Avalanche PR logo

Writing press releases: a PR case study

The difference between a good and bad press release is media coverage.
Ask any journalist.

Press release case study

Using a PR agency to write and send out your press release will save hours of blank page agonising

After receiving your press material, it is unlikely any writer will feed back that the copy or story doesn’t quite work for them – instead, they’ll simply delete the email, if indeed they opened it at all.  This communication void is responsible for many companies giving up on PR after attempting it themselves.  It’s a disheartening business when press releases that have taken hours to write and approve then neither yield a response, nor the desired article or press coverage.

Using a PR agency to write and send out your press release to the right journalists will save hours of blank page agonising, “how to write a press release” Google searching (in the UK, just under 2,000 searches are conducted for this phrase each month) and ultimately, disappointment.

It’s the job of PR professionals to understand your business and with whom it needs to communicate.  A press release is just one tried and tested marketing tool for generating awareness – its selling point being that it can generate numerous media hits.  This PR snowball effect requires the sometimes delicate balance of news worthiness, relevant information, timeliness, media preparedness and of course, journalist contacts.

We have had a busy start to the year writing and issuing press releases on behalf of clients and wanted to share the latest example of how far well written press releases can travel, or perhaps in this case, pedal.

Our friends at nearby The Bicycle Academy this month appointed two new members of staff: a common scenario for businesses wanting to issue press material.  New appointment press releases are something most organisations are very keen to issue, but all too commonly, miss the mark in terms of news worthiness and therefore don’t result in any media attention.  The press announcements we produced for the bicycle frame building school have resulted in the following media coverage, so far (watch this space for features planned in the national press, this month and next).

>> Since publishing this blog post, we’ve achieved plenty more media exposure using this background press release. Read more about The Bicycle Academy’s week-long visit from The Telegraph.


If your business needs some professional PR input, throw us a snowball!

Still determined to produce your own press releases?  These links may help:

Press releases: 10 common mistakes

What’s hot and what’s grot:  10 press release rules

A week in the life of a press release

More Avalanche case studies and marketing results