to me. And I’m a Christmas music lover! Even a good thing released too soon can seem inappropriate or out of place.
A student recently asked for some advice on when to contact the media about an event she is helping promote for a nonprofit organization. One question was how long before the event to contact the media to ensure coverage. This is the public relations version of playing Christmas music. You want to provide the information in enough time to get the media in the mood, but not so far in advance that the news is stale by the time the event roles around.
So, what is the right timing? The answer is one of my most common when it comes to public relations decisions: it depends. I start with the general rule of one week prior to the event, which gives the media adequate time to get the event on its editorial calendar (assuming we’re talking about daily newspapers or local television). It also gives you time to follow up on phone messages if you can’t reach the media contacts on the first try.
From there, you may have other factors that increase or decrease the lead time in which you want to contact the media. If your event has an element of surprise that you don’t want leaked in advance, maybe you wait until a day or two before the event. Of course, then it better be big enough news to make the news media push other things aside.
What do you think? What is the right timing to contact the media for an event? How soon is too soon, and how soon is too late?
I’m with you on the rule of “it depends.” You bring up some good points on timing, but I also think you need to look at the lead time of the media you want to attend. Bloggers and newspapers are going to have much shorter lead times than magazines, so they can get an invite the week before. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to alert magazines about two months out so they can get it into their most recent issue.
Comment by Adam Denison — November 8, 2008 @ 7:16 pm