Hello there, WELCOME! So, this blog post is about Christmas, but not Christmas in December as you might expect, but CHRISTMAS IN JULY!
To some of you this might be a familiar concept, to others this will sound a teeny bit crazy. But, having worked in interiors, beauty and gifting PR for major high-street retailers for around twelve years, to me this is just the norm. In fact, in PR, due to the importance of Christmas coverage and of course sales for the brands we look after, alongside the different lead-times of magazines, newspapers, online sites, TV shows and blogs, Christmas starts in July and lasts right up until Christmas Eve! With many an opportunity for coverage along the way. With this in mind, it’s our job as PR professionals to know about every possible relevant opportunity on our client’s behalf, and to pitch interesting ideas to the journalists in charge of each Christmas gift guide and festive shoot. This year, Twenty Three PR gained hundreds of Christmas credits for our clients, reaching millions of consumers, these pieces appeared in key titles such as Living etc, Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, You Magazine, Stella and Mail Online. None of which would have been possible without the exposure that our clients received through taking part in our annual Christmas in July event, inclusion in our look book and the following months of dedicated product pitching.
This blog post is specifically about Christmas in July, so without going into too much detail on the rest, here's a little summary of our 2017 event. We’d love to know, is this what you expected of a ‘Christmas in July’ press show? ...Held at The Good Housekeeping Institute in Soho, our collaborative Christmas in July press show was a one-stop-shop of complementary brands, run as an all day drop-in event on Thursday 13th July 2017.
The central, press-friendly location, provided the perfect venue for the annual event which was exclusively for press and influencers.
Over 150 press were in attendance, including editors and national journalists from publications including: Good Housekeeping, Country Homes & Interiors, Red, Homes & Gardens, Woman & Home, Good Homes, House Beautiful, Homestyle, Prima, Period Living, Style at Home, Your Home, The Christmas Magazine, Living etc, Ideal Home, Ideal Home Complete Guide to Christmas, GQ, Glamour, Fabulous, Closer, Time Out, The Metro and The Express. Each brand showcased their Christmas collections to press in an aspirational way, such as the show-stopping Dobbies Garden Centres Christmas window. Brand founders, such as Sara Miller London were on hand for meet and greets with press, ensuring they were front of mind for festive features and round-ups.
Guests enjoyed foiling demos by London Craft Club, manicures by Dielle and a cocktail making masterclass with Salcombe Gin and were treated to freshly baked goodies from Mini’s Bakery, award-winning gluten free and organic pizza from The White Rabbit Pizza Co, teatime with PUKKA, Infruition hydration and Prosecco from Zonin Prosecco.
What’s more, guests walked away with a goody bag full to the brim with food, drink and interiors goodies, plus press materials. We’re delighted to say that the overwhelming press feedback was that the show was one of the best and busiest Christmas shows of the year and our clients couldn’t have been happier! What do you think? ...We just happen to be planning our Christmas in July 2018 now, so why not get in touch: lisa@twentythreepr.com Best wishes, Lisa.