It’s summer, the sun is shining, even in Manchester, and yet our minds are firmly on the ‘most wonderful time of the year’.
Despite summer holiday plans filling up the calendar, and an office ban on the C-word (Christmas), planning for the festive season is already on our agenda!
While consumers may be packing their summer holiday suitcases, journalists, retailers and brands are already planning for the busiest gifting season of the year. In fact, many manufacturers are preparing products to be ready for December and media outlets are already starting to scope out their Christmas gift guides, which means now is the time for brands to start thinking seriously about how they’ll earn a place in them.
Here are five reasons why now is the time to prepare for gifting season and how to make sure your brand doesn’t get lost in the festive noise.
1. Christmas in July isn’t just a catchy phrase
Every summer, journalists and influencers attend Christmas in July events, where brands showcase products designed to land in festive gift guides, seasonal round-ups and “best of” lists later in the year.
Journalists are already asking:
- What’s new?
- What will readers actually want to buy?
- What feels fresh enough to cut through in a saturated gifting market?
Brands that wait until autumn to start thinking about gifting season often find they’ve already missed the moment. Our own research and insights show that many national and consumer lifestyle journalists start their research and writing in the summer months.
The festive media cycle moves quickly, and the strongest placements are usually secured months in advance.
2. Standing out is getting harder every year
Everyone wants a spot in a Christmas gift guide. From beauty and tech to food, drinks and stocking fillers, journalists are inundated with pitches during gifting season.
So the real question is why your product?
A great product alone isn’t enough anymore. Brands need a clear narrative, a defined audience and a compelling reason to be included.
Are you an established brand or a challenger. Is it an entirely new product or a clever take on a well-loved item.
Think about whether there a story behind the product that people will care about, or does it tap into a cultural moment or trend?
The brands that win coverage are the ones that make selection easy for editors. For example, we took Dog & Bond from a dog treats brand to a product that builds around an experience between a dog and its family, creating last memories.
3. Product trust is more important than ever before
With endless recommendations and sponsored content “best of” lists appearing everywhere, consumers are becoming far more selective about what brand and products they can trust.
That’s why earned credibility matters more than ever.
Editorial coverage, independent reviews, influencer authenticity and expert endorsement all play a crucial role in shaping purchasing decisions.
In a gifting season where people are buying for others (and often under pressure), trust becomes a shortcut. If a product has been recommended by a credible source, it instantly reduces hesitation and PR can help to create the credibility a brand needs.
4. AI is quietly reshaping gifting decisions
AI is quickly becoming part of how people shop. More consumers are using AI tools to ask things like ‘What are good Christmas gifts for a £50 budget?’ or ‘the best sustainable gifts for her’.
Instead of browsing pages of search results, they’re getting curated answers instantly and that changes the game for brands.
To show up in those recommendations, brands need visibility across trusted sources: editorial coverage, reviews, social content, high-quality content and consistent messaging across platforms.
If AI is shaping the shortlist, PR is what helps you to get you on it.
Think of how you can angle your product. Is it a garden product perfect- for outdoor-lovers, one for ‘difficult’ dad or an unusual food & drink item for at-home BBQ pit-masters? Adding context to a product helps association when people are searching for gifts for their loved ones.
5. The early planners always win Christmas
The brands that succeed are rarely the ones who show up late with a flurry of December activity. They’re the ones who plan early.
Early preparation allows time to:
- Build strong media relationships
- Secure those ‘Christmas in July’ opportunities
- Develop standout campaign creative
- Seed products to influencers and journalists
- Gather reviews and testimonials
- Respond to seasonal trends rather than chase them
A final festive thought…
We’re not suggesting you start playing Mariah Carey just yet.
But if Christmas is a key moment for your brand, now is the time to think about how you’ll stand out, build trust and secure the visibility needed to drive real commercial impact.
If you’re ready make this your strongest gifting season yet, now is the time to act. Let us make sure your brand is high on the gift guide lists and in the hands of journalists in plenty of time!
Get in touch with our team today to find out more.