Christmas in July: Why should the gift guides be part of your PR strategy?
With summer in full swing, we know Christmas seems like a long way off, however, the biggest time of the year for product-based brands is just around the corner. The Christmas gift guides are compiled well in advance and some start working on theirs from July already.
A lot of brands have had a hard time this year due to the pandemic but we have seen first hand what great press and especially great Christmas press can do to help a brand thrive. If you’ve got a product-based brand, Christmas is a key time of the year not to be missed.
WHY SHOULD I BE THINKING OF CHRISTMAS NOW?
Long-lead publications work 3-4 months in advance and start compiling their Christmas gift guides in July (and some close as early as August already), hence why it's crucial to start preparing and pitching now.
Deadlines will vary from publication to publication, but generally speaking, long-lead publications start compiling from July, short-lead publications from late September onwards, while online magazines work on theirs from October right up until Christmas. Timing and persistence are key, and missing a deadline means missing a great opportunity for your brand.
WHY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDES?
The UK press produces some of the most comprehensive and exciting Christmas gift guides in the world, and they are the go-to place for people to look for gift ideas.
With publications running gift guides across different themes (i.e kid’s products in Red and women’s products in GQ) means that you’ll have the opportunity to be featured in publications that wouldn’t normally include your product category.
And with over 40,000 products featured across printed and online publications in the lead up to Christmas, the gift guides give small and independent brands significantly more opportunities for coverage.
Want to get your product-based business featured in the Christmas gift guides?
On the 7th of July, we open our yearly 2022 Christmas Gift Guide PR membership - but we only have 100 memberships available. Last year we sold out of all our Christmas Gift Guide memberships in just 8 hours and we expect the same this year. So make sure you join the waitlist now for early bird access.
The Christmas Gift Guide PR membership gives you everything you need to pitch your product to the Christmas press and you'll have access to 200+ UK Christmas press contacts for over 150 gift guides between July and December 2022 covering long-lead, short-lead and online magazines and newspapers.
Last year our Christmas Gift Guide members were featured in The Guardian, Vogue, Good Food, The Financial Times, and many many more.