May PR Pitches – What We’re Pitching Right Now
This May sound like an odd thing to say, but we are already pitching holiday gift guides in May. Here’s the thing: It May seem super early, but these gift guides are getting published earlier and earlier each year. That means the deadlines start creeping up even faster. May PR pitches need to be timely. In recent years, we’ve seen editorial deadlines for some of the major holiday gift guides come up in mid-July.
Another thing brands May not realize is that for some publications, their holiday gift guides are a culmination of products they’ve received and reviewed throughout the year. They could very well hold onto something we pitch them in January for a gift guide that comes out in November. MAYbe even longer. So, it’s important to be prepared.
Ok, I’ve had enough with the cheesy May puns. But seriously, we’ve written a lot over the years about the differences between long-lead and short-lead publications. And every year, we get companies coming to us in October and November looking for holiday gift guide coverage. You are much better off starting a holiday campaign much earlier in the year.
Holidays aren’t everything though. Our seasoned publicists are excellent at coming up with timely seasonal pitches based on trends. These are just some generic examples of what we’re pitching in May 2023:
Summer Fun
Think of stories related to backyard grilling, pool parties, campouts, trips to the beach, boredom busters, etc. Editors are always publishing product guides, roundups, and reviews for products that help people have a good time in the summer heat.
Back-to-School
Parenting editors are working on their back-to-school gift guides. They often request to see handy helpers for teachers, students, and parents during this time of year. The guides get published in July and August, but the outreach starts much earlier.
Timely Travel Pitches
Summer travel and holiday travel editorials are important for brands looking to build a name for themselves in the travel industry. May PR pitches should include angles related to both of these seasons. For the summer holidays, we’re focused on short-lead media outlets, particularly bloggers who work off of shorter editorial calendars. For winter holiday travel, we are going to travel editors at traditionally long-lead press outlets – this would include the major outlets like Travel + Leisure, Frommer’s, and Condé Nast.
Summer Holidays
The summer months are packed with awareness days and holidays. For example, June is “Pride Month.” We craft pitches related to products and brands that are part of or support the LGBTQ+ community. It is also Men’s Health Month, and Black Lives Matter Month. Then, of course, there’s the 4th of July. Made in America and Veteran-Owned companies typically do well around the holiday celebrating America’s Independence.
Money Savers
As long as people are uncertain about the U.S. economy, money-saving products and services will continue to be relevant to the press. This could be anything from haircare that saves you a trip to the salon to an app that helps you find the best coupons.
Amazon Prime Day
If you’re an Amazon seller and want coverage related to Amazon Prime Day discounts, now is the time to hand the details of those sales over to your publicists. While Amazon hasn’t announced a Prime Day yet for 2023, we anticipate it will happen sometime in July. We need time to get a sample to interested members of the press, which often takes several weeks.
These are just a few broad examples of the type of May PR pitches. Schedule a meeting with us to learn more about our PR strategies for small brands and businesses.