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To many marketers, the press release
is something of a "one size fits all"
proposition. You want to get media coverage, you knock out
a press release, send it to some journalists and sit back
and wait.
Of course, smart Publicity Insiders already know that’s
a prescription for failure. You know that your press
release has to have a "hook", be well-written
and sent to appropriate journalists in an active, not
passive, manner. But there’s another part of the puzzle
that even savvy publicity-seekers sometimes miss -- you
can’t just write "a press release", you have
to write the right kind of press release.
There’s no such thing as a "one size fits all"
release. Smart publicists have variations of the press
release model ready to be go, depending on the occasion.
(Note: for a general introduction to press release writing
and formatting, see: http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
Let's look at some releases suitable for
"harder" and more timely news...
The News Release
To some folks, "news release" and "press
release" are interchangeable. Not to me. I use the
phrase "news release" to refer to a release
that, well, carries actual news. Let’s face it, most of
what a business has to say to a journalist isn’t exactly
"stop the presses" kind of stuff. But, on
occasion, something of real significance occurs. A merger,
a stock split, a major new contract, winning a national
award...something that’s truly timely and important. For
these sorts of events, don’t mess around. Craft a solid,
hard-hitting News Release that’s written in pure
journalistic style (lead includes "who, what, when,
why and how", language is in 3rd person and
completely free of hyperbole). Use journalism’s
"inverted pyramid" -- most important information
at the top, next most important info in the second
paragraph and so on down.
Tell the entire story in the headline and subhead. Again,
don’t get cute -- get straight to the point. The
headline "Acme Corporation Selected by Pentagon to
Supply Troops with Widgets" is far better than
something like "Guess Who’s Making Widgets for
Uncle Sam?" or something "clever" like
that. In the subhead, fill in some details: "$18
Million Contract Largest in Company’s History".
Talk about getting straight to the point! You’ve just
given the journalist the meat of the story before she’s
even read your lead.
Add a "dateline" (Akron, OH) at the beginning of
your lead (first) paragraph. In the dateline, use your
company’s home town (or the location where some news has
broken. You can be a bit creative here, if it helps
maximize your impact. For the above example, you can
dateline it Washington, DC and say that "The Pentagon
today announced that it has selected an Akron
company...").
In distributing the release, use e-mail, fax, distribution
service such as PRWeb or PR Newswire, or even overnight
courier. The goal is to get it into journalists’ hands
on the same day you distribute it.
Executive Appointment Release
Most businesses send out a brief release and headshot when
someone new is hired or a major promotion is made.
That’s fine, and it will get them in the "People on
the Move" column on page 8 in the business section.
It’s an ego stroke for the employee, but that’s about
it. Savvy publicity seekers use the Executive Appointment
release to generate real publicity. Here’s the key --
don’t just announce that someone’s been hired or
promoted. Rather, explain why the move is significant to
the company -- and perhaps the market -- as a whole.
For example, Jane Smith has been hired as your company’s
new director of sales. Not so exciting. However, the
reason you hired her is because she came from a major
online retailer and is planning to overhaul your sales
system to compare with the state- of-the-art systems used
by the big guys. Hmmmm...that’s a lot more interesting.
So why not tell the media about it?
The key ingredient is context. Your headline may still
look like that of a typical Executive Appointment release
(Acme Names Jane Smith New Director of Sales), but
starting with the subhead, you begin your journey off page
8 of the business section and onto page one (Hiring of Key
Figure in Online Sales Explosion Marks Important Shift in
Acme’s Sales Strategy). Ah, now you’ve entered the
realm of news, not business as usual. And a sharp business
editor will see that a local company is doing something
far more significant than just making a hire.
Dateline the release, fax (or even messenger), email or
regular mail it over to your local business editor and
follow up with a phone call. Offer Jane Smith for
interview, too.
The Media Alert
The Media Alert is a deceptively simple creature. It’s
essentially a memo from you to TV, radio and newspaper
assignment editors, city desk editors and others who
decide whether a particular news event is worth covering.
They’re used to alert the press about news conferences,
charity events, publicity "stunts" and other
events.
The point of the Media Alert is to, in just a few seconds,
tell a journalist about the event, how to cover it and why
it’s important that the media outlet, in fact, covers
it. Most publicists are pretty good on the first two
points -- almost all media alerts do a decent job of
telling what the event is, where it will be held and what
time it starts. It’s the third aspect -- the
"why" -- that will make the real difference,
though. And it’s the thing most publicists do a lousy of
job of conveying.
First, a word about format. Use standard press release
headings (contact info, "For Immediate Release"
and headline). The rest of the document should be a few
paragraphs, spaced at least three lines apart from one
another. The first paragraph, should begin with What: and
continue with a one or two line description of the event (WidgetFest
2004, a celebration of young minds). Next paragraph,
When:, after that Where:
Now here’s the key paragraph,
Why You Should Cover WidgetFest 2004: The brightest young
minds from around the region will gather to present their
inventions, as Acme Corp. celebrates the state’s top
high school science students. The event will be a visual
feast, with a host of awe-inspiring inventions, many
colorful, active and exotic, on display. As part of the
event, more than $10,000 in scholarships will be
distributed to budding Einsteins by John Smith, Ohio’s
Science Teacher of the Year.
The key? This line: "The event will be a visual
feast, with a host of awe-inspiring inventions, many
colorful, active and exotic, on display." I just
spoke an assignment editor’s language, telling him that
this will provide lots of cool visuals, making for great
video or photos. The bit about the scholarships and the
Science Teacher of the Year assures him that this won’t
just be a promotional stunt. So what are we offering? A
non-promotional, feel-good event with great visuals. Just
what an assignment editor is looking for.
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