When reading the news this weekend make sure you set your brains to sceptical – April Fools day is here again.

The one day a year where fake news becomes acceptable, April Fools Day has constantly been used by media outlets as an opportunity to get some light-hearted laughs out of the public by fooling them into believing farfetched stories.

This opportunity to place a story that otherwise might be deemed too ridiculous to gain media coverage has also made this a prime occasion for launching PR stunts, as businesses look to create bizarre products or marketing campaigns that attract public attention.

The idea now seems to be that by creating a stunt that seems as equally plausible as it is ridiculous you can guarantee media attention, however that is not necessarily the case.

On the face of it an April Fools Day stunt has a lot of appeal. Businesses are able to grab a moment in the spotlight by creating a product or campaign that’s wholly outlandish or controversial without ever having to follow through on a promise to deliver it.

But even the largest of multinational businesses now take part in this ritualistic marketing day, and considering their campaigns are backed by endless budgets, the likelihood is that your stunt will look like small fry in comparison.

When should I launch my PR stunt?

The problem is that no matter how good you think your PR stunt might be, there are thousands of other businesses that are thinking exactly the same way that you are.

Vying for space in the public eye can be tricky enough as it is, but if you’re competing with businesses across the world for limited space then your chances of getting noticed are pretty slim.

You should firstly look to launch your PR stunt at the best time and day that suits you, and then decide if you feel your launch date will give you business the best possible chance of reaching your target demographic.

If your PR stunt is newsworthy enough to attract media coverage, then it doesn’t matter what day of the year you choose to launch it on.

Your end goal from the stunt should be to have reached as many potential customers in your demographic as possible, and if your stunt is effective at catching people’s attention then it doesn’t matter what day of the year you choose to do it.

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