Woof, Meow, How to Pitch Pet Holidays

Cat lovers and dog lovers unite! We all can agree that we love our fur babies. Pets have been a big deal for a long time, but lately, I feel like it’s gone to a whole new level.

Pets have basically gone from the status of man’s best friend to being an equal member of the family. And with this status upgrade in the home, the media has increased its love of pets too.

So, not surprisingly, I have had a lot of success pitching my clients for pet-related holidays.

For example, I work with Susabella, a handmade gifts shop that makes personalized ceramics for every occasion. Since they have a line for pets, I pitched a few publications about how their Christmas ornaments are great gifts for dog-lovers and dog-bowls are great for Spoil Your Dog Day. This landed them in several articles that mentioned them by name, included a photo for the product, and a link to buy the item. You can check out the articles below:

This kind of content is great for publications because the audience of pet lovers is so big, and it’s great for the companies like Susabella who get their products put in front of an audience of pet-lovers.

At this point, you might be wondering how you can get in on some of the action so let me share some tips.

Of course, if you want to have a more in-depth discussion about how your company can be in lots of publications for lots of different reasons, get in touch! I offer personalized DIY PR Workshops you will love just as much as your fur baby.

What Are Pet Holidays?

There’s no official pet holiday and we won’t be getting a day off work to go to the dog park, but there are plenty of unofficial, fake, and fun holidays to celebrate our pets all year round.

Here are a few of the biggest and more generic ones that I would start with:

February 20th – Love Your Pet Day

March 23rd – National Puppy Day

April 11th – National Pet Day

April 30th – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

June 21st – Take Your Dog to Work Day

October 29th – National Cat Day

But after these, search for pet-related holidays and browse through the many more that are out there.

In addition to pet-specific holidays, you can also pitch gifts for the pet lover during the holidays or get creative with something like gifts for your pet’s birthday, too.

Tips for Pitching Pet Holidays

Once you’ve picked out a holiday or two you are ready to start with, it’s time to write your pitch. I have a few tips to help make your pitch stand out.

1. Start by mentioning the holiday

Most of these holidays are obscure. Before reading this post, did you know when National Puppy Day is? I didn’t think so. Writers and editors might also need a little refresher to know that the holiday is coming up.

I always start the email by mentioning the holiday and the date it occurs.

2. Include product pictures

If you are pitching products, pick two or three of your best pictures to include in the email. I recommend including at least one that has a white background that could easily be included in a magazine spread.

3. Be specific about your expertise

Not all pitches have to be about products! If you offer services like dog-walking, training, or maybe you are a veterinarian, you can get media attention too.

The trick here is to be very specific about what kind of advice you can offer. If you’re a vet, you probably know A LOT about dogs, but generic or catch-all pitches are boring. Instead, list three or four topics you are comfortable being interviewed about. These might look something like this: