As we break for Christmas, remember this; PR is like a dog.

Deck the halls.

Christmas is here, and that means a few things.

Presents. Pies. And that eternal debate around whether Die Hard is a Christmas film or not.

For myself, it will mean a brief break after 12 months of non-stop pitching, podcasting and presenting.

But it has been worth it.

Just days ago, I received an early Christmas present with the news that Harvey & Hugo had been named in the top 50 northern PR agencies.

The news was great recognition of the superb results we’ve delivered for clients throughout the year.

TV and radio interviews. Socials that sizzle. Rebrands. Thought leadership. National coverage.

When it came to securing our spot on the list, that all counted in our favour.

But you know one of my top tips for growing a PR agency?

Even though our main goal is to amplify our client’s voices, it is still vital we lead by example and do our own in-house PR well.

This year that has involved everything from seven-hour roundtrips to film a dog podcast, to, urm, lots and lots of branded condoms.

But PR doesn’t stop at the idea, or the execution.

When that podcast was recorded, we shared it everywhere we could.

When those condoms arrived (a real red-letter day at H&H HQ BTW) we milked it.

Press releases about them, social posts – and taking a big box of condoms to every expo we attended.

You don’t always see instant results. But that’s PR.

It is a slow burn.

PR creates momentum. It creates buzz.

And if you keep feeding that momentum – with consistency, creativity and courage – it creates opportunity.

So, as we break for Christmas, remember this; PR is like a dog.

It isn’t just a one-off for Christmas, something that brings everyone joy for a few days only to then neglect when you grow bored of it.

Like a dog, it is for life. You need to nurture it and give it the attention it deserves.

And when you do, it loves you back – and the rewards remain with you long after the decorations come down.