Six must-haves to secure holiday gift guides in 2024

Gift guides can be a major awareness and sales driver for brands during the holiday season, and editors begin decision-making in the summertime. So, hang on to your piña coladas, because it’s time to review six key items you must have to be considered for these influential holiday gift guides:

1. GIFT SETS
When it comes to gift guides, sets and bundles are absolutely key. If you offer lower ticket items (under $150), bundle key products in one SKU (so it's one transaction). Keep in mind that gift sets that don't just solve a problem but feel like a 'treat' are more ideal this time of year.

2. AFFILIATE LINKS
If your website is not yet set up to offer affiliate commissions, do this asap. If your products are not luxury items, consider offering a higher percentage commission such as 20% and higher starting in September. Five-percent commission on a $20 product is not very lucrative or attractive to a digital media outlet. Especially if your products are not available at big box retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom, etc., affiliate commissions on your website are an absolute must. Yup, even the ultra-coveted Oprah’s Favorite Things edition will only be accepting gifts available on Amazon this year! Again... #AFFILIATES!

3. SAMPLES
Samples for long-lead holiday consideration must be available to ship to editors by July/August for long-lead and by September for digital HGG.

4. LIFESTYLE AND PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
The photos don't have to be holiday-themed per se, but it's not a bad idea to compile a couple of images for each of your gift sets with a holiday feel (keep it holiday-neutral if possible – not overly Christmasy, for example). Lifestyle photos and product photos (on a white or transparent background) are crucial. If your gift sets come in elevated packaging, photograph that, too.

5. SEARCHABLE PRODUCTS
SEO is massively important for PR, especially during the holiday season. Make sure your listings on your website/retail channels include keywords like "perfect holiday gift," "great hostess gift," etc. Bonus if you can include in the name of the gift set itself, i.e. "Winter Solstice Skin Set" – we've seen this simple switch increase press coverage by up to 50%. We know it's not always possible, but if you're bundling to create a new SKU, it can be a helpful move! Try it out for back to school, if relevant for your brand.

6. CUSTOMER REVIEWS
As part of your marketing efforts, consider how you are soliciting customer reviews and rev up your review generation as much as possible over the next two months. Send follow-up emails to your customers asking them to review their recent orders, for example (and incentivize them to do it by a certain date!). Journalists look for products with positive reviews and lots of them, so the more, the better, not just for media, but for your overall credibility. As we know, reputation drives revenue, too. 

BONUS TIP:
Events are a needle-mover in building media relationships that can help secure coverage. However, keep in mind the timing – summertime and early fall are ideal for hosting media & influencer events geared towards new holiday launches, like our RENEW/WELL event in NYC on July 31, where you can personally introduce yourself and plant your products in the hands of journalists with Allure, Apartment Therapy, CN Traveler, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Forbes, Good Housekeeping, Glossy, Glamour, HuffPost, INSIDER, Marie Claire, The New York Times (NYT Well), Oprah Daily, People, PureWow, Refinery29, TODAY, Well + Good, Women’s Health, and more than 50 influencers registered to attend!

In other words, participating on-site or remotely at RENEW/WELL will introduce your product, service, or expertise to 100 influencers and media that can introduce your brand to thousands – if not millions – of more people.

Journalists tell us they receive up to 800 email pitches each day. While in-person connections are often better for building relationships with them and ultimately reaching their audiences (your potential customers!), activations like press dinners and trips can tick up to tens of thousands of dollars and take months to plan. Trade shows can be great, but identifying who's who in the room can be challenging and time-consuming. 

Enter: RENEW/WELL, an exclusive morning media & influencer event uniting tastemakers with trailblazers in all things wellness from across the globe for an exclusive, retreat-like experience to showcase the latest innovative products, services, and expertise in an intimate, interactive, and invite-only open house overlooking Union Square. In addition to the fantastic guests we’ll be hosting, I am so giddy about the brands exhibiting, too, like Nativa SPA, Highonlove, Nopalera, MONA Dermatology, FIGGI, and more! Doors are closing soon to join them!