How to create a banging press release

Sounds smashing, doesn’t it? Writing a press release so fire that not even your harshest critic wants to extinguish it… (excuse my lameness)

The most paradoxical thing about editors is that they don’t necessarily like to read. Sounds like an unfair statement? It isn’t.

Editors are busy, they have deadlines, and they are inundated with hundreds of pitches from PRs. On top of receiving tons and tons of unsolicited messages and press releases, they have a life. So, how do we as PRs make them notice our tiny insignificant press release amongst the flurry of words and chaos?

Make it short

I get it, you want to put all the information about the company, founder, partners, figures, launch in a 600+ word minimum press release so editors receive all the information. This press release might have been scrutinised for days (even weeks), requiring sign off and quotes from multiple people. I hate to break it to you but – at first email open, most editors do not care and, quite likely, they will not open an attachment.

Don’t be mistaken, the press release is important, and it needs to be finalised before you pitch press. A press release consolidates all the facts and story onto a document so that editors can read it when they request it and when they have time. But editors will request a press release after they read your short concise pitch.

Sometimes we as PR agencies are requested to email these press release attachments or pitches exactly the way a client wants us to send them, but we know that’s not effective.

Editors want to read something that’s interesting, unique, and newsworthy in the first 1-3 lines. That’s right, 1 to 3 lines.

At PR agency JPR Media Group, we have gotten it wrong a lot. We know when a pitch doesn’t land and we know when we are simply sending out a specific press release for a client. Through experience, we also know when a press release hits differently and it usually shows in the level of positive responses from editors.

These are our top 3 most impactful press pitches we have ever sent, and why:

1. “I would like to invite you to experience the heights of aerial photography, literally, by joining 75-year-old American fine art photographer Donn Delson in a helicopter ride above London.”

This pitch won for best 1^st line of an email because:

• It was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly in a helicopter
• It was super unusual because the photographer was 75 and he took pictures hanging outside the doorless side…
• It was a way to experience how exactly an artist does his work.

2. “Art&Co – the worlds largest online auction to fundraise for organisations helping those affected by the coronavirus contagion, being run out of London”

This pitch won for most interesting facts, relevance, and talking points which were stated in the email under the first introduction line, such as:

• Millions of pounds worth of artwork from famous artists such as Picasso, Dali, Warhol and Koons were being auctioned
• Two household name billionaires co-hosted the online auctions
• Funds were being dispersed to charities
• The concept was launched by our client, PremFina insurance’s Group CEO Bundeep Singh Rangar, to address a major weakness in his industry – “a stark statistic that only 3% of natural disasters are covered by Insurance as many events are not covered due to being defined as an Act of God.”

3. “Hélène de Beauvoir: The Woman Destroyed is the first ever solo exhibition of Hélène de Beauvoir’s work in London. Often overshadowed by her older sister, the writer Simone de Beauvoir, this exhibition features paintings & works on paper from the 1950s to 1980s.”

This pitch won for most interesting discovery. So many aspects of this pitch were interesting because it felt like we uncovered an artist whom we should all know. The exhibition showcased an art moment in history that wasn’t widely known

• Hélène de Beauvoir had a very famous sister – author Simone de Beauvoir
• It was the first ever solo exhibition of Hélène’s work in London
• We managed to get in touch with Claudine Monteil, an incredible women’s rights specialist & former French diplomat who wrote a famous book The Beauvoir Sisters. She personally spent time with the Beauvoir sisters in France so could tell real life stories. She ended up hosting an exclusive talk at the art gallery.
• One of Simone’s 1^st edition books was on display.

What is press worthy?

• Big Household Names (Celebs, VIPs, Famous Business Moguls)
• Impressive Numbers (£0-£50-million-pound business growth in 4 years)
• An exclusive i.e. the journalist gets to write about a press story first before you share it with others
• A 1^st like “1^st UK solo exhibition”, “World’s 1^st patented precision health system”
• A Unique Experience to try (tech, travel, health, food)
• An Expert who can comment on something topical
• A moment in history – a landmark anniversary, unveiling of something historically significant

Key Takeaways

• Make it punchy
  • Sometimes it’s difficult to make something pop based on the story you have been given and the type of client you are working with. Maybe it’s not that exciting, maybe your client didn’t just partner with Pharrell, or sell their company for £100 million. Everyone still has a story and that’s why, as the PR, the due diligence phase of research before you start pitching is really important. You need to find out what your client’s unique selling point is and what your media strategy is before you reach out to journalists.

• Make it topical
  • Is there something relevant in your client’s sector that is happening in the news that could tie in nicely with your news announcement? Is one of your clients an expert in a field that is really relevant at the moment?
  • Keep up to date with what is trending in the news so that you can understand what journalists are interested in writing about.

• Be prepared with facts and high-res copyright free images
  • Please be completely prepared before you pitch editors. Journalists will want facts, dates, numbers, expert answers, and high-resolution copyright-free images and (sometimes) videos they can use. Get these assets prepared before you pitch. Trust me, your business founder client who refuses to get a professional profile photograph done will not be happy if an editor grabs a random picture of them from 2011… (unless they looked amazing then!)

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