Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Well, it’s January. The holidays have passed us, we’re knee-deep into winter, and I’m already thinking about my first trip to the beach this summer. Living in the Northeast for all of my life, I will readily admit that I suffer from seasonal affective disorder. The short days, the colder nights; there’s absolutely nothing to like about winter. Well… there’s nothing to like about winter, except snow.
It’s been nearly been a month since the first day of winter and we have had but one New York snowfall that was washed away almost as quickly as it arrived. Let’s be clear, I am not a fan of commuting, driving or even walking in snow, and a snow storm is just another reminder that I am officially an adult as “snow days” are now officially a thing of the past. But there is something so romantic and nostalgic about snow. If I am not sledding, skiing or sitting by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa watching the snowflakes fall outside, how am I supposed to survive the next two months of brutal wind and below freezing temperatures?
And when I think about it, these last few cold, dry days of winter in New York actually remind me of our jobs as PR professionals. We’re not always given a lot to work with, but we’re able to use our ingenuity and smart, creative thinking to generate media opportunities for our clients. If Mother Nature isn’t going to give me regular snow this winter, how will I be able to make it until the spring, is like asking, if my clients don’t have news, how am I going to meet my metrics this month? The answer: we need to be clever, witty and quick. Getting to know your clients, their industry and the media is crucial to creating a flurry (see how I did that) of activity on an account.
If I can find opportunities for my clients, surely, using the same logic, I should be able to manage my own winter discontent, too, but logic alone doesn't buy a JetBlue ticket to Florida and sticking pins in a map and writing postcards to myself saying, "Wish I was there" isn't much better.
Imagination only takes you in from the cold part way. So, like any PR pro watches for client results, for me, personally, hope, ahem, springs eternal, waiting for a headline. When do pitchers and catchers report? 