NEWSJACKING NEVER GETS OLD: HOW BRANDS CAN STILL WIN THE MOMENT
There’s an age-old consumer PR agency tradition of brands piggybacking on the news agenda to earn attention, otherwise known as newsjacking. When done well, it can take a fleeting moment and turn it into brand relevance, media headlines and social buzz.
A brilliant recent example comes from Lime. In response to September’s London tube strike disruption, the rental e-bike operator reassured commuters that its service was up and running. The “Good Service on All Limes” campaign took the familiar London Underground names and gave them a Lime-flavour twist, reminding Londoners that the brand’s bikes are always there to keep the city moving.
And it wasn’t just clever copy. Lime backed the creative with data. During the first two days of disruption, they recorded a 50% increase in e-bike and e-scooter journeys during the morning commuter peak compared to the previous week. It’s a useful reminder that numbers strengthen the narrative.
Why newsjacking works
It’s timely: You show up in the same moment your audience is experiencing the event.
It’s simple: The best executions are grasped instantly, no explanation needed.
It’s playful: A clever twist or pun can carry the whole idea, beautifully.
It’s relevant: You insert your brand into a story people already care about, rather than trying to compete for attention.
It’s localised: By tapping into cultural truths and regional nuances, whether it’s tube strikes in London, football in the North West, or festivals in Edinburgh, brands can show they understand their audience on a deeper level, making the message feel authentic and timely.
Our approach at Cherish
At Cherish, we help clients make the most of these cultural moments by ensuring our PR agency services are set up to act quickly and confidently. That comes down to two things:
Real-time media and social tracking: spotting opportunities as soon as they arise so we can move fast, before the moment passes.
Test-and-learn agility: sometimes a quick creative response is enough to prove traction. From there, we can decide whether to scale the idea into something bigger.
Let’s talk about Nigel, Farage that is…
One of our favourite examples of newsjacking in action was with our client Airtasker. When news broke that Nigel Farage had been “milkshaked” on the campaign trail, we moved quickly. Within hours, we had helped a Nigel Farage lookalike by finding him some much-needed bodyguards on Airtasker to protect him from copycat chocolate, vanilla or strawberry flavoured risks.
The story landed national coverage, tapped directly into a trending headline, provided fun social content, and showed Airtasker’s role as the go-to place for solving any kind of unusual task. It was reactive, playful, and perfectly in keeping with the brand’s identity.
The takeaway
Newsjacking isn’t new, but it’s still one of the most effective tools in a London PR agency’s arsenal, especially when it’s done with speed, relevance, and a clear sense of brand voice. Lime’s “Good Service on All Limes” and Airtasker’s “Farage Guard” show how, with the right monitoring, agility and creative spark, clever marketers can turn breaking news into brand fame.
The key is preparation: track the landscape, empower teams to act fast, and embrace a test-and-learn mindset. That way, when the opportunity comes, you’re ready.