Happy first official day of Spring! Today is the official first day of Spring. That's correct. 23 September 2024 is New Zealand's official first day of Spring, which runs until Saturday, 21 December 2024. How many of you knew that?

Most Kiwis think that the start of Spring as 1  September, which is the traditional meteorological start date. This is based on the convenience of dividing the year into four three-month seasons. However, astronomically, Spring begins on the spring equinox (This year, the date is 23 September). A number of plants don’t trigger spring growth until the equinox when daylight hours start to become longer than the hours of darkness.

We’ll admit that we didn’t know this, and we hit 1 September with the typical ‘happy first day of spring’ vibe.

So what’s today’s lesson?

We always love a lesson, so here it is. Before jumping on trends or seasonal moments, always fact-check!

In PR and marketing, sharing inaccurate information can harm your brand’s credibility. While trends are powerful tools for engagement, ensuring that your facts are correct builds trust with your audience.

Just like plants wait for the right balance of light to start their growth, your campaigns should wait until you’ve verified all the information to ensure a strong and trustworthy launch.

Fun fact

A number of plants don’t begin their Spring growth until the equinox because it’s when daylight hours become longer than darkness. Similarly, waiting until you have all the right facts can help your brand grow its credibility and audience trust.

The key takeaway here is clear

Fact-checking before embracing trends can make the difference between enhancing your brand's image and damaging it. Remember, just as Spring waits for the right conditions to flourish, your brand should also wait until all the facts are verified to truly thrive. Keep this in mind—the invaluable lesson of fact-checking and its pivotal role in safeguarding our brand's credibility.

Happy Spring!