How to Pitch "Summer" Without Being Boring: 3 PR Secrets for Small Businesses
Photo by Aleksandr Eremin on Unsplash
Every small business owner and entrepreneur wants to see their brand featured in the news. And when a major seasonal shift like summer rolls around, it feels like the perfect excuse to pitch your product or service.
But here is the biggest mistake people make when pitching a calendar moment: they think the calendar moment itself is enough of a hook.
It isn't.
Journalists and producers are drowning in pitches that amount to: "It’s summer and it's hot, so here are ways to cool down." It's too vague, too predictable, and honestly? It’s boring.
To stand out, you need to refine your idea until you land on an irresistible hook that a producer or writer simply cannot ignore. Here are three strategic ways to upgrade your summer PR strategy and get your business noticed.
1. Answer the Question: "Why This, and Why Now?"
Summer patterns are generally predictable—the weather is hot, kids are out of school, and people are traveling. But just because the season is predictable doesn't mean every summer is identical.
To find a winning hook, take a critical look at the current landscape and ask yourself: What is uniquely different about this specific summer?
Economic Shifts: Are high gas prices or inflation changing how people travel? How does your business help them pivot?
Unpredictable Weather: Is it an unusually cool or rainy season in your region? If outdoor picnics are rained out, how can your business help audiences pivot to indoor entertainment or unique rainy-day activities?
The PR Takeaway: Start by looking at your own changing behaviors, then zoom out. Connect your business to the specific reality of what people are experiencing right now.
2. Don't Ignore the Broader News Cycle
The news doesn’t take a vacation. If you look at any nightly newscast or major news app, summer-themed "lifestyle" content only makes up a small fraction of the daily coverage. The rest of the news is dominated by macro trends, economic issues, and long-tail stories that ebb and flow.
Instead of fighting the news cycle, ride the wave:
Analyze the Media: Look at the dominant topics populating the news right now (you can even use AI to generate a quick media report of top trending headlines).
Find the "White Space": Look for gaps where your specific industry expertise can add value to a larger, ongoing conversation.
Journalists are always hunting for fresh, untapped angles on major news stories, even in the middle of July.
3. Plant Seeds for the Fall
While consumers are just starting to enjoy the summer sun, the media is already living in the future. Walk into any retail store in July, and you'll already see back-to-school items hitting the shelves. Your PR strategy should match that timeline.
Use the quieter summer months to get on the radar for fall consumer stories, including:
Back-to-school prep
Holiday budgeting and Q4 planning
Year-end wrap-ups
The news cycle never stops, but media decision-makers do take vacations. When editors and producers return to their desks refreshed, they will be staring down a hectic autumn rush. If you land in their inbox early with a proactive, well-timed pitch, you'll be the first person they remember when the season changes.
Get Discovered This Summer
Don't sit out on a summer media strategy. This season is ripe with PR opportunities, and media outlets are actively looking for fresh, entrepreneurial voices just like yours.
Ready to build media relationships that will elevate your brand all year long? Download our online media pitching course for FREE today and start getting the coverage your business deserves.