One of the staples of public relations is the press pack. But do you know how to create an effective press pack, and you know what sort of things should be included in one? That is the focus of this article. We will be exploring how to put together a great press pack that will promote your company and be effective enough to appeal to a broad range of media outlets.
What is a Press Pack?
Obviously, the first thing that must be done is defining the press pack. The first thing that you need to know is that it goes by many different names. Press pack is actually one of the least common names. In the past, the most commonly used term was press kit but public relations professionals have started using the term media kit more often these days due to the wide range of media outlets that exist. The press pack is simply a collection of images, documents and other materials that are distributed to the press in order to promote a company, a specific event or to give information that the press can use to write stories.
Press Pack Essentials
Now, let’s look at the ingredients that make up a successful press pack. While you do not have to include all of these things in the press pack, you should definitely include some of them. These are the standard essentials that media representatives will be looking for when they open up a press pack.
- Introductory letter: the first thing that you want someone to see when they open up your press pack is your introduction. This will usually consist of an inventory list or table of contents, as well as a short introduction letter.
- The press release: you also want to make the press release one of the first things that they see. In some cases, you can combine the press release with the introductory letter or table of contents. There may be cases however, when you want to have a separate press release.
- Product brochure: if you have a brochure that shows your products in vivid color and with compelling descriptions, reporters will be much more intrigued than if your products are just an abstract concept that are discussed in your press release. If you have a broad range of products, then you may want to concentrate solely on the ones involved in this particular press briefing.
- Product samples: another thing that you can include possible is a product sample. Some companies have the ability to include sample products with the press kit and others do not. If a product is too large to include any sort of sample, then a scale model might be the perfect solution if it can be produced inexpensively enough to be distributed widely to the media.
- Fact sheet: another thing that you want to include in your press kit is a fact sheet. A fact sheet ensures that reporters are using the correct information about your company and not something that they find online on an outdated page of your website or a third-party site.
- Background information: you also may want to provide background information about your company. This would be something like what you might find on your about page of your website. It should give a brief history of your company including how it began and how you reached the place where you are today.
- Executive bios: you want the press to have information about the people at the top of your company, and the best way to give them that information is through an information sheet that has a short bio for all of the executives.
Expert Advice: Creating an Effective Press Pack
Here’s some advice from the experts on how to create a press pack that is going to intrigue the media and get them to write a story or publish content that promotes your company.
- Rewrite your content over and over again until it is the best possible version of what you’re trying to say and the most polished.
- Include high-res images on a flash drive, particularly if you are targeting media that publishes online. You want your pictures to show your company in the best possible light and that means high-resolution.
- Try to find out what media representatives would like to have in a press pack and make sure to include that information.
Summary
The press pack is an important part of any press event or public relations campaign. The essential ingredients include a press release, product brochure, company background, executive bios, product samples and an introductory letter or table of contents. To be as effective as possible, your content should be rewritten until it is perfect, your images should be high-resolution and you should know what the press expects to find in a press pack.
