I live with someone who is obsessed with cycling and the Tour de France starts on 5th July (lucky me!).
While I was pondering the excitement of 21 days of watching more than 180 people chase to win the Maillot Jaune, a thought entered my head: “what elements of PR can be compared to pro cycling racing events?”
I can only apologise for this rather cheesy comparison, but once I’d thought about it, there appeared to be quite a lot to talk about, so here’s my (slightly) tongue-in-cheek thoughts! 🧀
Drafting 🌬️
In a race, cyclists ‘draft’ behind teammates or rivals as it cuts down on wind resistance. This helps them to save energy as someone else is doing the hard graft ahead.
Apart from showing the importance of teamwork, and having supportive people around you, I guess another equivalent for PRs is “don’t try to reinvent the wheel”. Instead, just catch that helpful tailwind. Make the most of current trends and identify what topics editors are interested in, then work out how you can align your story to fit with that.
Endurance over speed 🐢
A bit like the hare and the tortoise, cycling isn’t about one explosive burst of speed. It’s about consistency during hundreds of miles, over different terrain, and in unpredictable weather. Eddy Merckx was one of the greatest riders in cycling history, cited for his consistent and dominant performances. Perhaps more importantly he was a huge fan of cake!
So, for PRs that means long-term strategies like solid content marketing, becoming a genuine thought leader, and building trusted relationships. That approach will deliver far deeper, more sustainable results than a string of one-off campaigns. Anyone can pull off a flashy stunt, but real trust with editors is earned over time.
Know when to break away ⏲️
Cyclists break away from the peloton to snatch the advantage at the right time. Apparently, the current breakaway master is Thomas De Gendt.
I think you can guess what’s coming next! So, for a comms strategy, that might mean launching a campaign ahead of the curve or speaking out boldly in your market, once you’ve weighed up the risks of course. Timing, as they say, is everything.
Play to your strengths and know your position 🥇
There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’ and cycling exemplifies that as the pro teams know that they win together. Each rider has a distinct role – sprinters, climbers, domestiques, and everyone works towards the collective goal of winning.
Similarly, in PR and marketing a strong team dynamic is the key to success. A copywriter, a media strategist, a social media manager, and a designer will all touch the same campaign. Understanding and respecting the value of these different roles leads to more lucrative collaboration and sharper campaign execution.
Train religiously, deliver flawlessly 📋
You never see the countless hours of training, data analysis, and strategy meetings before a Tour de France stage. You just see the polished performance during the race. Thank goodness, as for me watching the race itself is quite enough!
It’s precisely the same in communications. The best launches or media campaigns only succeed because of the painstaking preparation and thinking that goes on.
Downtime is a strategy 😴
Cyclists build recovery time to maintain peak performance over the gruelling racing season (yes, I have to watch all of the Grand Tours!).
Similarly in comms, rest is crucial. Don’t bombard your audience with messages, give them room to breathe. Don’t spam editors with news releases as exhaustion kills engagement.
Change gear ⚙️
No cyclist would use the same gear during a race.
Similarly, your PR strategy should adapt to the platform, audience and context. Tailor your tone and content to suit the “terrain.”
🍰
If all else fails, remember the sage advice of Eddy Merckx: “It’s not the cakes, it’s the climbs that are bad for you.” He won 525 professional races during his cycling career and is widely considered one of the greatest cyclists of all time. As every wise PR person knows, where there is cake there is hope!
