Holiday 2018 Gift Guide for PR Pros

⌛ By Kaylin Staten ⌛

The ornaments and lights are on the Hourglass Media Christmas tree and stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Whether you’re dreaming of a white Christmas or aiming to give the perfect gift to all of the special someones in your life, the holiday season can be daunting! With parties and get-togethers aplenty, you may not have time to window shop (let’s face it, most shopping is online these days) for every gift on your Nice Person List.

If a public relations professional is on your list, Hourglass Media has a comprehensive gift guide for those in communications professions! (You may also want to snag a few of these items for yourself!)

The below 10 items (plus a bonus one!) will give you an idea what to get the public relations professional in your life:

SD Cards

If you’re in any communications field (or are a data hoarder), then a new SD card is in order for Christmas. You’re gonna need a micro SD card for your cell phone or tablet (if you have a non-Apple phone, that is) and a regular SD card for your camera and other devices. A card with maximum GB is perfect for those of you with professional cameras and use them for work or play.

SanDisk is our go-to brand for camera and phone cards!

Travel Coffee Mug

Coffee fuels our days and nights #behindthehourglass. After all, public relations professionals are most certainly in the top 20 of professions who love their coffee. What better way to get your caffeine fix and express your personality that with a travel mug?

We love this ban.do one. The more glitter, the better.

Coffee

And if you’re in the market for a delicious coffee and want to support a fellow small business, check out Coffee Over Cardio. Our favorite is #Workflow. Everyone knows coffee + ambition = happy PR pros!

Use the code 10kaylins for 10 percent off your order or click this direct link: www.coffeeovercardio.com/discount/10kaylins.

Membership to a Professional Organization

Belonging to a professional organization is one of the best ways to invest in you and your career. Our favorite is the Public Relations Society of America. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)-River Cities Chapter was created in 2015 and serves the River Cities of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Its mission is to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their careers.

Join our Chapter or find a Chapter near you!

Calendar

Jazz up your office or a colleague’s office with a wall or desk calendar. Purchase a popular culture one or one with scenes of a favorite city. After all, sometimes it helps to see editorial calendars and other important dates away from the digital realm as well. If you’re so inclined, customize your own calendar. During the holiday season, Shutterfly has a myriad of deals and freebies on the website and app. Calendars make great gifts for others, too!

Browse Shutterfly’s calendars here.

Planner

I’m old school and new school, so I still love having a physical planner for appointments, meetings, to-do lists, birthdays and more. I bought a ban.do planner to use from August 2018 to August 2019, and I love it! The designs are classic with a modern twist.

Check out the I Am Very Busy planner.

AP Stylebook

Most communications professionals utilize the Associated Press Stylebook. In today’s digital landscape, changes are more regular than ever. Give the PR pro in your life a digital or print version of the 20198AP Stylebook! If you order the digital version, edits will automatically sync to your account. PR pros, as well as media outlets, will thank you! You’ll have to wait until Spring 2019 for the 2019 version, but the 2018 will more than suffice!

Get the 2018 version.

Stress Ball or Stress Relief Dough

On stressful days, you need something a little extra to prevent you from blowing your top. Give the gift of relaxation in the form of stress relief dough. Your PR pro will thank you as he or she is gearing up for a big press conference or putting out a fire. This five-pack on Etsy is also customizable to your marketing, FYI. And you can share with five people. Win, win.

Subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud

Productivity is king AND queen in the public relations field. All of us want to learn how to do more with less time. At Hourglass Media, we have used Adobe products for years, and what better way to make a PR pro’s holiday than to give them the gift of Adobe Creative Cloud, either per app or the entire monthly subscription for around $60/month. Edit photos, design printed documents, make logos and cut videos to your heart’s content!

Pantone Color nspiration Guide

Most of us use color and other fine details to outreach to our target audiences. That doesn’t mean we don’t need a designated spot to always find inspiration! A Pantone color guide is always welcome! Plus, you will want to find ways to incorporate the 2019 Color of the Year, Living Coral, to your professional and personal spaces.

And… Snacks!

You can’t go wrong with anything sweet, salty or both! We love Snickers Nutcrackers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees. Hint, hint.

Check out more of our favorites on our I’m Dreaming of an Hourglass Christmas Pinterest board!

Kaylin R. Staten, APR is an award-winning public relations practitioner and writer. She owns Hourglass Media, a consulting company based in Huntington, WV.

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