Is November too late to pitch for Christmas? Seven ways PRs can still secure festive coverage

Key Takeaways

• Christmas planning starts earlier every year, so PRs who are only now thinking about festive activity are already behind the curve, but there's still time to secure quick wins.

• Build a targeted media list that goes beyond your usual database, and have every asset a journalist might need ready before you pitch.

• Video, strategic gifting and data-led or reactive stories can all help your pitch stand out in an overcrowded festive inbox.

• Match your pitch to the readership's budget, and if you've missed the main Christmas window, look to last-minute gifting, the January sales and New Year angles instead.

By November, some journalists have already filed their Christmas gift guides, some are working through Black Friday deals and others are still looking for products they can add to their online edits. If you’re only just getting started, you’ve probably missed some of the big print deadlines. But there’s still time to pick up coverage, especially if you know which guides are still open and what journalists will need from you to include a product at short notice.

What makes a good pitch also changes as Christmas gets closer. A candle might have been one of dozens pitched for a general gift guide in September, but in December, that same candle could be exactly what a shopping writer needs for an edit of gifts under £25 that readers can pick up on their way to dinner. Before you send another Christmas pitch, think about what someone will actually be shopping for when the piece goes live, what they’ll want to spend and whether they can still get their hands on it.

1. Dig deeper than your media database

Start doing your due diligence and researching the right contacts now. Don't just rely on your standard media database tools; use X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn too. Check journalists' move announcements to find newly appointed shopping editors or freelancers compiling gift guides. It's incredibly important to spend as much time as you can building a highly targeted, accurate media list.

Once your list is built, start reaching out to introduce your brand or client. Ask what they're working on for Christmas, or whether they have upcoming deadlines for gift guides and festive placements. This softer approach helps you build real relationships with the right contacts just in time for the festive rush.

2. Have every asset ready before you pitch

When a journalist is racing to finish a gift guide, they'll often include the product that's easiest to feature. The last thing they want is to chase you for an image or wait a day for a price.

Before you send a single pitch, pull together everything they might need in one place:

• High-res cut-out images and lifestyle shots

• The RRP, plus any festive offers or bundles

• Stock availability, so you're not promoting something that's about to sell out

• Christmas delivery cut-off dates

• Shoppable product links, including affiliate links if your client works with an affiliate programme

Keep everything in a clearly labelled shared folder and link to it in your email, rather than sending heavy attachments. If a journalist can build their placement straight from your pitch, you've made their job easier, and they'll remember that.

3. Don't underestimate the power of video

Video has become a surprisingly powerful tool for PR pitching and is increasingly essential for journalists, especially as digital publications compete in an AI-driven search landscape.

Work with your client's paid or organic social teams and ask to use their best-performing video content. Short product demos, unboxings and "how it works" clips are particularly useful at Christmas, when journalists want to show readers exactly what they're getting. You can embed these assets or link out to high-quality TikToks and Reels directly in your pitch emails.

Providing rich, dynamic multimedia assets gives journalists everything they need to visualise the product, helping your client cut through the noise in an overcrowded inbox.

4. Be strategic with your gifting

If the budget allows, gifting is a fantastic way to get a product directly into a journalist's hands, so they can experience its quality, benefits, and usability firsthand.

Instead of a scattergun approach, I recommend picking five to ten "gold tier" journalists who write for publications that perfectly align with your target demographic. From there, create personalised gifting packages for them.

Make sure to do this before Black Friday, and include embargoed details of any upcoming festive deals. By tying the two together, you increase the chances of securing exposure for your brand across both major shopping periods.

A short, handwritten note explaining why you've chosen them and what makes the product a great gift will go much further than a generic press release in the box. Then give them time to try it. A friendly follow-up a week or so later is fine, but repeatedly chasing a journalist over a free gift is a quick way to lose goodwill.

5. Nail the price point (and lean into "dupe" culture)

Thorough research doesn't just apply to finding the right journalist; it applies to understanding their audience's budget too. In the current economic climate, consumers are hyper-aware of their spending, and journalists are actively hunting for angles that reflect this.

