Press Release Me

I hate press releases. I hate the sloppy writing and silly jargon, and I definitely hate the "death by press release" syndrome from which many companies suffer - you know the type, an announcement every Tuesday whether it's news or not.

It makes me crazy.

Try this. Go back and look at your company's press releases for the past few months. Take the opening paragraph of each release and put them all into one e-mail - then have your mom, spouse or friend read the e-mail. If that ad hoc test group can't discern from the first paragraph why the release matters, it probably doesn't.

So why does corporate America pump out a total of 1,500 press releases a day when most of them get immediately trashed by busy reporters? Well, one reason is that a well-written press release can be a powerful tactical manifestation of a PR strategy. For example, on Monday, March 25, 2002, Playboy sent out a 182-word press release. Here’s the opening sentence:

"Enron’s female employees whose working days have hit a snag are about to get a second chance. Playboy magazine is conducting a search for the "Women of Enron” to pose in one of its upcoming issues."

The media coverage was enormous; the tie in to current events surrounding Enron was compelling and the wave of publicity continued until the August 2002 issue of Playboy hit news stands.

Compare that to another March announcement by Microsoft - usually no slouch in the PR department – about its new facility in Silicon Valley. Here's the 97-word opening paragraph from that 860-word press release:

"Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates today announced the official opening of the new Microsoft Technology Center-Silicon Valley (MTC-SV) in Mountain View, Calif. Aimed at empowering valley-based businesses with an interactive environment, innovative technology concepts and dedicated consulting support, the MTC-SV will expand Microsoft's investment in the valley and bring an environment of collaboration and growth where customers can learn how to take advantage of the scalability, flexibility and manageability of the Microsoft(R) .NET Enterprise Servers, and use Visual Studio(R).NET to develop Web services for the Microsoft .NET Framework."

Now it's horribly unfair to compare pictures of naked women to Bill Gates, although each is appealing in its own way, I suppose. And while Microsoft opening a facility in an area where it is widely despised is newsworthy, you certainly wouldn't know it from the release, which is unimaginative, wordy and downright dull.

What if Microsoft focused on a stunt? "Microsoft will open a technology center in Silicon Valley today and eat humble pie. Literally. It's the featured dessert at the launch event."

What if it highlighted its whip-smart people? "Nav Bhachech can't sit still. He's the lead consultant for Microsoft's Technology Center in Silicon Valley. He commands 26,000 square feet of space, 10 computer laboratories and the respect of his colleagues for focusing on a tech community that's crucial to Microsoft's future.”

There's a happy medium between dry corporate language and punchy newspaper copy - and that's where press releases should live. There are ways to market even lesser events using press releases, but it takes some thought and a strategic approach. Here are five suggestions for press release success:

5. Brevity - more than 600 words is unnecessary. If you can't say it concisely, it won't work. And brevity mixed with creativity is cookies and cream.

4. Clarity - say it in plain language. If people don't understand your news they won't act. If you fill your release with jargon and nonsense they won't understand or act. Plain English works best.

3. Selectiveness - don't spam the world with announcements. It will mask those times when you really do have news.

2. Strategy - make a press release part of an overall media relations strategy. A lone press release is like a lone rifleman - it's far better to have riflemen backed up by machine gunners, artillery and air power.

1. News - news releases should contain news. Your company developing a cancer breakthrough is news. Your company moving to new office space is not news.

Press releases have become permanent part of corporate America. They're often mandatory for publicly traded companies. But that doesn't mean the world needs to know that your assistant vice president has been promoted to vice president. It doesn't relieve you from having a PR strategy before putting pen to paper. And it certainly doesn't mean you have to write dull copy that puts readers to sleep.

I hate that.

We always welcome your thoughts and opinions. If you'd like to contact DASH Consulting click here or send us a note at dave@dashconsultinginc.com