Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged, and PR inboxes everywhere exploded: A look at some pitches I received + tips on how to pitch around timely celeb news

PLUS our holiday gift guide workshop recording is available. ALL you need to know to ROCK this season's pitching

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged and PR inboxes everywhere exploded.

From astrologers predicting her wedding style to luxury jewelry cleaners claiming relevance, the pitches poured in… some clever, some painfully forced.

My inbox alone looked like a wedding registry for every product, service, and expert in America.

This week, I’m going to give you a look inside my inbox at the Taylor Swift pitches I received…which could work, which flopped, and why.

Where we are with pitching Taylor Swift news right now

As Tim Chan noted in his viral LinkedIn post on Taylor, the deluge of Swift-related products and think pieces has become so overwhelming that many editors auto-delete anything with her name in the subject line.

So unless you’ve got an authentic tie-in or actual breaking news, you’re better off waiting until the next album release or a major public announcement. If we get verified wedding news that makes sense to tie a client around, pitch away. Until then, most Swift-related pitches will likely get lost in the shuffle.

Want to see the actual pitches I got, and which worked versus which flopped? That’s for paid subscribers only. Upgrade below to unlock the full analysis.

But first, a quick announcement: If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide Workshop, the recording is now available

Make this the year your HGG pitches don’t get ignored.

Editors are already assigning; writers are yearning for solid pitches; and your subject line has about two seconds to earn a click.

Last week, we walked dozens of you through what’s working in 2025—timing, targeting, affiliate realities, and how to package products so a writer can drop them straight into a guide without hand-holding.

This replay is for the publicist who’s done the spray-and-pray thing and is done wasting time. You’ll get the field-tested subject line patterns that actually get opened, a body-copy checklist you can paste into every pitch, and a clear plan for following up.

Bottom line: if you want more “yes” replies between Labor Day and Christmas, this $49 hour will more than pay for itself in placements.

What’s inside (high-value hits you can use this week)

• Timing that reflects reality: the waves you can catch from next week through mid-December, and how to triage when you’re late.

• Subject lines that get opened: price bands, retailer signals, social proof, and affiliate keywords—plus concrete examples and why they work.

• Pitch packaging that respects a writer’s time: 3–5 curated SKUs, low-res inline art + non-expiring download links, and what absolutely must be in the first screen.

• Targeting that doesn’t burn relationships: how to group multi-client pitches so they feel editorial, not a dump.

• Affiliate truth serum: what networks/commission ranges move the needle, when Amazon helps, and how to pitch a product or service that isn’t on affiliate yet.

• “Missed the window” plan: what to do in August–November to land short-lead guides and last-minute staffer adds.

• Services, luxury, and edge-cases: how to pitch service offerings, $1,000+ items, and categories like pet, books, bedding—without getting auto-deleted.

• Print vs. digital lead times: how to stop guessing and tailor your calendar.

• Follow-up cadence that doesn’t get you muted: when, how often, what to say, and when to stop.

• Where to find live calls for pitches beyond the usual suspects—and how to be the helpful name in a writer’s inbox.

Who it’s for: Agency and in-house publicists shipping holiday pitches now; founders doing their own outreach; solo publicists looking for an edge; anyone who needs a pragmatic HGG playbook instead of platitudes.

Fee: $49

A few testimonials from attendees:

“Great session ladies! Thank you so much! You two always add so much value to every session. Much appreciated!”

“This session was SO good. Thank you both so much. Beyond helpful. Can't wait to send out my pitches.”

“When you have been in the PR industry for more than 15 years, you may think there's ‘nothing new’ to learn. As we publicists try to continue to work in partnership with journalists, I appreciated the advice that was shared by Jill & Nicole in their HGG Workshop where I did in fact learn many new things! Being able to hear best practices, share tactics, and ask questions in real time during the workshop was so valuable. A big thank you to them for taking the time out of their busy schedules to support our efforts, which in turn help our clients get more hits!”

Ready to get your copy of the recording? Email info@toptierconsulting.NET and we’ll get you registered.

Jill & Nicole

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Read on for more "Traylor" and "Swelce” pitch news.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Subscribing to my Substack does not influence my editorial decisions or what I publish in any way. This newsletter is strictly an educational resource where I share my perspective and expertise to help publicists improve their pitching. I’ve delivered presentations to hundreds of PR firms, spoken at media university classes, and bring extensive experience on this topic—I'm excited to share that knowledge openly and transparently.

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