The ability to be one step ahead of the game is an essential PR skill, but six months? The expression “Christmas in July” may not mean anything if you’re not in the media, but, believe us, PR agencies have been dusting off their tinselly bits and thinking festive for several months now, because it is that time of year when publications start putting their Christmas features together.  PR consultants must surely be forgiven for feeling a bit jaded as the real festivities approach.  At this time of year they are often far more involved with sun-tan lotions, summer holiday gift-guides and trying to persuade journalists that ice-cream is a perfect snack. When all the glossy magazines start work on the all important Christmas edition in the sweltering heat of summer, it’s essential that the well prepared PR person has a firm grasp on all things festive well in advance of their summer holiday. Planning is an all important part of a public relations campaign. It’s hard to think about Christmas when the temperatures are rocketing, just as it’s odd to be thinking about Easter when everyone else is starting to do their Christmas shopping. Valentine’s Day ceases to be the be-all and end-all of the single PR executive’s existence, except for a brief flurry of activity in October/November, and summer campaigns are generally created in the dark nights of winter, when bikini bodies are just a dim and distant memory for most. Wholly consumer PR agencies have it the toughest in terms of seasonality. Everything they do is geared towards consumer coverage, so they constantly have to think up to six months in advance. Those of us who work in B2B or Technology PR agencies generally avoid having to be full of festive fun until December, unless of course, our formerly serious and sensible software client comes over all frivolous and decides to launch a Stripping Santa iPhone app (luckily this hasn’t happened yet – but give it time!) Clients who are new to PR are often surprised to hear that they need to be so far ahead of the game especially when it comes to waiting for coverage to appear. Christmas notwithstanding, most consumer magazines have a three-month lead time; trade titles a bit less, but still quite long. If you’re planning a campaign to promote the launch of a product, you need to engage your chosen agency well in advance of the launch to give them the opportunity to plan and implement the campaign in media time, not real time. It’s no good ringing us up and saying: “I’m launching  my product tomorrow, and I’d like it in next week’s Marie Claire!” Can’t happen ... if it’s a great product, with great images and a strong news hook it may well be splashed all over the pages of your favourite magazine, but not for another three months -- at least. To get what you want, when you want it, planning is key. So, if you have a new range of waterproof, UV-resistant, lightweight and packable holiday must-haves to launch,  now is the time to find a PR agency to help you get it into holiday luggage in 2011.