For the past seven years, Power Pitching events have connected PRs with 25 leading national journalists ahead of the most important moments in the retail calendar.
With more than 20 curated events each year, we help brands showcase their stories and products around key retail occasions - from Mother’s Day and Back to School to Black Friday and Christmas - spanning sectors including Tech & Gadgets, Mother & Baby, Food & Drink, and Beauty.
But how did it all begin?
How it started
Power Pitching was born from a clear gap in the market. After creating and running The Big Christmas Press Show, and working closely with hundreds of journalists, brands, retailers, and PR agencies, it became evident that PRs needed more opportunities to meet their tier one media across all retail occasions.
At CIJ Group, we believe in the power of collaboration and supporting the retail industry to achieve the best results in the most impactful and efficient way. Brands & retailers sit next to each other on the high street to maximise their footfall and sales, so why should a press event be any different?
And so, Power Pitching was born.
The early days
Back in 2019, when Power Pitching first launched, these events were in person and took on a speed-dating style format. PR’s had five minutes to pitch their hero products to each journalist and then they’d move on to the next. At the end of the session, they’d have pitched to all journalists in attendance.
Adapting to change
Then came the pandemic, and Power Pitching evolved. The events transitioned to online, opening the door to even greater opportunities. PRs continued to deliver concise elevator pitches for hero products and key launches, but now they could connect with more journalists than ever before. Journalists and PRs from across the UK could attend virtually, saving time, resources, and travel, without compromising on quality or impact.
Power Pitching quickly became one of the most efficient and effective ways for PRs and journalists to connect year-round.
Over the past seven years and as we approach our 100th event, Power Pitching has proudly supported:
300+ brands and retailers
90+ PR agencies
1,200+ journalists
We now host over 20 Power Pitching events a year helping to connect media and brands around key retail occasions, including Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Black Friday, Christmas, and beyond.
Power Pitching has supported leading brands, retailers and PR agencies such as ; ALDI, Pokémon, M&S, M&C Saatchi, Monzo, Moonpig, Wilko, Brazen PR, Russell Hobbs, Not On The High Street, BWP Group, Bloom & Wild, Weber Shandwick, Wayfair, Build-A-Bear, Hatch PR, Bird & Blend, JoJo Maman Bébé, STABILO, The Entertainer, W Communications, Schuh, Dobbies, Dr Paw Paw, The Card Factory, Mischief PR, Mad Beauty, Hisense, Remington, MenKind, Laithwaite’s, WPR Agency, The Range, Cartwright & Butler, Laura Ashley, Frank PR and more.
Trusted media relationships
CIJ Group has built trusted relationships with hundreds of national journalists, many of whom regularly attend our Power Pitching events, including; ITV This Morning, OK! Country Living, Grazia, HELLO!, The Independent, Stylist, BBC, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Mail, Ideal Home, Fabulous, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, IndyBest, Woman&Home, Closer, Metro, The Times, Olive and hundreds more!
Thank you
The CIJ Group team would like to extend a huge thank you to every single person who’s been involved with Power Pitching; it wouldn’t have been such a success without you. Keep an eye out as we approach our 100th Power Pitching event this month!
If you’d like to get involved with Power Pitching in 2026, you can view our upcoming events here; Upcoming 2026 Power Pitching events.
Thank you and best wishes,
The CIJ Group Power Pitching Team x