Every product brand wants to land a spot in the Christmas gift guides, but not every brand makes the cut.

So, what’s the difference between the ones that get featured and the ones that don’t?

They start early. They pitch smart. And they understand what makes an editor say “yes”.

Most long-lead print magazines (think Good Housekeeping, Red, Stylist) start planning their festive content as early as July, sometimes even earlier. So if you’re thinking, “It’s a bit soon for Christmas,”… it’s not.

Getting organised now means you’ll be ready to jump on every single PR opportunity the festive season throws your way.

Let’s be honest, Christmas is the biggest sales moment of the year for most eCommerce brands. Shoppers are looking for gift ideas everywhere, and media coverage has the power to drive clicks, conversions and trust.

A feature in a Christmas gift guide can:

Spike your site traffic
Give product sales a serious boost
Build brand awareness with new customers
Instantly add credibility, just by being in a trusted outlet

Miss out, and you're not just missing a PR win; you're also passing up a serious growth opportunity.

The good news is you don’t need a huge team or a massive budget to make it happen.

Just take a few cues from product brands who did it brilliantly last year and start putting your plan in place now for a standout Q4.

Want to see how it’s done?
Here’s how four PR Dispatch members landed Christmas press in 2024 and kept it going into the new year.

Good Tuesday

From festive features to year-round buzz: How Good Tuesday built consistent press momentum

Christmas pitching done by: Rhiannon, Customer Service & Studio Assistant

Good Tuesday (formerly Once Upon a Tuesday) is a B Corp-certified UK stationery brand helping people stay organised in style, with planners, calendars and notebooks made from recycled paper.

The brand took a strategic approach to PR in the lead-up to Christmas and sustained momentum well into the new year. Here’s what worked.

1. Shortlisted giftable products

“We focused on bestsellers like calendars, diaries and swim journals — then pulled in extras depending on the theme, like wellness or weddings. That helped keep our outreach focused and relevant.”

2. Customised (just enough)

Rhiannon saved email templates directly in Gmail, making it quick to personalise pitches with first names, relevant product picks, or seasonal hooks, without starting from scratch every time.

3. Layered pitching approach

Good Tuesday didn’t just aim for Christmas gift guides. They also pitched core products and founder profiles, which helped boost wider brand awareness and even led to inbound press interest.

The result?

“We pitched from July to December and landed Good Housekeeping, Women & Home, Stylist (in January) and more. Having everything prepped, from product images to line sheets and templates, made it manageable. Now, editors are reaching out to us.”

- Rhiannon, Customer Service & Studio Assistant

Man & Bear

How Man & Bear turned one hero product into multiple gift guide features

Christmas pitching done by: Georgia, Marketing Executive

Man & Bear makes rugged, personalised gifts for outdoorsy types – think hip flasks, keyrings and leather goods built to last. Handmade in the UK and seriously giftable, it’s the brand for anyone who’d rather be in the woods than at a desk.

Here’s how they made Christmas PR work hard (again and again):

1. Prepped in advance

“In June and July, we created 4–5 pitch templates around different angles - general gifting, countryside/garden lovers, foodies, and personalisation. It meant when pitching opened up, we weren’t scrambling, we could move fast and stay relevant.”

2. Reused hero products
“Our foraging bag got featured more than 10 times in 2023 - and still landed in Stylist again, despite repeat pitching. Just because a product isn’t new doesn’t mean it’s off the table. If it fits, it works.”

3. Patience pays off
“Not all replies came quickly, some after follow-ups, others weeks later. The Telegraph called in a sample in October, we didn’t hear anything... then it was published in mid-December!”

The result?
“We’ve landed coverage in The Guardian, Stylist, The Telegraph, Country Living, Gardeners’ World, and Gardens Illustrated. At first, we thought our leather goods only suited big national titles, but other wins came from places we hadn’t expected: Country Living, Gardens Illustrated, Gardeners’ World.”

— Georgia, Marketing Executive at Man & Bear

Oir soap

How handmade Highland soaps turned PR into Christmas sales

Christmas pitching done by: Social media manager

Òir makes small-batch, natural soaps inspired by the Scottish Highlands, think nourishing ingredients, beautiful scents and slow-living vibes. Handmade with care (and no nasties), it's skincare that looks good, feels good and does good.

With Christmas PR a priority for the past two years, Òir has seen consistent results from simple, strategic actions. Here’s what helped them turn festive pitching into press coverage:

1. A flexible, editor-friendly line sheet
“With only a few products, we made it as easy as possible for journalists to choose,” explains Jolene, Òir’s founder. “Each item had multiple cut-out images, including some showing the packaging, all pulled together in a clean, easy-to-use line sheet.”

2. Starting early
As soon as gift guide requests opened, they got straight to pitching. “We aimed to reach out 2–4 weeks before deadlines, giving editors time to review and shortlist us.”

3. Go big
“Don’t be intimidated by big-name publications or editors, it’s just people doing their job,” says Jolene. “We messaged everyone we could, because you never know who’s going to say yes.”

The results?

“The first year we pitched, we got into Red, Ideal Home and Homestyle, and the following year, 4 more, plus Prima featured us on a cosmetics page next to Jo Malone. The visibility helped us reach a UK-wide audience beyond Scotland, and every order from further afield felt like a direct result of the PR.”

- Jolene, Founder

Cotton Twist

Not just for Christmas: How Cotton Twist’s PR kept delivering

Christmas pitching done by: Anne-Clare, Founder

Cotton Twist makes eco-friendly craft kits and party bag fillers that spark creativity and keep little hands busy. No plastic, no nonsense, just pure fun. Designed with sustainability (and sanity) in mind, it’s guilt-free gifting parents love.

By focusing on their bestsellers and fine-tuning their pitch emails, Cotton Twist landed multiple Christmas features and even bonus coverage in January. Here's what worked:

1. Consistent pitching
“I made a habit of checking requests and sending pitches twice a week,” says Anne-Clare. “We copy-pasted base emails but tweaked them depending on the category (home, kids, general gifting) to keep things relevant.”

2. Less is more
“In the beginning, we overwhelmed editors with too many products and images. What worked? Choosing 4–5 strong products, each with one low-res cut-out or embedded image. Clean, clear and to the point.”

3. Christmas pitching has a long tail
“One of our Christmas gift guide pitches ended up being used in January, well after the festive period. Just because it starts as a Christmas pitch doesn’t mean it won’t be featured later.”

The takeaway?
“If you're doing it weekly from the outset, with email templates ready to go, then you can send pitches in as little as 15 minutes.”

— Anne-Clare, Founder of Cotton Twist

The success stories of Good Tuesday, Man & Bear, Cotton Twist and Oir Soap highlight the power of smart planning and early pitching.

Here's why starting now puts you in the best position for Christmas press:

Get ahead while others are still scrambling to prep
Be pitch-ready the moment gift guide requests land, no last-minute panic
Maximise your chances of landing high-impact Christmas coverage when it counts most

Christmas is the biggest sales period of the year for most eCommerce and product brands. Shoppers are actively hunting for gift ideas, and gift guide coverage can drive awareness, traffic, conversions and trust.

At PR Dispatch, we're here to support you with press contacts, tools, templates and expert guidance, so you or your team can nail Christmas PR, no agency needed. Watch our 3-minute demo here to find out how.

Want more insider advice from the brands that won at Christmas last year?
Sign up to watch our on-demand workshop now, where we’re showing you exactly how 2024's top-performing brands did it.

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