Yesterday morning, I sent an email around to the team with a link to TechCrunch’s April Fools tech PR roundup. My initial reaction to the post was, Oof. We missed the boat. Then I scrolled. And scrolled. And scrolled. I didn’t take time to tally them up, but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of goofy April Fools Day PR stunts mentioned. Here’s the question: is getting mentioned in passing on TechCrunch’s April Fools roundup a PR win? And, even if it is, isn’t it like winning on a technicality and then having to share the podium with a mob of competitors?
I checked out the PR blogs on Alltop (great resource) a few minutes ago to see whether I’m the only April Fools Day hater out there. Here are what a few other PR bloggers had to say on the topic:
- It’s like releasing some insignificant tech news during CES…you’ll get lost in the shuffle. The Crowded April Fools Market, Voce Nation
- [...] there’s really no need for April Fool’s Day this year. We’ve been living it every day for a while now. Let’s Skip April Fools Day This Year, Beyond the Hype
- Virtually anyone can post and get some exposure for even a false and misleading story these days. That should be a concern — and don’t think for a minute that there aren’t people out there trying to figure out how to do it and how to get away with it. April Fools and the My Bad Strategy, PR on the Run
- BusinessWire got in touch to say they weren’t accepting any tomfoolery and were on high alert. April Fool’s PR Foolishness; BusinessWire Won’t Play, PR Newser
The symbiotic relationship between PR and holidays isn’t going away. What I am suggesting is that April Fools Day, from a PR perspective, has officially jumped the shark. It’s no longer the wacky second-tier holiday no one else thought of. So use it at your own risk.
Image credit @karihanson
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