Hello There
Keep an eye on Requests for last minute press opportunities. We now have 30+ gift guides confirmed so it's the ideal time to upgrade to Pro and start planning your pitches.
THIS WEEK:
No live calls this week so it's the perfect time to catch up in the Replay library. Latest don't miss workshops include:
Christmas gift guides: Make your first moves count
Q3 Strategy Live
COMING UP:
Welcome call, 10am 5th August. An onboarding call for new members or those in need of a quick refresh. Join live here.
PR Drop in session, 1pm 14th August. Your questions, answered. A casual drop-in call you can jump into whenever you need. Nothing too small (or too niche), and no PR topic is off-limits.
Rosie & team PR Dispatch
Summer's slow… but your PR doesn’t have to be
Build on your hit list
Head to the database (Proactive Opportunities), apply the filters and shortlist 5 relevant features you haven’t pitched to yet.Find your best angles
Use our AI prompts and hook examples to create attention-grabbing angles for both product and profile pitches.Plan your next pitches
Use our PR strategy planning resource to spot what’s coming up – and dive into trend reports (like Pinterest’s) to stay ahead of the curve.
In an Hour This Week
Catch-up hour: Make it count
Block out an hour this week to dive into the replay library and get inspired. From mastering affiliate marketing to insider tips from Stylist editor Tom Gormer, everything’s there to help you choose your stand-out product heroes and polish those pitches to perfection.
Christmas Gift Guide Checklist & Hooks
Editors start shortlisting their picks as early as July – and the brands that plan ahead are the ones who make the most of festive PR opportunities. This checklist has everything you need to get prepped, from timelines and assets to punchy hook prompts that help your pitch 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
Christmas gift guides ramp up from July to December. Dedicate extra time to these during the festive season. Upgrade to Pro here for Gift guide database access.WHAT:
Check ‘Request’ page.
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 August
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Recently Updated
Current Request Opportunities
Current Gift Guide
Requests
Academy+ August Highlights
AI prompts
Our AI prompts are here to help you come up with press-worthy angles, write subject lines that get opened and tweak your pitch in seconds.
Christmas checklist & hooks
Christmas press is in full swing. This checklist has everything you need to jump in, assets, timing, and punchy hook prompts to make your pitch stand out.
Monitoring coverage
As we gear up for festive PR, make sure you’ve got media monitoring set up so you never miss a piece of coverage.
What We’re Reading & Listening To
How male users are redefining style and self-care on Pinterest
For the first time, Pinterest’s Men’s Trend Report shows men now make up over one-third of its global audience –and they’re serious about wellness, style, tech and self-expression.
Teaming up: Why brand partnerships are taking over
eCom Fuel Podcast
With rising acquisition costs, brand collaborations and affiliate strategies are stepping up. This podcast episode looks at how they’re helping brands cut through the noise.
What’s cooking in 2025? 5 trends driving product development
Food Manufacture
From gut-friendly goodies to planet-friendly ingredients, food developers are mixing wellness, sustainability, and exciting global flavours. People want their food to be good for them and to pack a tasty punch.
Newsjacking
Newsjacking puts your brand in the spotlight, turning trending topics into your chance to stand out and keeping your brand part of the real-time dialogue. It boosts your chances of press coverage and shows you're a leader in your industry.
Find out more about aligning your brand with trending conversations here.
Upgrade to Pro for access to our weekly newsjacking topics and be ready to jump on the next relevant trend.
Personal Brand Framework
What do Grace Beverley, Richard Branson, and Jo Malone have in common? They’ve each built a standout personal brand—and with our new Personal Brand Framework, you can too.
Today, the press and audiences want more than a business; they want the story behind it. Your perspectives and opinions.
The framework is now live on Academy+ available to Pro and Enterprise members - upgrade to access.
