Here we are in early June, one of my favourite times of the year, helped by some gorgeous early summer weather. I’ve had two sea swims in recent weeks, both glorious.
It was my birthday at the beginning of June, thank you to those of you who noticed and remembered. Not doing too badly and very grateful for good health.
Everyone, including me, seems to be just so goddamn busy! I love what I do, helping people with their PR and social media and general comms and marketing. But I must confess, I live for the weekends… with lots planned. Trips here and there, camping, a holiday in the Med, a festival.
But, goodness, isn’t it hard to recruit people at the moment? Two organisations I’m working with – The Cheltenham Trust which manages five venues in, yes, Cheltenham, and The Halo Trust who clear landmines and unexploded ordnance around the world, are finding it’s a candidates’ market when it comes to filling vacancies. Maybe it’s the same for you.
Meanwhile, small in-house teams are stretched trying to cover so many bases from social media to enewsletters to websites to print to in-person events… And now people like me have the temerity to go on holiday leaving others to carry the can for a week or two while they sun themselves and get some much-needed R&R.
Maybe ‘twas ever thus. Although I remember the good old days of 1999-2002 when we did have 18 editorial staff putting together a weekly magazine.
It’s certainly true that there’s no ‘quiet’ time of the year any more. With many organisations creating and staging events for people over the summer and early autumn, summer is no longer a quiet time to catch up on the filing. The emphasis now is on free events for all to enjoy, especially given the cost-of-living crisis, and on the commercial side, where events are paid-for, pressure is on to maximise returns.
Then I saw a message in a PR WhatsApp group I’m in about Christmas planning, asking if it’s already started for some people or whether it starts in July/August. Ee gads, I can hardly bear think about it but I am creating a generic Christmas ad for a What’s On brochure for one company I’m working with.
In other news
I learnt all about dark patterns on the internet this month, from this piece which was highlighted in a newsletter I subscribe to (which is free from the Audience Agency) – all about the dastardly methods companies use to stop you from cancelling subscriptions.
I thought this story was funny, about tourists turning up to a home that was mistakenly listed on Booking.com, until I read about the homeowners having to make up three beds for strangers because Booking.com couldn’t find them any accommodation anywhere at that time of night.
That’s about all I have time for this month. See you in ‘unquiet’ July.
Lucy Rouse PR Blog 