Why Santa’s Secret Week could give your business an edge this summer

With the countdown to Christmas well and truly on, for some businesses who have media coverage on their Christmas list, I have some great news. Santa’s Secret Week is coming!  

The week between Christmas and New Year looms large on the horizon for those business owners who want to scoop up the low hanging publicity opportunities. You see, while most of the country have their emails in ‘out of office’ mode so they can recover from the Christmas Day food coma, enthusiastically watch the Boxing Day Test or the Sydney to Hobart, or kick back with friends, some business owners know that post-Christmas can also be one of the best chances to pounce on the media.

Here’s why Santa’s Secret Week really is a gift for you, and, most importantly, some tips on how you can blitz it achieve results.

1. While the cat’s away, the mice will play

Not surprisingly, at this time of year, journalists and producers love spending time with their friends and family too. That said, newspapers still need to be written, breakfast television shows still need to be filled and news bulletins still need to get to air, which means, there’s a whole bunch of media folk who will be sitting at their desks, trying to find stories, between Christmas and New Year. It’s a task made all the more difficult because so many of their go-to contacts will also likely be taking holidays at this time.

So, think about whether you could put your hand up for a chance in the spotlight while the ‘regulars’ are busy sunning themselves.

2. Tradition, tradition, tradition

The week between Christmas and New Year is full of time-honoured traditions and celebrations with lots of people out and about… there really is a lot that happens during this so-called ‘quiet week’. So, if you’re looking for a bit of publicity, it can pay to play into some of these big annual milestones and make them work to your advantage.

For example, if you’re a retailer, you might choose to offer some insider tips about the best approach for shoppers tackling the sales, or, if you’re a mechanic, you might share some advice about how to check your family car is in tip top shape before hitting holiday road.

And don’t forget the other little annual occurrences (and annoyances) that this time of year brings too: fridges full of Christmas leftovers, mozzies on a mission, sun and water safety, and, usually, a rising rate of home robberies. If you can offer some advice or insight to help a journalist or producer form a story around any of these topics, then why not seize the moment and get in contact?

3. Looking forward, looking back

After the mad scramble leading up to Christmas, the week before New Year is a chance for many of us to take it a bit easier for a few days and look back at the year that was. Traditionally, media outlets also use this time to reflect on the past 12 months, as journalists and producers are tasked with drilling down on trends, examining changes, and making some sort of assessment on the winners and losers of the year.

This content is ripe for the picking if you’re an expert in a particular field. For example, if you’re a real estate agent, you could offer comment on the suburbs that achieved the biggest house price growth over the past year, or, if you’re a vet, you could do an audit of all the puppies and kittens you’ve given first vaccinations to in the past 12 months, and produce a list of the year’s most popular new dog and cat names.

Santa’s Secret Week is also a great chance to look at what the next 12 months might look like for your particular industry too. That could simply be a case of you outlining a couple of key milestones that everyone in your field will be paying attention to in the year ahead, or, you might have some great internal forecasts that you could share with a journo.

However you play it, the media really do love a forward-looking story between Christmas and New Year, so don’t be afraid to get your crystal ball out.

4. New year, new you

Another batch of stories the media are often on the lookout for after Christmas are ones that will help their audience improve their lives in the new year.

From boosting your finances and finding true love to getting fit and looking fabulous, there are all manner of experts rolled out in newspapers and magazines and on radio and TV each year, all promising to help us be better in the year ahead.

So, if you’re in the business of helping improve other people’s lot in life, then why not put together a list of your five top tips and send them off to a journalist or producer? Remember, like at any time of year, it pays to target your pitch with precision. So, if you pitch to a women’s magazine or online news site with, for example, your expert’s guide to finding romance in 2022, then ensure your tips are female-focused. 

5. Answer your bloody phone

Journos regularly tell me that one of their biggest frustrations about summer pitches is that, when they try to follow them up, they’re regularly met with voicemail accounts and email bounce backs. So, please, I beg of you, if you pitch to any  media rostered on between Christmas and New Year, make sure they can  easily get in touch with you.

If you’re pitching yourself, please make sure you keep your phone handy and check your inbox — even when you’re at the beach, watching the cricket on the couch or cooking a barbeque with your mates. You just never know when a journalist or producer might be trying to reach you!