As originally featured on O’Dwyer’s
Whether you call it newsjacking, culture tapping, or opportunistic thinking, PR professionals are always on the lookout for ways to insert their brands quickly and authentically into an existing conversation. And with good reason. Brands strive for cultural relevance, and newsjacking provides a natural opportunity to achieve that by tapping into timely events and trending topics. It’s the top request we hear from new clients – “We want to be part of today’s conversation!” or “How can we be more relevant?”
Since newsjacking often carries an emotional element, it also helps brands forge meaningful connections – another key priority in brand strategy. Whether through humor, nostalgia, excitement, or heartfelt moments, emotional resonance strengthens audience connections. When executed well, newsjacking makes brands relatable and memorable – while being highly efficient and cost-effective.
While leveraging the immediate news cycle is valuable, timing in storytelling goes beyond the breaking news moment. In fact, timing is the foundation of all successful stories and campaigns. You might have what feels like the greatest story in the world, but if you can’t answer a reporter’s eternal question – “Why now?” – then you really don’t have anything.
Because the “why now” factor is both a barrier and a dealbreaker, it’s helpful to take a broader view of timing. By analyzing trends, cultural moments, and consumer behaviors, we can craft stories that not only resonate more deeply but also have a longer shelf life. Here are a few ways to rethink the role of time in storytelling.
First Things First – Spend Time on Yourself
A key first step is taking the time to define or confirm who you are as a brand. This exercise includes understanding the brand voice, guardrails, and “permission” (what subject matter makes the most sense for the brand to talk about and engage in). Defining who you are not is just as important as who you are; a scattershot approach can do more harm than good. These components may evolve with new data and insights, making brand definition an ongoing process rather than a one-time task.
Cultural Trends
“Cultural trends” should not be confused with “trending.” A trending topic may last twelve hours, but cultural trends endure for twelve months – or longer. Plenty of trends have a staying power that creates excellent opportunities for communicators.
Take, for instance, the idea of “experiences over things.” People are prioritizing meaningful experiences over material possessions. The media and influencers continue to highlight this mindset, and consumer research consistently supports its relevance. Recognizing this, brands have developed innovative ways to tap into the trend.
A prime example is our work with our PEEPS® client and last year’s PEEPS® Sweet Suite. Understanding that fans of the iconic marshmallow candy crave immersive and shareable experiences, PEEPS® teamed up with Home2 Suites by Hilton Easton (a bunny’s hop away from PEEPS® headquarters) to offer a fully immersive suite that transported fans to an Easter wonderland. The suite, which sold out in minutes, featured playful decorations, whimsical furnishings, and an exclusive taste of the 2024 flavors, making it a must-visit destination for brand enthusiasts. It was such a compelling experience that a marriage proposal took place at the suite! The campaign generated significant media attention, and timing it early in the Easter season extended the media window for the brand.
Pulse Tracking
Pulse tracking involves forecasting, taking a twelve-to eighteen-month forward look at what could become big pop culture moments, such as new movies, albums or anniversaries that seem ripe for celebration.
For instance, last year marked the 30th anniversary of the iconic NBC hit “FRIENDS,” which is still popular with the original audience that watched it on Thursday nights, as well as new audiences who’ve streamed it relentlessly. Knowing that HelloFresh customers like to have fun in the kitchen and are big fans of the beloved sitcom, the brand (a Coyne client) launched the Rachel Green Trifle meal kit, bringing to life the memorable dish from one of the Thanksgiving episodes. The kits were a huge hit, selling out instantly, and media from Good Morning America online to Elite Daily sang the praises of the innovative offering.
Another pulse-tracking opportunity in the food space is collaborations. We’ve all seen newsworthy and shareable collaborations between like-minded food brands featuring innovative flavors and interesting cross-promotions between food and non-food brands. There is a risk of overplaying your hand in developing collaborations, so it’s imperative to focus on your consumer’s interests and how your brand fits authentically with the collaborating brand. Failing to do so will make your brand seem inauthentic to all parties – media, influencers, and consumers.
To stay ahead, brands should continuously uncover these long-range opportunities that align with their identity and audience interests.
Looking Back to Look Ahead
“Newstalgia” is the perfect blending of connecting the past with the present. There is ample research on why we fondly recall the past, from rekindling past shared experiences, reaffirming one’s sense of self during life stage changes, and finding comfort in the familiar. All generations fondly recall the past, universally believing that times were simpler, less hectic, and carefree, even if the past wasn’t any of those things. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of nostalgia is focused on times when we weren’t “adulting,” making all those feelings more readily attainable!
For brands, “newstalgia” can be articulated in several ways, including resurrecting past packaging, “retired” flavors, or old campaigns with a modern twist. Interestingly, younger audiences often feel nostalgia for eras they never experienced firsthand, creating opportunities to revive past campaigns, products, or aesthetics in a way that feels fresh rather than outdated.
Determining “Days”
The tried-and-true approach to time is focusing on the calendar days – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or the Fourth of July quickly come to mind. These will always play a role in PR and influencer campaigns, but there are emerging and adjacent days that can be explored. For Coyne client Edible, which helps people celebrate life’s most special moments with gifts or treats, that meant extending Valentine’s Day to Galentine’s Day, the moment on, or around February 13 that celebrates women’s friendships. Through a thoughtful mix of earned media, influencer activations and social content, Edible became a go-to source for both the obvious and the emerging holiday.
Then there’s the list of days tailor-made for brands – think National Pizza Day or National Donut Day. But there are plenty of others. What about National Nurses Week? Einstein Bros. Bagels recognized these unsung heroes with a buzz-worthy campaign for their new Boosted Bagels, which included the Espresso Buzz Bagel featuring 32mg of caffeine. The integrated Nurse the Buzz campaign celebrated a group that could use a boost to keep themselves going through long shifts.
Ultimately, successful brand moments incorporate not just newsjacking but strategically align with cultural currents, consumer behaviors, and timely opportunities to create lasting impact. This comprehensive approach doesn’t just make a brand relevant for the moment; it cements its place in the larger cultural conversation and should be an integral part of your communication strategy.
