Published
30th July 2026
Read time
6 min read

While most brands are focused on summer campaigns, marketeers are already planning for Christmas.

It might seem early to be talking about festive campaigns while temperatures are soaring, but Christmas planning starts much sooner than many businesses realise. In fact, we've already seen journalist requests for festive PR content landing in our inboxes this June.

That means now is the ideal time to start shaping your Christmas communications strategy. Whether you're planning your PR activity, creating festive social content, or preparing your website to capture seasonal search demand, a little planning now can make a big difference later.

Start with the story, not the season

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is assuming Christmas alone is a newsworthy enough angle. Journalists will receive hundreds of pitches of this kind every day, so simply adding a Christmas hat to your product or service isn't enough.

Instead, think about what story you can tell.

Could you share emerging Christmas trends? Offer expert insight into festive spending habits? Launch a campaign that taps into family traditions, sustainability, gifting dilemmas, or workplace celebrations? The strongest festive campaigns connect with wider conversations rather than relying solely on seasonal relevance.

Get your PR assets ready now

For hospitality and leisure, plus retail brands, Christmas can represent one of the most important trading periods of the year.

And for many businesses beyond these sectors, the festive season presents a valuable opportunity to increase visibility, drive engagement and generate sales.

That's why July and August should be spent getting your ducks in a row.

When operational pressures inevitably build later in the year, you'll be grateful you've already laid the groundwork. If a Christmas PR campaign is on the cards, make sure you have:

  • High-quality festive imagery

  • Product information and pricing for this

  • Christmas Christmas campaign messaging

  • Case studies and customer stories

  • Data or insight-led content opportunities

For product-based businesses, this is also the time to identify items that could work in gift guides. Many journalists begin compiling their festive shopping features months in advance, meaning brands that wait until autumn are often far too late. Especially in print… most magazines have hit the shelves by then.

A well-prepared press office allows you to move quickly when opportunities arise and makes life significantly easier when deadlines begin piling up later in the year.

Think beyond gift guides

Gift guides remain a cornerstone of Christmas PR, but they shouldn't be the only objective. Some of the most effective festive campaigns combine multiple angles, including:

  • PR stunts

  • Listicles and seasonal round ups

  • Expert commentary and thought leadership

  • Seasonal research and trend forecasting

  • Charity partnerships and CSR initiatives

  • Christmas traditions and lifestyle features

By creating several potential storylines, you'll increase your chances of securing coverage across different sections of the media.

Plan your social media content early

Christmas might seem distant now, but your social will thank you for getting ahead.

Use this time in the summer to map out key seasonal moments, content themes, and creative activations. Consider how your Christmas activity will build across the final quarter rather than appearing suddenly in December.

Importantly, remember that audiences are increasingly looking for authenticity. While promotional content has its place, the festive campaigns that resonate most are often those rooted in genuine stories and emotion.

Don't forget your website

While PR and social media often takes centre stage, your website needs festive preparation too. Now is the ideal time to review:

  • Seasonal landing pages

  • Christmas service information

  • Your blog content strategy

  • SEO and keyword opportunities

  • FAQs around festive delivery or opening times

Creating Christmas-focused content early can also help improve organic visibility ahead of peak search periods. Rather than rushing content live in November, you'll have time to optimise pages, build internal links, and establish authority before competition ramps up.

Better still, festive landing pages and blog content can remain hidden from your main navigation until you're ready to launch them.

Create a joined-up campaign 

The strongest Christmas communications strategies don't treat PR, social, and content as separate disciplines.

A single campaign idea should work across multiple channels.

For example, one good piece of Christmas research could generate PR coverage, social media content, website landing pages, email marketing content, and more.

When channels work together, every piece of activity works harder and delivers greater value.

The countdown starts now

It may feel strange discussing Christmas while the sun is shining, but that's exactly why "Christmas in July" has become such a recognised concept in the communications industry.

The brands that secure the strongest coverage, highest engagement and most effective festive campaigns aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that start planning before everyone else.

So, while summer is still in full swing, now is the time to start building your festive strategy. Your future self will thank you when Christmas opportunities start rolling in and your campaign assets, content plans and media targets are already in place.

Because when it comes to Christmas communications, July isn't early — it's right on time.

Looking for inspiration? Take a look at our Snowdome Christmas campaign case study. Or, if you'd like support planning your festive PR, social or content strategy, get in touch with our team.