Talking about Christmas in July? It may sound extra, but trust us, it’s crucial to your products’ success for the festive season. In this blog post, we will explore what Christmas in July is, why it is important for brands and businesses, and the key steps they can take to maximize its potential.
While December is traditionally associated with yuletide celebrations, there is an increasing importance of sharing your Christmas products with journalists and media publications in July.
Festive features have the most forward planning of the year. As the year’s biggest spending occasion for consumers, Christmas provides a crucial moment for both print and digital publications. Gift guides, special features and other festive-focused content is highly sought after and so journalists require time and energy to pull these important pieces of content together.
‘Christmas in July’ has become the cornerstone event of this planning and so it presents a unique marketing and PR opportunity for brands and businesses. By leveraging this occasion, brands can build relationships with media in the hope that they will feature their products in the highly coveted Christmas coverage.
Public relations (PR) plays a vital role in maximizing the impact of Christmas in July campaigns, or any holiday during the Winter months for that matter. PR efforts can generate buzz and create awareness about a brand’s participation during the festive season and highlight specific products that can go on to become Christmas best-sellers. By developing engaging press releases, organizing media events, and leveraging social media, PR professionals can ensure that the brand reaches a wider audience by maximising press coverage during the festive period.
While it may seem a long lead time, Christmas products show up on retail shelves as soon as Halloween products are taken down, and so in reality journalists are likely to have all their Christmas content wrapped up by October and in truth, it often feels like Christmas starts earlier each year. Key major publications form lifestyle, tech and home industries often request
While digital media has a significant presence in today’s world, the importance of securing Christmas coverage in print should not be underestimated. Print publications have a longer lead time, meaning brands must be prepared well in advance. This early exposure can build anticipation among consumers, creating a sense of excitement and ensuring that the brand’s Christmas products are on their radar early and have the potential to become one of the hottest Christmas gifts.
Additionally, print publications offer a tactile and visually appealing platform for showcasing the brand’s products or services. The glossy pages of magazines and newspapers provide an immersive experience that captures the essence of the holiday season, allowing brands to create a lasting impression on consumers.
Here are three things brand should do for Christmas in July:
- Pick your products well and carve out a compelling festive story
- Write a press release and create a press pack which includes both product images and lifestyle images of your core festive products as well as any holiday pricing or sales events
- Do your research and build relationships with journalists to get featured in the best publications for your brand
At Gallium Ventures we work with a number of brands with their Christmas in July efforts. If you need our help, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
