If you’re just starting to think about holiday PR, here’s the good news: You’re not necessarily too late. But last-minute holiday gift guide PR requires a different approach than a campaign that started months ago.

Holiday gift guides are published and updated throughout the season, and many editors are still looking for products to feature. From Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to last minute gifts and more, there may still be plenty of opportunities to get your brand in front of holiday shoppers through the press.

But here’s the reality: you’re playing catch-up.

Many brands have been pitching holiday gift guides since summer, and some have been building relationships with the same shopping editors all year long. Those editors already know their products, have received samples, and may have even earmarked them for upcoming stories.

So if you’re starting your holiday media outreach in October, you’re not just competing with other products. You’re competing with brands that already have a head start. That doesn’t mean you should sit this season out. It means you need a different strategy.

Here are six ways to make up for lost time, maximize the holiday PR opportunities that remain, and build momentum that lasts well beyond December.

1. Start Now – But Pitch Smart

When you’re late to holiday gift guide pitching, the instinct may be to start blasting your product to as many editors as possible.

Don’t.

At this point in the season, many shopping editors are already working on specific stories, with defined categories, price points, and audiences. They don’t necessarily need another brand suggesting a completely new gift guide concept.

Your job is to make it easy for them to fit your product into the stories they’re already working on. That means identifying the most common holiday gift guide categories, and positioning your products accordingly. For example:

• A premium candle: Hostess gifts, gifts under $50, gifts for coworkers, or gifts for the person who has everything.
• A wellness product: Self-care gifts, gifts for busy moms, wellness gifts, or stocking stuffers.
• A stylish diaper bag: Gifts for new moms, gifts for expecting parents, or practical gifts for parents.

This isn’t the time to convince an editor to create a story around your brand. It’s the time to show them exactly where your brand belongs.

2. Follow Up Often – But Make It Count

If you’ve been working in PR long enough, you know that a single email rarely gets the job done. And during the holiday season, when editors are receiving an overwhelming number of product pitches, follow up is especially important.

But there’s a big difference between being persistent and being annoying. Sending the same email three times with a “just checking in” isn’t a strategy.

Instead, give editors a reason to reconsider your product. Maybe you’ve confirmed a Black Friday promotion. Maybe your product fits another gift guide category. Maybe there’s a new color, bundle, or price point that makes it relevant to something they’re covering.

These are useful updates that give an editor something new to work with. The goal isn’t to be the loudest brand in their inbox. It’s to be one of the easiest brands to work with.

3. Be Affiliate-Ready – Period.

If there’s one thing that can immediately limit your holiday gift guide opportunities, it’s not having an affiliate program or affiliate-enabled retail presence. For most top-tier shopping publishers, affiliate links are now a standard part of their commerce coverage. If you haven’t addressed this yet, make it a priority.

So what does this mean exactly? If you sell directly through your website, make sure you’re set up with a major affiliate network like Impact or Awin. If your products are available on Amazon or through major retailers such as Target or Walmart, editors will be able to link through those retailers’ existing affiliate programs, so you’re covered. There’s more detail about the entire affiliate PR universe on this post.

And don’t forget the other basics:

• Set competitive affiliate commission rates, and be ready to offer better rates to top publishers if they ask
• Provide clean, direct product links – the media will not accept UTM/custom links for gift guides (you can read more about this here)
• Confirm available inventory and shipping timelines
• Have clear product info and images ready
• Share Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, if applicable

Editors are working quickly. If they have to chase you for basic product information or figure out how to link to your products, you’re creating another obstacle. At this stage, you can’t afford unnecessary friction.

4. Find Ways to Accelerate Relationships

One of the biggest disadvantages of starting holiday PR late is that you haven’t had months to build relationships with the journalists you’re trying to reach. And relationships matter. Editors are more likely to recognize a brand they’ve interacted with, sampled, or covered before than one they’re hearing about for the first time in a crowded inbox.

So how do you accelerate that process?

One option worth considering is a media showcase or product preview event. Events hosted by organizations like New Product Events and Pepcom can provide opportunities for brands to meet journalists, demonstrate products, and make introductions that might otherwise take months to develop.

Of course, the timing, participating media, and product category all need to make sense. Not every event will be the right fit, and attending one doesn’t guarantee coverage. But if you’ve missed months of relationship-building, a well-targeted event can be a valuable way to get face time with relevant media contacts.

And remember, even if those conversations don’t result in immediate holiday placements, you’re building relationships that can pay off throughout the year.

5. Be Realistic About Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide PR

Let’s talk about expectations. If your primary goal is to drive significant sales through holiday PR this year, starting in October may put you at a disadvantage.

That’s not to say you won’t secure coverage. You absolutely might. And you may even get clicks and sales from that coverage. Holiday gift guides continue to publish throughout the season, and existing articles are often updated as products become available, promotions change, or editors discover new options.

But earned media isn’t guaranteed, and neither are the sales that may result from it. Even if you land a great placement, there’s no guarantee it will happen in time to meaningfully influence your Q4 revenue.

That’s why we encourage brands to think about late-season holiday PR as both a short-term opportunity and a longer-term investment. Yes, you should pursue the holiday coverage that’s still available. But the relationships, product awareness, and media introductions you’re building now can create opportunities well beyond December.

Which brings us to perhaps the most important point.

6. There’s a Whole Year of Opportunities Ahead.

Here’s something brands sometimes forget: Shopping coverage doesn’t end when the holiday gift guides do. In fact, before the last holiday gift guide is even published, many editors are already thinking about what’s next.

New Year, New You. Valentine’s Day. Spring refresh. Mother’s Day. Father’s Day. Graduation gifts. Back to school. The list goes on.

And beyond those seasonal opportunities, publishers are continuously producing and updating product roundups, buying guides, reviews, and recommendations throughout the year. That means a product that’s a great fit for a holiday gift guide in November could still be a fit for a Valentine’s Day roundup in February, a Mother’s Day feature in May, or an evergreen product recommendation that’s updated several times a year.

The key is to stay in front of the right editors. Keep introducing relevant products. Share new launches, promotions, and timely story ideas. Respond quickly to requests. Build relationships that go beyond a single campaign or holiday.

And when next year’s holiday gift guide season comes around, you’ll be in a completely different position. Instead of scrambling to introduce your brand in October, you’ll already have relationships, media contacts, and momentum working in your favor.

So, Is It Too Late for Holiday Gift Guide PR?

No. But it is too late to approach it as though you started six months ago. If you’re just getting started, focus on what editors need right now. Make sure your products fit established gift guide categories, your affiliate capabilities are in place, and your pitches are timely, relevant, and easy to act on.

Be persistent without bombarding journalists. Look for opportunities to accelerate relationships. And don’t measure the entire value of your holiday PR investment by what happens between now and December 25.

The work you do today could lead to holiday coverage this season. But it can also position your brand for a much stronger year ahead.

And when the 2027 holiday gift guide season rolls around? You’ll be the brand that’s already on their radar.

Ready to Make the Most of Holiday PR?

At Resound Marketing, we help consumer brands build awareness, credibility, and growth through strategic media relations, affiliate PR, and influencer engagement. Whether you’re looking to make a last-minute holiday push or build a year-round PR strategy that puts your brand in front of the right editors, we can help.

Let’s talk about what’s possible for your brand. Contact us at ilana@resoundmarketing.com.

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