As the sun starts to rise a little bit each morning, let’s reflect on making the most of PR in the summertime

PR Summer Haze

Every summer PR’s face the challenge of the summer shutdown. Parliament is in recess, journalists are in and out of office and clients know better than to make any major announcements during this time. For those left in the office, the news is slow, journalists aren’t responding yet we know the PR show must go on. For many, the summer can feel like a tedious time, but at Positive we think of it a bit differently. We tend to use our summers to go one step further, be more creative and think of fun out-of-the-box ideas, or as we like to call it; the summer sillies.

Summer Sillies

What are the summer sillies I hear you ask? It’s PR creativity at its finest, an opportunity to help the journalists taking on the work of their OoO colleagues and pitch left-field ideas. For those in B2B tech PR, it’s a time to reimagine the endless possibilities that our clients tech. For us this summer, it was everything from myth-busting Mission Impossible technologies to real-time data flows improving Taylor Swift ticket sales. When the summer sillies hit, the possibilities are limitless, as bored journalists eagerly embrace fresh and entertaining concepts. It’s a win-win situation. With little news to jump on and few announcements, working on fun side campaigns are a great way for PR’s to boost client coverage and include them in new conversations, with new contacts. It’s a great opportunity to rethink the way we position our clients in the media and brainstorm new topics and trends to comment on. That carries on into the autumn, as we look to leverage the learnings of these victories and apply them going forward.

Whoever said the summer was slow?

Silly Season at Positive has had clients who have been featured in new, exciting and national publications. As a company, we took the time to refocus our PR strategy for every client, preparing for the bustling autumn season head (already in full swing), by connecting with journalists, forming editorial calendars, and planning exciting campaigns for the event season. Summer shouldn’t be considered a haze in PR, it is a unique opportunity to pause and cultivate fresh concepts, establish new connections, and position our clients in innovative and timely discussions that may not be immediately obvious.

TL;DR: The summer slowdown does not have to mean a pause in PR activity. This article explores creative ways for PR professionals to stay relevant, engage audiences and position clients for opportunities during the quieter summer period.

• How can PR teams maintain momentum during the summer? Plan campaigns around seasonal news, use quieter periods for relationship-building, and prepare content in advance.

• What are effective summer PR strategies? Link your story to summer trends, events, travel, wellbeing or lifestyle topics, and offer journalists timely, practical angles.

• Is summer a slow period for media coverage? Some newsrooms operate with smaller teams, but this can create opportunities because there may be less competition for relevant stories.

• Should businesses pause PR activity over the summer? No. Maintain a consistent presence, but adapt timing, messaging and expectations to seasonal audience behaviour.

• How far ahead should summer PR campaigns be planned? Start planning four to eight weeks ahead, allowing time for approvals, media outreach and schedule changes.