As the year winds down and brands start prepping for a fresh new chapter, now is the perfect time to step back and map out how you’ll show up in 2026. The biggest mistake brands make with gifting is treating it like a last-minute marketing tactic when the real magic happens when it’s intentionally woven into your wider strategy.
Planning ahead sets you up for better creators, better content, and better results. And 2026 is full of opportunities if you map your calendar early.
Let’s get into it.
Why Planning Matters (More Than You Think) A great year doesn’t happen by accident - it happens because you planned the right moments and gave yourself enough runway to actually execute them.
Your 2026 calendar should include every major moment that could impact your brand:
Big Gifting Occasions If you’re a brand that thrives during traditional “gifting seasons,” planning ahead is non-negotiable .
Valentine’s Day Mother’s Day Father’s Day Christmas These dates creep up faster than you think and creators book out quickly with both paid and contra work. Early planning means you secure the right people and the right content.
E-Com Retail Moments Even if you don’t run discounts, these moments still massively impact buying behaviour. If you are running discounts, it's essential you are creating the right amount and type of noise to promote your sales seasons. Share discount codes or early access through creator content to reach new audiences.
AfterPay Day Click Frenzy EOFY BFCM (Black Friday / Cyber Monday) Boxing Day You don’t need to be “on sale” to be part of the conversation. Thoughtful gifting campaigns during these windows keep you visible while competitors are spending big on ads.
Brand-Specific Milestones Don’t forget to plan around your own big moments too:
New product launches New season releases A new store or location opening Rebrands Major collabs or partnerships If it’s important to the business, it deserves space on your marketing calendar. And gifting can help amplify it.
How to Use Gifting Across Every Major Moment Once you’ve mapped out your year, it’s time to layer gifting into each moment strategically.
❤️ Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day & Christmas Creators help you tap into emotional buying.
Lean into gifting for gift guides , product recommendations , and UGC that feels personal and genuine . Build momentum 6–8 weeks out so you have content ready to roll when search and social behaviour spikes. Bonus: Pull the best-performing content into ads, PDPs, and email. 🛍️ E-Com Moments (Click Frenzy, AfterPay Day, EOFY, BFCM) Creators bring urgency without needing heavy discounting.
Showcase bundles or hero SKUs Drive countdown-style content Create social proof in real time Extend your reach when CPMs skyrocket during peak sales weeks 🚀 Product Launches Creator gifting is your hype cycle.
Unboxings First impressions Tutorials Before/afters Styled content You get a wave of visibility while also building an evergreen library of launch content.
🏪 Store Openings & IRL Events Creators help local customers discover you faster.
Invite creators to the launch Gift them product to share before or after the event Use their content across flyers, email, and location ads Build long-term local relationships 🌿 In Between the Big Moments: Advocacy & Always-On Marketing The biggest brands don’t wait for major events, they use gifting to keep momentum rolling all year.
Small creator waves that align with your calendar themes Mini content pushes around hero SKUs Seasonal storytelling Community-led content This keeps you relevant, discoverable, and top-of-mind - even when you’re not pushing anything specific.
3. When to Start Planning Your Gifting Campaigns If there's one rule for 2026, it’s this:
Start earlier than you think. Then start earlier again. Creators need time. You need time. Good content needs breathing room. Here’s your timeline:
Major Events, Product Launches & Key Seasonal Moments Start planning 2 months out.
Shortlist creators Reach out Let creators test and shoot Collect content for use across social, email, web, and ads Creators should have a clear date range for delivery and posting so everything aligns with your go-live. Be clear upfront what you are looking for and ensure you and the creator are fully aligned on any deliverables and timelines before sending through your gift,
Advocacy & Always-On Gifting For general brand love, education, and awareness:Run 6–8 week mini campaigns throughout the year.
Build a steady drumbeat of authentic content Buffer the quieter months Keep your brand visible and relevant Maximise your content library for all channels When gifting runs alongside your marketing themes, everything works harder.
Why Creator Content Should Be Part of Your 2026 Strategy (Big or Small) Creator content is flexible: it can be your whole strategy or just one element of it —-but either way, it’s powerful.
Here's why it matters:
It builds social proof faster than any other channel. It brings fresh, authentic content into your ecosystem every week. It fuels ads, emails, landing pages, PDPs, and organic socials with content that converts. It helps brands stay top-of-mind in crowded categories. It builds trust at scale - something brands can’t “manufacture” themselves. Whether you go big with 50 creators or small with 5 high performers, the impact compounds when you plan ahead and use gifting intentionally.
2026 is your year to get strategic. Start now. Map your moments. Line up your creators. Build your content library early.
Want help turning your 2026 plan into a gifting strategy?RIGHT HERE!
Image: Freepix
