Navigating silly season (in a not so silly season)

According to the great god Wikipedia, ‘In the United Kingdom, ‘silly season' is a period in the summer months known for frivolous news stories in the mass media. The term was first attested in 1861 and listed in the second (1894) edition of  Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.’  

 So why is silly season traditionally a ‘lighter’ period?   

• We want to read fun stories on sun loungers / windswept British beaches 
• Most publicly traded companies are taking a break from reporting (July / August) 
• MPs are on recess (in the UK we hope) 
• The schools have broken up and many are navigating six weeks of complex child care 
• East Kent (Dover route) is a car park  
• Simon Calder is stationed at the airport 
• Southern European clients (and C-Suite bosses) are away (most of August). 

But this year:  

• The silly money of the footie transfer window is tempered by the Women’s World Cup, injecting Girl Power to the back pages 
• The fun of Christmas in July is levelled by struggling retailers tempting us to part with our pounds during summer clearance…  
• And even the summer, ‘entertainment’ hype has a more serious tone. Forget the Jurassic Park-style cinematic hype of yore. No Goldblum sculptures / T-Rex’s on the Thames today.

The 2023, silly season has opened with headlines on global shortages of pink paint. The glam (and lack of matt and gloss) of the Barbie Movie has been dubbed ‘a riotously entertaining candy-coloured feminist fable that manages simultaneously to celebrate, satirise and deconstruct its happy-plastic subject’ by the Guardian.  

Indeed, those braving a blockbusting Barbenheimer double bill will find that Barbie gets the blues and death is the common thread. Sobs into popcorn.  

So, though it’s early August (apparently), it isn’t all surfing dogs, paddling pools flying off the shelves and pictures of kids eating ice cream (yet).  

 While ‘Cocaine Sharks’ have made the headlines, a scientific contributor to the Discovery TV show driving the story has already been quoted by CBS as saying: “There's a lot of legitimacy to this clickbait headline."  

And despite stories on fluffy owls and alien spaceships landing on Mars, hard news is dominating summertime front pages and airtime. 

 Wildfires raging across southern Europe have brought the climate crisis into sharp focus. It’s a major media topic, not a ‘hot weather’ story that encourages gimmicky newsjacking. 

These severe weather stories are set against an uncertain economic climate, (slightly better) UK inflation figures, an ongoing war in Ukraine and strike action.  

So, when it comes to handling ESG stories this summer, storytelling must have substance. This is critical when environmental journalists are still better versed than they were five years ago. 

 My colleague Helen Ellis, who heads the consultancy offering for Team Lewis in the UK, says, “Far from guilt-tripping people on missed targets, brands showing that consumers can win by changing behaviour are truly resonating in this climate. Successful campaigners are asking consumers to make better choices that benefit them now, not just in the future.” 

 So, when competition for cut through is tough, creative campaigning which makes a difference, at speed and across channels is key.  

 The bar is getting higher. Our Creative boss, Simon Billington, has talked about the impact of AI on how agencies operate and said: “Moving forward, the low hanging fruit and obvious answers won’t stand as creative executions. Current developments mean great thinking, across channels can be deployed even faster.” No more giant handbags floating down the river this year for sure.  

 As a result, we crowdsourced some thoughts from across the agency on how to navigate the not so silly season this year:   

• Think seasonally and remember people reading stories on holiday DO want to smile.  
• A picture / video says 1000 words. Particularly in the business pages – how can stories be packaged in a way that packs a punch?   
• Be fun / memorable – in darker times, there are dedicated good news teams in major media (eg BBC Breakfast / PA). These operators DO want to hear more about the people making a difference for good causes.   
• British people love animal stories – FACT.  A great time for non-profits to make hay  
• Make sure your spokes are available – even remotely for lives and pre-records that are being planned to cope with broadcast holiday rotas.  
• Take time to plan ahead – September in comms is always ‘back to school’ in all ways.  
• Get out and meet journalists – co-collaboration when things are quieter is the way forward! 

And then brace yourselves and roll on the festive season when it will all start again.  

Sausage rolls, charity singles, Christmas trees in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Gift guides. What to do and NOT to do at Christmas parties. And let’s get on social to commentate on what we think of the iconic Christmas ads. Happy Holidays!

Niki Wheeler is director of global marketing and PR agency Team Lewis UK.