Hello There
41 Christmas gift guides are open right now, with 12 due to close over the next two weeks.
And with around 60+ short-lead and online opportunities still to come before December, there’s plenty of PR ground to cover.
Long-lead press are already deep into 2026 planning, but short-lead editors are turning their attention to stories that bridge into the new year, too. Think: festive fatigue, post-party pick-me-ups, new-year refreshes, wellness resets and end-of-year business reflections/wins.
Now’s the time to tie your products to these seasonal narratives and stay visible before editors shift fully into 2026 planning.
Rosie & Team PR Dispatch
Current Newsjacking Topics:
Putting a price tag on motherhood isn’t always useful →
Calls grow for countryside access reform across England →
Have we turned exercise into identity? →
Chancellor warned businesses can't take more tax hikes in budget →
Jump on relevant trending topics to get your brand into the conversation. Find out more about newsjacking here.
QUICK LINKS:
In an Hour This Week
Get festive — but think forward
Pitch one Christmas product and one January-ready story (like reset, wellbeing or home refresh). Editors love brands that think ahead.
Christmas Gift Guide Checklist & Hooks
Christmas is in full swing. This checklist has you covered, from timelines and must-have assets to punchy hook prompts and ready-to-use templates to help your pitches stand out.
What to Do This Week
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90% of your PR efforts should be proactive.
WHAT:
Pitch to 5+ ‘Proactive Opportunities.’ Across product placement or profile press.
Follow up on last week’s pitches.
Why? Journalists often check their inboxes first when looking for products or businesses to feature.
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Core requests
Press requests offer great opportunities, though journalists often check their inboxes first, so proactive outreach is key. Around 10% of PR involves responding to these fast-turnaround requests.
Gift guide requests
Keep an eye on the Gift Guide section for upcoming opportunities.WHAT:
Check both core and gift guide ‘Request’ pages.
Only respond to relevant requests to ensure you are building positive press relationships.
Why? You’ll instantly increase chances of being featured because the press are actively looking for that certain product, comment, experience or opinion.
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The press often features brands without replying, so track potential coverage and quickly share mentions across your channels to maximize impact.
What the Press Are Working on in October
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Recently Updated
Current Request Opportunities
Current Gift Guide
Requests
Academy+ October Highlights
New season, new angles
Our pitch angle framework shows you the types of hooks that work for different press, so you can quickly and easily map out your own. Use password ‘stratchat’.
BROWSE
What’s hot this Christmas?
We’ve rounded up the trends set to shape festive coverage in 2025, so your pitches stay timely, relevant and totally in the editor’s sweet spot.
Make the most of coverage
Got press? Don’t keep it to yourself; share it. Press validation is powerful, so let your audience and customers see it.
Scroll. Read. Stay Ahead.
From likes to impact:
social’s next step
Sprout Social
September has always carried that back-to-school energy, inspiring productivity hacks. From inbox resets to smarter diaries, to bring focus and a sense of calm.
The shift that could change how people find your brand
Marketing Week
Search isn’t just happening on Google anymore. AI is summarising, recommending, and curating answers – and that could put your brand front and centre… or nowhere at all.
The trends shaping tomorrow’s shoppers
WGSN
WGSN’s Future Consumer 2026 report shows how shifting behaviours, moods and expectations are shaping what people buy and how they engage.
