Buying a press release: everything you need to know
Getting featured in the media to present a product, a service or a company is no easy task, and it is the goal of every communications department. Either way, there are many ways to achieve it, starting with sending press releases, announcements and news stories to publish and spread across every media outlet, from radio to social media.
Organizing events is also very promising. These events are called press days and they spark the interest of the press, because journalists can get close to our products and our brand and get to know it first-hand. Discover with us what a press day is and how to organize one!
What is a press day?
A press day is an event whose goal is to present a product or a brand exclusively to the press. At these events it is essential to invite all the press that is truly relevant to our market niche; that is. Today, the press also includes bloggers, although you can organize separate events depending on the type of press you invite.
This kind of event can come with a breakfast, a brunch, a cocktail party, a lunch or a dinner; and, for the most special events, you can organize a full day for the press and the media. That way, the length of the event and the activities it includes will depend on the scale of the event.
Besides attracting the press with this culinary treat, we must also include all the corporate material needed to write or record the press release or the news story.
As a nice touch, you can add a promotional gift related to our brand, to show our guests how grateful we are for their presence and their attention to our event.
How to organize a press day
A press day should be organized in the same way as any other corporate event, and the prior communication and the notice and invitation, both to media outlets and to leading figures in our industry, are especially important. Planning well in advance will make it possible for communications agencies and journalists to attend the event.
In addition, the invitation must be as attractive and eye-catching as possible to make sure we get the attention of the media and they see us as a premium event, a date they cannot miss.
Every detail is decisive and requires us to get fully involved in order to catch the attention of the press and all the guests. Once we have made sure the number of attendees is the one we need, it will be time to get to work and design a very complete and truly attractive program.
Among the guidelines to follow, we highlight:
- It is essential to design a very attractive invitation and to send it in an original way. Although today everyone tends to send invitations by email, keep in mind that companies, the press and many people receive hundreds of emails every day, so it is important to stand out and catch their attention. Sending it by post and also by email makes sure the message reaches the recipient.
- It is also important to choose the right day and time for the event. Check the calendar of celebrations and events in the city where ours will take place. Not clashing with big events and holidays is key so that the press attends the event and does not push us into the background or skip it.
- We also want the venue where we hold the event to be accessible and easy to park at, so that the press and the rest of the guests feel comfortable when they arrive and when they leave. In addition, an open-plan space where people can move around to take photos, record interviews, give presentations, and so on.
- We can also hold a pressday on our own premises and organize an open day, where a renovation of the facilities, the launch of a new product or the introduction of a new team can be a great success.
Activities to include in your press day
And last but not least, we have to plan all kinds of fun and original activities to make our event attractive:
- Team building activities to encourage group work and the introduction and integration of all the participants in the event. For example, food activities, themed events, cultural activities, adventure activities, etc.
- Event entertainment activities such as road shows, product presentations, etc.
- If the setting or the audience includes children or teenagers, we can add activities for kids and teens such as bouncy castles for children and adults, rides for all ages, shows, games and scavenger hunts, workshops and courses, movies, virtual reality games, escape rooms, and so on.
- Catering
How to organize a virtual press day: tips for success
The coronavirus pandemic also challenged our imagination and led many companies to organize virtual press days that let them present products and collections, offer the media all the usual press material and stay in touch with all the influencers and press professionals.
Among the tips for keeping these events alive, we recommend using:
- Group video calls, live streams and content uploads to the Instagram account, with media personalities and popular figures, such as TV hosts, taking part.
- Stressing the exclusivity of the content. That way, besides the brand's followers, only industry professionals, the specialized press, influencers and collaborators will have access.
- Presenting the product or service in every possible digital format: Feed, Story and IG TV.
To organize a press day, you have to make journalists' work easier and get them to come to the event. Spark interest and put forward an interesting, eye-catching event so that attendance is high. The goal of these events is to reach as many media outlets as possible, so design a day full of interesting activities so that no one in the industry misses it.
