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Following are some thoughts on this year’s Gift Guides, as well as my thoughts on what you can do to get in Gift Guides next year.  First of all, as always, COLORFUL IS KEY.  A beautiful, colorful product and/or packaging will always win out over a great product with so-so looks and packaging.  Please don’t discount this.  It’s true not only in the media, but at the retail level.  We tend to buy things that catch our eye. I grabbed about six magazines and checked their Gift Guides.  Here are a few products that made it into several magazines: 

• Fruit & Passion’s Bath Set ($24 for a set of 7) – bath gels that look like colorful ornaments – www.fruit-passion.com – these are adorable and leaped out at me from the page – here’s why they are a winner:  1) low price; 2) colorful; 3) great packaging; 4) you can break up the package and give one or a couple to save even more money
• Chocolate Tortilla Chips – www.vosgeschocolate.com – this company always comes out with funky stuff, and at $20 the price is right
• Claus Porto soaps – www.lafcony.com – these stood out as the most interesting thing in O Magazine’s Gift List, and they also made it onto her Favorite Things show, which is amazing – colorful and funky fragrances
• Tea Forte gift sets, www.teaforte.com – tea is hot, and these have great looks
• Audio system by Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, www.store.apple.com – this looks like a black submarine.  It’s expensive ($600), but its design really stands out

Trends: 

• Chocolate that looks like artwork, such as those at www.mariebelle.com and www.christophernormanchocolates.com
• Makeup palettes, such as those at www.sephora.com and Mark’s Lip Gloss Set at www.meetmark.com
• Cupcakes – such as those from www.williams-sonoma.com.  And if you’re in Florida, you can pick up fresh gourmet healthy cupcakes as gifts at any Whole Foods, from my friends at We Take the Cake
• Unusual candles, such as those at www.wildpomegranate.com and www.bellefleurny.com
• Funky Tote Bags that can be used instead of plastic bags, to carry around items, such as colorful glossy ones from Style & Co. at Macy’s, and the Hindi Print Bag at www.stjude.org

What You Can Do Now: 

• Colorful is key.  If your product isn’t colorful, create one that is, or create packaging that is.
• Put together gift sets.  If you make a cake, put in a funky cake plate and cake cutter.  If you make teas, put in cups and a teapot.
• Create something NEW and GIFTY. Even if you have a great product, the media wants new products. 
• Pitch early.  Now is the time to pitch magazines for Mother’s and Father’s Day.  Many magazine gift guides have submission deadlines six months in advance. More information on this is available in my Special Report, “How to Get Your Product Featured in a Holiday Gift Guide,” available here.

And here’s an idea for gift basket companies:  Why not put together a basket of all or some of Oprah’s Favorite Things?  I bet it would be a great seller.