Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast
A recurring PR theme is the demise of the press release.
Every couple of years, media and PR commentators will boldly claim the press release is dead – ignored by journalists with bulging email inboxes, used by agencies to justify fees and generating little media traction.
It is true that many press releases are ignored. And when they are (it’s never the message – that’s always perfect), it is understandable to think they might be a waste of time and effort.
So, on the face of it, the press release looks like a busted flush?
Except it isn’t.
Professional services firms generate a lot of news – from new partners, promotions, deals and transactions, investment in new offices and technology. Even the biggest structural changes – a merger or the introduction of external capital – will be announced via the press release.
There is good reason for that. It works.
Firstly, press releases help keep journalists on top of developments inside a firm. Not every one will generate press, but it helps journalists track what matters to a firm.
Second, it remains a convenient way to share a story with a large number of media outlets. The are democratic, with every journalist receiving the story at the same time.
Third, and increasingly important, it feeds the wider information ecosystem in which a firm is judged, from the legal directories to AI.
A strong media page on your firm’s website does more that showcase news. It helps shape how AI tools ‘understand’ your firm, particularly when linked to media coverage.
Here, press releases demonstrate ownership of an issue or sector, they highlight expertise and experts. They create structured, attributable and repeatable signals. And that is important, as AI is not looking for one perfect press release but patterns,
Finally, the very act of creating a press release (and gaining approvals) makes PR and their fee-earning colleagues think hard about messaging. By spending time in building, stress-testing messaging and refining a press release it will increase the chances of it landing.
This makes the press release a great vehicle to create commentary on breaking news stories, to put a story idea in front of media and to back up a pitch to individual journalists.
Today, the press release is not just a tool for PRs and journalists. It is a tool for machines as well.