Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast
Press releases are the staple for PR and communications teams.
New appointments – press release. Deals – press release. Mergers or investment – press release. Comment on topical story – yup, you’ve guessed it.
Rarely will a press release clear all the approval hurdles at first draft. Version 2, if lucky. Version 3.Final is more likely.
And the more voices, the longer and harder the journey a press release must travel before it lands on poor journalists’ desks.
In one instance, we had a press release that had to include quotes from nine parties, all sharing thoughts on its wording. It was a battle to prevent it from becoming a word salad that said absolutely nothing.
It begs the question: just who is the audience for a press release?
At first, that might seem a dumb question. Most might say the audience is the reader of the target publication.
Yes, those are the intended audience for all press releases, and its messaging needs to keep those readers in mind.
But there are many obstacles to overcome before a press release will get anywhere near them. Most don’t make it.
Then there is the internal audience. Any press release of substance will need to be cleared by senior leadership teams. They need to see their priorities reflected and their language used. It is easy to write for them.
Internal audiences are important and should always be kept in mind. In fact, good PRs will instinctively know when a press release is primarily for internal audiences, recognising that any press pick-up will be a bonus.
So who then is the primary audience for the press release?
We would argue that it is individual journalists that truly matter.
Reporters and editors are gatekeepers, and if a press release falls here, that’s it. The story will never see the light of day beyond a firm’s own channels.
This means that PR and communications teams need to put themselves in the shoes of journalists, push back on the fluff and the language firms have a habit of adopting (delighted to announce).
It is the job of PR and communications to understand the purpose of a press release, to balance the needs of these competing audiences and make it easy for a journalist to see the story. Because, if they do, it will result in media pick-up and be seen by everyone else.
The best press releases are the ones that read like a news story, not those written by committee. Because the audience for that press release is not those that approve it, but the one deciding to read or delete it.
Matt Baldwin is the joint managing director of Coast, a media relations agency.