What Is “Holiday” in Marketing?
A Guide to Pitching and Promoting for Holiday Sales.
It's nearing the end of July, which means one thing is on the mind of nearly every marketer and communicator we know: holiday.
In our industry, “holiday” doesn't mean twinkle lights and gift wrapping… It's shorthand for the biggest sales season for most of our clients (also lovingly dubbed simply ‘OND’ in the wine and spirits world: October, November December). It is marked by the run-up to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's when most food, beverage, wine, and spirits brands make the lion's share of their revenue.
For most food and beverage brands, aside from categories like ice cream or wellness-focused products that peak at other times of year, holiday is the single most important sales and marketing window of the year, consistently, year after year.
So how do you “holiday” well as a brand? How do you land media coverage in gift guides, get named as the bottle to serve at Thanksgiving by a buyer with a big following, or launch a product that drives real clicks and conversions to your website?
Start now. A strong holiday campaign should be multichannel and should reach your core buyer wherever they already spend time. Here's a quick overview, followed by the details.
Five Ways to Win at Holiday - And Get Your Food Brand in Holiday Gift Guides
1. Build a Gift Pack
Media and consumers love a gift pack. Whether it's a curated box of products that make sense together, a special gift wrap on your regular product, a bundle, or a limited-edition label, gift packs signal both a cohesive gift and an easy purchase. They also tend to perform well in gift guide coverage, corporate gifting outreach, and email campaigns.
2. Pitch Gift Guides and Entertaining Roundups
Reach out to your favorite online magazines, Substack newsletters, and influencers with a gift idea for their gift guide roundup. Package your pitch with an angle that's easy to translate into a headline: gifts under $50, bottles for your in-laws, or an on-trend, color-specific collection. To really drive results from a gift guide placement, pair it with an affiliate program, which brings us to the next strategy.
3. Set Up an Affiliate Program
An affiliate program is not pay-for-play. It lets media and influencers earn a commission on any sale they help generate, typically 15% to 20%, which you should build into your direct-to-consumer margins. Consider raising the commission on higher-margin or more gift-forward items during the holidays to stay competitive with other brands courting the same coverage.
4. Turn Coverage into Conversions
Don't let a gift guide mention, an influencer shout-out, or an expert quote go to waste. Use it to drive an immediate sale while building long-term community and loyalty: collect the customer's email address, feature the quote or media logo in your email newsletter, and promote the influencer's recommendation to reach a wider audience. Test the messaging to see what actually drives sales. We break down exactly how in our free checklist for turning holiday coverage into conversions.
5. Market Year-Round So Holiday is Easier
This isn't just a plug for consistency's sake. A brand can't appear out of nowhere in October and expect its holiday program to win. Steady, drumbeat marketing throughout the year makes the holiday season, and the sales that come with it, that much easier.
When Should You Start Holiday Marketing and PR?
Now--start pitching holiday gift guides from early summer through, well, November. Editors build their gift guides for the November and December calendar months in advance, and affiliate and influencer partnerships take time to negotiate and launch properly. If your brand wants to be part of the holiday conversation, planning needs to start by summer.
Ready to Build Your Holiday Strategy?
The James Collective helps food and beverage, wine and spirits, and travel brands turn media coverage into sales, all year long. Get in touch to start your holiday plan.
Key Takeaways
“Holiday,” “OND,” and “Q4” all refer to the same window: October through December.
For most food and beverage brands, this window drives the largest share of annual revenue.
The five levers that move the needle: gift packs, gift guide pitching, affiliate programs, converting coverage into sales, and year-round marketing.
Planning should start by summer. Gift guides are built months in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does OND mean in marketing?
OND stands for October, November, and December, the three months that make up the holiday selling season. The term is used most often in the wine and spirits industry.
Why is the holiday season so important for food and beverage brands?
For most food and beverage brands, aside from categories like ice cream, chocolate, or wellness products, the holiday season generates the largest share of annual revenue. Media coverage, gift guide placements, and affiliate sales all peak during this window.
How much commission should I offer affiliates during the holidays?
Affiliate commissions typically range from 15% to 20% of the sale. Many brands raise commissions on higher-margin or gift-forward products during the holidays to stay competitive for media and influencer attention.
What is a gift guide pitch?
A gift guide pitch is outreach to media outlets, Substack newsletters, or influencers proposing a product for inclusion in their holiday gift guide roundup. The strongest pitches include a clear angle, such as a price point or theme, that's easy to fold into their coverage.
Do I need to market year-round to have a strong holiday season?
Yes. Brands that maintain consistent marketing and PR throughout the year build the awareness and audience that make a holiday campaign successful. A holiday push works best as the culmination of ongoing work, not a stand-alone effort.
The James Collective is an integrated communications and PR agency for CPG food and beverage, wine and spirits, and travel brands, based in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.