My family and friends looked a little puzzled when, in September 2014, I told them about an exciting PR project: a Christmas event taking place in October. October, really?
Yes, October. Lifestyle magazines were already preparing their Christmas editions, and online editors also wanted to plan for the busy end-of-year period. Together with our client Microsoft, we wanted to give them ideas while there was still time to use them.
A Christmas house beside the canals
Working with Eventive Business Events, we created Santa’s house on the Amsterdam canals. There was snow, Christmas trees, candy canes, fireplaces and even Santa himself.
Outside, autumn sunshine lit up the water. Inside, a group of journalists stepped into a winter setting, complete with mulled wine, Dutch mashed-potato dishes and pea soup.
The contrast was part of the fun, but there was a practical reason for bringing Christmas forward: the event followed the media’s planning calendar rather than the date on a household calendar.
Products for the 2014 festive season
The focus was on gift ideas from the Microsoft family at the time, including colourful Lumia smartphones, Xbox One and the Surface Pro 3 laptop-and-tablet combination.
These are historical product examples from the 2014 event. Presenting them together in a seasonal setting gave editors a way to explore different uses and consider which stories might fit their readers.
Meeting fans face to face
After saying goodbye to the journalists, we welcomed Microsoft fans selected through Facebook. It was particularly enjoyable to meet people we often encountered online and now had the chance to speak with in person.
With familiar Wham! and Mariah Carey songs in the background, we chatted, played Xbox games that had not yet been released and took photographs with Santa.
By the end, I had already started thinking about my own wish list, even though the holidays were still some time away.
The event is a reminder that PR event planning needs to reflect the audience’s timetable. To discuss a press event for your brand, contact our team.
Linda
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