How to Get Holiday Press--and Stay True to Your Brand
Tips to land your products in holiday gift guides and beyond
For most of our clients--and many companies--holidays are THE ‘big game’ of their year. Given the norms around gifting, entertaining, and general good cheer, the period starting just before American Thanksgiving all the way through the end of the year provide a significant portion of annual revenue, while also representing a key period to bring in new customers who can become brand loyalists.
For many brands, holiday gift guide coverage is an essential part of their Q4 strategy—but what's the secret to landing consistently great placements in top gift guides?
Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips to consider as you aim to get holiday entertaining and gift guide press:
Timing is now (and probably, yesterday)
Heard of Christmas in July? To get your products on holiday gift guides, the timing for beginning outreach is earlier than you think. Some media outlets start working on their holiday issues one year (!) in advance. Typical timing is to start the summer prior, though, with the bulk of digital outreach--and editor testing, photo shoots, etc--happening from mid August through October--and sometimes even right down to the wire.
Affiliates matter
Having a robust, but strategic, affiliate marketing or affiliate PR program in place has become increasingly important in landing those gift guides. While editors love to choose products they already love, getting a little commission from the sale will give them an extra boost to choose you.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t for everyone
It’s hard for many brands to compete with multinational companies who can offer steep discounts and lightning speed shipping. And the truth is, this discount approach isn’t even right for all brands. Rather than offering discounts and bonuses *just because*, consider what your brand is at its core, and perhaps sit those days out… or better yet, make them sing creatively in ways that are on brand.
Develop the right targets, and don’t forget about the little guys
This feels obvious, but target the outlets, editors, and writers who seem to talk to the audience that would be interested in buying your product. And don’t forget about the power of substacks, newsletters and blogs, for example--while often offering a smaller reach, these writers often appeal to a highly targeted, and engaged, group of readers who trust their recommendations.
Make your product--or experience--giftable and media-ready
Simple tweaks to your product offering can make it feel much more giftable--and sometimes that just means tweaks in language or bundling a few products together. Hostess gifts for $25? The gift for someone who has everything? Editor’s favorite kitchen gadgets under $100? Subscriptions for the coffee addict? Make it work for you, but do your research. And don’t forget, always have high res photos ready!
Interested in PR strategy that ensures your product ends up in editors’ hands during--or beyond--holiday? Don’t hesitate to reach out. Cheers!