[The following is a guest post by Sarah Essary. Sarah is a public relations major at the University of Oregon and an intern at Frause. She blogs at Consuming PR]
In the spirit of the holiday season, consumer brands are pushing to get their name out in every holiday gift guide. Begin by contacting publications on your master media list and ask if they plan on putting together a gift guide. Also, be sure to ask for the correct person of contact and the deadline for their guide.
If you are working with bloggers, remember they are seasonal when it comes to posting about holiday gifts. Most magazines put together gift guides in the summer before their December issues and newspapers will usually begin accepting editorial in November.
It can be very hectic for journalists during this time of year and therefore, it’s important for public relations practitioners to be calm and prepared before pitching a product.
In order to avoid any upset during holiday gift guide pitching, keep in mind that certain publications are in different time zones and cover different trends.
Before calling fashion editors, research the location of the office and their target audience. Pitching the wrong product later in the day is always a one-way ticket way to a bad reputation; do your research and put together a script. Anticipating any questions they might ask will prepare you for good conversation and media coverage.
It’s also important to ask fashion editors what they are currently working on for the holiday season. This will help you tailor the pitch to their current interests. During the conversation, suggest any products that would work best for their holiday issue and offer to send images and price information.
Happy holidays and happy pitching!
(Image by Lauren Bishop)
4 Comments
As a former PR pro and an editor, I can tell you that it’s actually pretty annoying to field calls or emails asking IF I’m doing a holiday gift guide. Take a look at past issues of the publication before reaching out and bothering editors to ascertain that info. Just my two cents…
These are great tips, Sarah! I especially like your suggestion to ask editors what they are working on then finding ways to tailor a pitch accordingly.
These are great tips, Sarah! I especially like your suggestion to ask editors what they are working on then finding ways to tailor a pitch accordingly.
Thanks for the comments!
Eye4style,
Good point. It is important to do your research before approaching anyone with a pitch.
Tiffany Gallicano,
I’m glad you like the tips I have to offer!
- Sarah Essary