If your client offers a brilliant budget-friendly alternative to a premium product, such as a hair wrap that rivals the Dyson Airwrap but costs a fraction of the price and performs just as well, this is a golden angle for national and lifestyle publications. Frame your pitch around "affordable luxury" or the ultimate "dupe".

On the flip side, if you're pitching a high-ticket luxury item, make sure you're only targeting editors who curate splurge guides or luxury roundups. Don't just blast out a product and hope it sticks; make sure its price tag matches the economic reality of the readership you're targeting.

6. Use data and reactive moments to create your own festive story

Not every client will have the perfect product for a gift guide, and that's where a story of your own can help. A quick consumer survey on festive habits, such as spending worries, gifting dilemmas or the presents people secretly want to return, can give journalists a fresh angle and your client a reason to be in the conversation.

Christmas is also packed with reactive moments. The big retailer advert launches, the season's viral gifts and conversations about the cost of Christmas all give PRs opportunities to offer expert comment or a timely angle. The key is to move quickly and make sure the link back to your client feels natural rather than forced.

Before investing in a festive survey or reactive push, it's worth sense-checking the angle first. The PR Insider’s guide on how to validate your PR idea before your campaign launch is a useful place to start.

7. Look beyond Christmas Day

If the main Christmas gift guides have already closed, that doesn't mean the season is over for your client. There's still plenty of coverage to go after once the big gift-guide deadlines have passed:

• Last-minute gifts: Roundups for late shoppers, especially products with next-day delivery or in-store availability

• Secret Santa and stocking fillers: Lower-priced angles that often run closer to the day

• Hosting and party season: Food, drink, homeware and beauty products for festive entertaining and nights out

• Boxing Day and the January sales: Discounts and deals worth waiting for

• New Year, new you: Wellness, fitness, organisation and self-care angles for early January

Thinking beyond 25th December gives you a second chance at festive coverage, and often with less competition.

Your Christmas PR catch-up timeline

If you're starting now, here's a rough plan to help you prioritise:

• Now: Build your targeted media list, pull your assets together and start introductory outreach.

• Ahead of Black Friday: Send your gold-tier gifting packages with embargoed deal details and pitch any data-led festive stories.

• Early December: Focus on last-minute gift roundups, Secret Santa and party-season angles, making sure your delivery cut-off dates are front and centre.

• Christmas week onwards: Shift your attention to Boxing Day, the January sales and New Year angles.

Pitch smarter, not louder

While the ideal Christmas PR strategy may have kicked off in July, all is certainly not lost. The secret to securing last-minute festive coverage isn't shouting louder than everyone else; it's pitching smarter. If your usual approach hasn't been landing, The PR Insider’s guide on why your digital PR tactics aren't working (and what to do instead) is worth a read before the festive rush begins.

By curating hyper-targeted media lists, having your assets ready, offering rich video content, gifting strategically, finding your own festive story and pitching with a deep understanding of consumer price points, you can still secure those highly coveted spots in this year's Christmas coverage.

The clock is ticking, so stop reading this and get pitching!

FAQs

When do journalists start working on Christmas gift guides?

Long-lead print titles often work on their Christmas issues months in advance, while online gift guides are usually compiled and updated throughout the autumn. The earlier you get in touch, the better your chances, but online guides are often refreshed right up until the delivery cut-offs.

Is it too late to pitch for Christmas in November?

Not at all. Many online gift guides, Black Friday roundups and last-minute gift features are still being written in November and December. Focus on well-targeted pitches with every asset ready to go.

What should I include in a Christmas gift guide pitch?

Keep it short and include the product name, price, a line on why it makes a great gift, high-res images, stock availability, delivery cut-off dates and a shoppable link.

Is gifting worth it for Christmas PR?

It can be if it's targeted. Sending personalised packages to a small number of well-matched journalists usually works better than a mass mail-out.

About Olivia Bence

Olivia Bence is Head of Digital PR at Glass Atlas and has nine years of agency experience working with B2B and consumer brands across finance, health, beauty and personal care. She leads international PR strategies and develops campaigns that use data and expert insight to tell stories relevant to the publications her clients want to reach.