This weekend’s events in London are a great example of how vital timing is when it comes to PR stories. I often say to clients that even if you have the strongest news release, if the Queen reveals her 40 a day fag habit then your story will be lost.
Whatever your political inclination, you have to admit that the TUC march at the weekend should have created a powerful picture to get their message across – at least until the minority spoilt it for the majority. In the Sunday papers the march was overshadowed by the ‘anarchist riots’ in the West End. Bad news makes the news pages unfortunately and the coverage continues today.
This is a very extreme example of how important timing is for PR stories. However, even with the best laid plans there is no accounting for serendipity. The most perfectly executed PR work can sometimes fall foul of unpredictable elements.