Is this a good time for a PR reset?

At this time of year, you hear ads for businesses or events bragging they’ve been around for 50, maybe 100 years. But how does a quick shot of exposure translate to sales and reputation building for the long haul?

If they stay quiet the rest of the year and rely on just a few weeks of legacy storytelling, does that paid or earned PR value stick?

Your history has its place, but most people don’t care about the “back in my day” part when they’re in the market to buy.

This is based on real research. A Pulse Advertising report says Gen Z doesn’t care about your heritage story. Based on my experience, your wider audience doesn’t either. People want to know how you help or entertain them now.

🔆 Control Alt-Reboot

Machines have buttons for reboots, but we need to do ours with living, breathing experts. As we close out the year and plan 2026 public relations and publicity strategies, this is a perfect time for a hard reset.

We’re not ditching your business’s story. We’re updating the proverbial software so it works more efficiently. 

Pair that with your goals for the year, and you’ll give people more useful information than any origin story can.  

Your audience is boss

If people sense you’re trying to emotionally BS them for a quick sale, especially with a high-ticket item or service, they’ll move to another source.

They want sincerity — someone and something they can count on. Show you care today, check in on them afterwards (don’t annoy them with a slew of emails) and they’ll feel great about what they bought. From there, give them simple tools to tell their friends and peers about you. They’ll be back, too. It’s a cycle worth business gold.

What’s old is new

The Pulse research framed Gen Z’s feedback as groundbreaking, but it’s not. People have long bought from people they know, like and trust. You’re judged less on a fancy rollout or a century in business and more on what you provide each day, including how you treat people in and outside your circle.

When PR clients sign on, the first question I ask: What do you stand for – or against? Then: Tell/show me how you prove it. Your legacy matters, but how do you earn people’s trust today? How do you prove I’m valuable and more than a passerby? 

❓Answer one question this week

Don’t disappear when the calendar flips. Plenty of businesses show up December 1 boasting how long they’ve been around, but disappear January 1. What will you do to change that to year-round visibility that values users/buyers?

❓❓ Ok – a second question

Before you hit SEND on a year-end AI-produced “rewind” or “wrap,” ask who it’s for. If you create wraps because everyone else does, it’s time to unload that promo, too. Thoughts?

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🎁 Just BeCAUSE

I won a football bet last weekend. It was big for my home state’s NFL team against its arch rival, but it meant more than that — even more than seeing Gini squirm when she said, “Packers” in her social posts 😅. As part of our bet, the win benefited an organization I care about.

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©2025 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar

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