The PR assets you need ready before Christmas pitching begins
Christmas gift guide pitching starts earlier than many brands realise.
By the time editors are building their festive features, they need products that fit their readers, strong images they can use and all the information needed to make a quick decision.
The easier you make it for an editor to consider your product, the better your chances of being included.
Before you pitch to the Christmas gift guides, make sure these PR assets are ready.
Your Christmas pitching checklist
1. Product information
Editors need the basics straight away.
Every Christmas pitch should include:
Product name
Price
Where customers can buy it
Website and product hyperlinks
A short description of why it makes a good gift
If an editor likes your product, they need to be able to quickly check the details.
A missing price, or no link to buy can slow things down.
Former Red Magazine Style Editor Alex Stedman shared this advice during our Christmas gift guide masterclass:
“Make it as easy as possible. Journalists are time poor.”
When editors are planning Christmas content, they are often reviewing many products at once. The brands that make their job easier stand out.
2. Strong product imagery
Christmas gift guides are highly visual.
Editors aren’t just looking for good products. They are thinking about how a page will look as a whole.
Alex Stedman explained:
“I want something that’s going to arrest me. Hold me. ‘That’s amazing. That’s really colourful and would make a page look great.’”
A product needs to catch attention quickly.
Think about:
Does it look great in a gift guide?
Does it have an interesting shape, colour or design?
Would it stand out next to other products?
Alex also highlighted:
“It’s not always about finding the perfect item. But finding the perfect item for that space.”
A product that may not be your bestseller could still be the one that catches an editor’s eye.
3. Press-ready cut-out images
Cut-out product images are one of the most useful assets you can have.
Many gift guides use clean product layouts, so editors often need images that can be dropped straight into a page.
Alex explained:
“Product cut-out imagery is really important.”
Make sure you have:
High-resolution product cut-outs
White or transparent backgrounds
The full product visible
No unwanted shadows
If possible, add press imagery to your website too.
When an editor finds your product, they can quickly download the image and use it without needing to ask.
That saves time.
4. A Dropbox or Google Drive folder
You can include a small selection of high-resolution images through Dropbox or Google Drive.
The key is making sure everything is organised.
Marie-Claire Dorking, freelance journalist, former Marie Claire features editor and curator of House Beautiful’s Christmas gift guide, shared:
“Having access to a Dropbox of high-res imagery on that first pitch email is really helpful.”
Don’t make editors chase assets after they have shown interest.
Include what they need from the start.
5. Clear image naming
Good file names help make sure your brand receives the correct credit.
Avoid sending files called:
IMG_4829.jpg
Final-image-new.jpg
Product-shot-1.png
Instead, rename files before sending.
Example: Brand name – Product name – Price
6. Consider creating your own mini gift guide
You don’t always have to wait for an editor to create the idea.
If you have several products, create your own themed gift guide.
Marie-Claire Dorking suggested:
“You could put together a gift guide yourself, depending on how many products you have with an overall theme.”
The key is making it specific.
For example:
Gifts under £50
Sustainable gifts for the home
Colourful gifts for design lovers
Handmade gifts from independent makers
A strong theme gives editors a ready-made idea they can adapt.
7. Think beyond traditional products
Christmas gift guides are only about physical products.
There are opportunities for:
Gift cards
Experiences
One-off pieces
Handmade products
Sustainable gifts
Second-hand products
Founder stories
Alex Stedman highlighted that there is more scope to talk about sustainability and the story behind products, especially through newsletters and platforms with more space, such as Substack.
The meaning behind a product can be just as interesting as the product itself.
Ask yourself:
Why was this created?
Who made it?
What makes it different?
What story can you tell?
How to make editors’ lives easier
When you send a Christmas pitch, imagine an editor saving it for later.
Alex explained that many editors organise potential products into Christmas folders and return to them when they are building their guides.
That means your first email needs to include everything they might need.
Include:
Product details
Price
Low res images embedded in pitch
Stockist information
Website link
Dropbox or Google Drive link with images
Do not assume an editor will come back and ask for missing information.
Make it easy for them to say yes.
Press image guidelines
File requirements
JPEG or PNG files only
300 dpi for print
Some online publications may accept 72 dpi
Image dimensions and file size aren’t usually important
Cut-out imagery
Use:
White or transparent background
Digitally removed background
No shadows
Entire product visible
Cut-out image services include:
AutoRetouch
Pixelz
PathEdits
Final advice: don’t overthink your Christmas pitch
The best pitches aren’t always the most complicated.
You already know:
Your bestsellers
What customers love
What makes your brand different
Alex Stedman’s advice is simple:
“Don’t overthink it. Trust your gut.”
Back the products you genuinely believe more people should know about.
Sometimes the product you expect an editor to choose is not the one that stands out. Bright, colourful, unusual or unexpected pieces can be exactly what a gift guide needs.
Get your Christmas PR assets ready now
Christmas pitching works best when you are prepared before opportunities appear.
Have your product details ready, organise your images and make it as easy as possible for editors to feature your brand.
The earlier you prepare, the more opportunities you can make the most of.
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