Cision’s Comprehensive Annual Gift Guide Directory Helps Marketers Reach Media in Time for the Holidays

CHICAGO, August 10, 2009 – Cision, the leading global provider of media research, distribution, monitoring and analysis services to the public relations industry and other communication professionals, announced it has expanded its list of holiday gift guide editors for the 2009 holiday season.

Every year, Cision publishes information in its exhaustive Bacon’s media database profiling editors of holiday gift-guides, the formats in which they present their annual ideas for holiday gifts, and deadlines for submission of materials by marketers. This year’s list of gift-guide opportunities is larger than ever, including print publications and online outlets ranging from ESPN Magazine and Ladies Home Journal to specialist web sites such as Gearlog, American Baby, Latina Style and Everyday Health.

Clients who subscribe to the Bacon’s media database currently have access to thousands of holiday gift guide opportunities and can search for opportunities by topic, DMA, deadline date and a variety of other search criteria to create a target list of outlets and opportunities.

“No other supplier of media information comes close to the size and comprehensiveness of Cision’s annual gift guide directory,” said Ruth McFarland, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Cision North America. “And given the long lead times, now is the time to get started. For PR people, the holiday season starts in August.”

Cision also offers best-practice tips for making an effective presentation to outlets publishing gift guides:

1. Watch Your Lead Times. Consumer magazines can begin work on their holiday gift guides as early as July, while daily newspapers and blogs won’t compile their information until late November. Pay attention to lead times to avoid missing the boat.
2. Keep an Eye on the Latest Trends. If you can tie your product or service to a hot new trend, chances are it well get more attention from editors than just a pitch alone.
3. Pay Attention to Pricing. Readers love two price ranges: high-end and—especially in the current difficult economy—inexpensive. If you have a high-priced item, pitch it as a luxury item. For lower-priced items, highlight what a great gift idea it is for the budget conscious shopper.
4. Keep Stock. Be prepared to ship samples of products to editors quickly. Ensuring that your product arrives in a timely manner could be the deciding factor in whether or not you are featured.
5. Customize! Every media outlet covers something different – make sure that you are sending the best pitch to each one. For example, if you have a really cool dock station for an mp3 player, you would pitch it as a great consumer electronics gift to the tech magazines. But you could also pitch it to college magazines and newspapers as a great gift for dorm living, or you could spin it to music blogs as a must-have for music lovers.

About Cision:
Cision is the leading provider of software, services, and tools to the public relations and marketing industry. Marketing and PR professionals use our products to help manage all aspects of their brands – from identifying key media and influencers to connecting with audiences; monitoring traditional and social media; and analyzing outcomes. Journalists, bloggers, and other influencers use Cision’s tools to research story ideas, track trends, and maintain their public profiles. Cision is present in Europe, North America and Asia, has partners in over 125 countries and is quoted on the Nordic Exchange with revenue of SEK 1.0 billion in 2011. For more information, visit www.cision.com.

For More Information:
Andrée Beckham
Vice President, Marketing & Public Relations
312-873-6434