Good PR is like a good holiday, as Greg Simpson, founder of Press For Attention PR, explains.
By the time you read this, I’ll be back from my sojourn — hopefully bronzed, definitely relaxed and absolutely not ready to open my inbox.
Yes, I’ve been on holiday. A proper one. The kind where you genuinely unplug and trust your out-of-office to hold the fort. No stealth emails. No “just a quick one…” calls. No chasing coverage between gelato and Google Translate fails.
And do you know what happened? Nothing. And everything.
Because when you truly switch off, your brain switches on. Ideas bubble up. Threads connect. You stop chasing stories and start seeing them. It’s amazing what clarity emerges when you’re not knee-deep in the daily grind, desperately trying to be “on it” all the time.
But before I jetted off, something else happened — something far more familiar and, frankly, a bit dangerous. I became wildly productive.
There’s something about the final week before a holiday that turns even the most seasoned procrastinators into a hybrid of Tony Robbins and Marie Kondo. Meetings get scheduled, content gets drafted, inboxes get blitzed. You suddenly find the time and energy for those tasks you’ve been putting off since Easter.
It’s a productivity miracle… until it isn’t. Because among all that ticking off and tying up, people start chucking out press releases.
They panic. They scramble. They think, “Oh, I must get this out before I go!” And so begins a flurry of media activity with no real follow-through.
A story gets emailed. A press release lands. And then… silence. No follow-up. No interview availability. No further comment. Just a big shiny story-shaped void that no journalist is going to chase while you’re off sipping something neon with a paper umbrella in it.
So here’s the big PR lesson from my little break: don’t confuse getting something “off your desk” with getting it “out there” properly.
Journalists aren’t waiting around for your announcement. If you’re lucky enough to pique their interest, you must be ready to respond. That means being able to answer a call, clarify a quote, or jump on a Zoom if they want more depth. If you can’t? Wait until you can.
PR is a long game. It’s a conversation, not a broadcast. You’re not just sending messages into the void — you’re (hopefully) inviting dialogue. That means showing up. That means being present — even if it’s just for five minutes between meetings. Or after your holiday. And that’s the irony. While I was away, sipping sangria and minding my own business, I started really thinking about stories. Not my stories, but the ones I help clients tell — the angles we miss when we’re too busy to stop and spot them.
There’s perspective in the pause. The gap between calls. The silence that lets your own voice come through a bit louder — and helps you remember what’s actually worth shouting about.
So here’s your holiday homework (whether you’re going away or just wishing you were):
- Don’t rush your PR just to clear your desk.
- Don’t send a story unless you’re genuinely ready to follow through.
- Don’t assume that journalists will wait until you’re back and tanned to chase you.
- And please, do take a break. You’ll be amazed how many great stories find you when you’re not looking.
Me? I’ll be back by now. A little lighter, a little brighter, and a lot more certain that good PR is like a good holiday — planned with intention, delivered with purpose, and never just thrown together last-minute.
Wish you were here,
Greg
A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press For Attention PR in 2008.
He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective.
See this column in the July issue of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.
