Jimmy Kimmel Live! rose to No. 1 in late-night TV ratings after what looked to be a migration of Stephen Colbert’s audience following the unceremonious cancellation of The Late Show. Baked into Kimmel’s contract, however, is a summer vacation during which guests host his show (Jelly Roll's a fun one this week — who knew?).

During a few weeks of Kimmel reruns, viewer numbers dropped. When guest hosts returned and shows were new, TV ratings jumped.

So while Jimmy takes time off from a show he’s headlined since 2004, its production continues to hum. People know it’s there and, based on ratings, they show up to watch. That leads me to a PR comparison (because of course).

Just showing up matters.

Especially during the summer, people might not look for or have time to consume what you produce, but the important thing is that you’re there, or someone’s sitting in for you, at a time or on a day they expect you. For late-night fans, that means they can find new material online if they don’t watch when the show originally airs.

The same goes for you. Show up for your fans when they expect you, so when they want to grab your book, business or ball, they remember to look for it. Not available for a few weeks? Let them know or hire a guest to fill in for you. (You can go beyond that, but it gives you a gist of what I’m talking about — repetition is the plum of PR.)

Your most loyal readers might not have the time or budget to buy your book now, but they want to know what you’re working on for when they’re free. They might be busy during your event, but they can share a heads-up or media link with friends. You remind them you exist.

PR SIDEeffect – Out of sight, out of mind is real. There’s a lot competing for people’s attention, so when you’re not there, they eventually move on to something or someone else. Like Kimmel, don’t let people forget you have a show...or books or even a game (Exhibit A: the NFL; Exhibit B: the NFL). Your best shot at getting known and people remembering you is repetition. Like Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the summer. Keep the party going.

©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar

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