The secret of retail is location, location, location. The secret of publicity is timing, timing, timing.
Knowing when publications go to press, how far in advance they plan, what your timing will need to be for long-read features and when there might just be the opportunity to sneak in a quick news story or slip a product onto a shopping page is all in a day’s work for a PR.
It’s the same with events. Got to get your timings right. There is very little point in launching a big event for a new fashion brand slap-bang in the middle of fashion month. If you want to launch in London, do make sure the editors and stylists you want to attend aren’t all in Milan.
Even if you know everyone is safely installed in the same city, be realistic. Newspapers and weekly publications are so short-staffed these days that editors are hard pressed to attend any events. Without a doubt, the best time to get them is while they’re on their way to the office or on their way back.
I came across a beauty brand recently who had organised a lovely event for press with a mini-yoga class, a beauty treatment and a light lunch thrown in. That well-being vibe is very attractive to everyone right now. The only problem? It was scheduled for 11am. Just the time when staffers are deeply entrenched in meetings and deadlines. Would press come, I was asked? I had to deliver some bad news.
