(Hint: the answer is hell yeah!)

There are as many different tactics for making your announcement as there are things to announce. Once, press kits ruled supreme, but these days they are just one of many tactics in the toolkit which forms part of your wider PR strategy. You may be asking yourself what is a press kit and what do I need it for? As a general rule, press kits are for when you go big – significant announcements worthy of attention, so in the immortal words of Wham!, “if you’re gonna do it, do it right”.

What is a press kit?

Simply put, a press kit is a collection of all the information a journalist needs to quickly cover your announcement or organisation. Sure, they can reach out to your business or PR agency and ask for the information they need, but given their often-tight deadlines, they might just decide to skip your announcement and move onto someone else’s where they already have everything they need.

These days, physical press kits –  printed documents, the PR persons business card and an image beautifully nestled in a custom printed cardboard folder – have largely gone the way of the portable CD player, but that doesn’t mean the press kit itself is out of style.

So, what do you need in a press kit?

This varies depending on what you’re announcing and the target media. But the basic press kit should include the following

• A press release. This is the star of the show and contains the at-a-glance information a journalist needs to write a basic story. It should succinctly cover what the announcement is and why it matters. Keep it to a page, two max and get to the point – the practice of starting releases with something like “Company Z, a global provider of Y, today announced…” is out of fashion. You’re giving too much background information before you’ve explained your news (and it often leads to unwieldly sentences).
• Backgrounders. If your announcement covers a complex topic, such as the unveiling of a supercomputer or a new type pharmaceutical, it’s worth including a backgrounder that lets journalists go deeper. Not all of them will, so don’t cram it into the release – it makes it harder to digest and risks diluting your core message.
• Images. Link to a file sharing site and upload hi-res images. These can be spokespeople headshots as well as a mix of product photography, including
  • straight product shots
  • lifestyle shots i.e. your product in use or in a real-world setting
  • A mix of horizontal and vertical shots
  • Shots of the whole product range together
• Video. Many outlets and publications prioritise high quality video as part of their reporting, so include links to video and b-roll on your file sharing to improve your odds of coverage. Ensure it’s in a common format, and preferably at a variety of resolutions – 1080p and 4K are the most obvious – so the media can choose the resolution that works best for their platform. A YouTube embed link is also useful as it can be included in the article.
• Contact information. No matter how comprehensive your kit is, journalists may follow up with requests for more information, further product shots or interview opportunities. Have more than one person’s details (or a shared phone/email) -you’d hate to miss opportunities because someone is unexpectedly unavailable.

How to win at press kits

You’ve got all the building blocks; how do you use them build something great? Make sure you ask yourself the following:

• Is it skimmable? We hate to break it to you, but chances that a journalist will read every word of your carefully crafted copy is slim. Package information so they can look through it quickly and find what they need. For the media release, put the key information in bullet points up the top. Use subheads and bullet points liberally. Italicise the spokesperson quotes so they stand out. It’s the same with the background: consider structuring it as a Q&A or use subheads.
• Is it accessible? Not all file sharing services are equal. Make it simple to download the press kit, and preferably from a site that doesn’t require logins or prior authentication. You want the process to be as frictionless for the journalist as possible.
• Does paper still cut it? If you’re doing an in-person event, paper still rules, but also include the download link so journalists can easily access the text, images and video. A QR code taking the journalist to the resources is the best way to do this, as well as the regular URL. And don’t just print the URL and QR code in the physical press kit – have it on a banner near the welcome desk so the journalists can scan it with their phones on the way in or out of the event.
• Should I include a USB? It’s uncommon these days to hand out USB sticks containing the press kit. While they can be great for branding, many journalists view them as a security risk – no one should stick a USB from an unverified source into their PC, and if there’s a problem, you open yourself to liability and reputational damage. Also they’re expensive, fiddly to produce in volume, and easily get lost. In other words, avoid the USB.
• Do I need swag? Most journalists won’t admit it, but many like getting merch– a drink bottle, branded tee shirt or socks. But leave it up to them and make them available at the event reception; some journalists work for outlets that expressly prohibit any freebies, and you don’t want to put them in an uncomfortable position. Others have more stuff than they could ever use and view it as just more landfill. Speaking of which, you’re probably better investing in one quality branded item, than handfuls of plastic tat. If you do go for swag, remember journos come in all shapes, sizes and genders, so ensure you’re sorted with an inclusive range of gear on offer.
• What about gifting? While the practise of expensive gift-giving might be common in some parts of the world, Australian and New Zealand journalists take a dim view if they think a company is trying to buy their coverage. Don’t do it.
• What else? Sweat the details. Nothing makes you look more unprofessional than errors such as typos, wrong logos, misspelled product names and mistakes with spokesperson names and titles.
• Are you sending it to the right person? Make sure your media lists are accurate, up to date and the message is personalised. Nothing annoys a journalist more than irrelevant, generic pitches. Send those, and you’ll get ignored – or worse, filtered – when you finally do have something to say.
• Have you thought about timing? Get your release and press kit download links out by 8.30am, which is when most journalists are logging on, deciding on their coverage for the day and getting ready for news conference to pitch their editors. Do it early, and you’ll be front and centre of their inbox. Leave it until after 9am, and you’ve potentially missed the boat (and, more importantly, getting a hit).

If your news is worth announcing, it’s worth announcing properly. Taking the time to understand key questions: what is a press kit and how do I build a great one increases the odds of coverage success.

Need help making us announcement? Contact us to discuss how we can help you make a big splash.