Public relations teams are expensive. Staff salaries, news clipping services, journalist databases, newswire access, behind-the-paywall subs, media training packages: the costs soon mount up.
Whether you’re a small start-up, charity or big corporation, it’s a significant investment to make, especially in a time of stretched budgets and limited resources. In which case, does PR really matter? Is it a luxury add-on or a critical business function? Why even bother with press releases? Why are press releases important for your brand?
The Big Brand Theory
Behind every iconic, successful brand lies a compelling story. Every company has a story – the important part is how you tell it. This is where PR works its magic.
Press releases – also known as news releases – are the ultimate brand builders because they tell a story that connects with your target audience.
Positive media coverage is priceless: it creates a buzz, drives brand awareness, and delivers real-world impact.
Why Are Press Releases Important for your Brand: Pulling Power
So, let’s dive into the top five reasons why press releases are important for your brand:
1. Cuts Through and Maximises Reach
Attention is a currency, and it all starts with the press release. They are the magnet that draws your audience in.
A well-formatted, targeted press release is the best vehicle for getting your story out to the media. Newsdesks and reporters are perennially busy, and a press release is still the most direct route in.
Think of it as that one secret ingredient which can propel your business into a household name.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a big-hitter like Pepsi, a personal brand likeKim Kardashian, or a newly formed start-up; media coverage is a megaphone for your organisation. Take Apple: No one does PR for new product launches better than them. Steve Jobs basically reinvented the format. Their new iPhone announcements are productions in themselves, attracting a massive global audience and universal news coverage.
Yet, despite all the razzmatazz, press releases remain a key part of their PR operation. A quick scan of Apple’s newsroom reveals that they regularly issue press releases, sometimes twice a week. Visually striking, their news articles are all written with a strong brand identity that’s unique to Apple. The messaging is crystal clear, with prominence given to supportive quotes from MVPs, in an easily searchable format for journalists.
We increasingly live in an attention economy, with traditional media losing ground to the likes of Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. But even now, in a highly competitive and evolving media landscape, broadcast continues to have a vast reach, and the BBC remains the UK’s most-consumed news provider. An appearance on the BBC Breakfast sofa or an interview on the Today programme is still big box office for spokespeople and politicians alike.
Broadcast takes precedence in Whitehall. The morning media round is integral to the government PR machine, with ministers desperately darting back and forth between TV and radio studios to get their message out. Government comms teams still closely monitor 24-hour TV news channels for breaking news and how stories land with audiences in real time. Kamala Harris, the former U.S. Vice President, thinks so too, telling Steven Bartlett on a recent podcast that broadcast media remains a hugely influential news medium.
2. Earns Big-time Kudos
Broadcast is widely consumed – and trusted. Getting your story on air boosts your organisation’s credibility and validation. Regular appearances on TV and radio will really help build reputation, recognition and trust with your audience.
Online news sources don’t command the same high levels of confidence. The public has particular trust issues with social media. According to Ofcom, UK adults rate social media much less favourably than TV and radio for accuracy, trust and impartiality.
There are countless examples of social media channels struggling to contain the health misinformation and ‘fake news’ that routinely floods their platforms. It’s a real and growing concern for public health communicators. Just last month, the NHS issued a warning blaming online health misinformation for a drop in the number of children getting vaccinated in Yorkshire.
Visibility matters. A big media splash will elevate your brand’s visibility within your industry. It gets you on the map: for stakeholders, investors and the public. Press releases are also a proactive way to reach out and foster important relationships with reporters.
3. Builds ‘Stickiness’ and Human Connection
Great communication is about building authentic connections and making your story ‘stick’. A story is the glue that forges those emotional connections and makes your brand, product, or advocacy campaign memorable.
Well-written press releases with strong messaging go the extra mile and really connect with their audience. They are the perfect mix of information and impact. Whether it’s a powerful storyteller or a compelling policy ask – be sure your message ‘sticks’.
4. Generates Engaging Multi-platform Content
Content creation is a big piece of the PR jigsaw, and press releases make great content for social media. They neatly package up the key elements of story, message, talkability and shareability. Including a sprinkling of keywords in a press release will enhance your SEO, driving targeted traffic to your site and social media.
5. Sales and Social Impact Sky Rocket
‘We have lift-off!’. The ROI of a press release that goes viral is staggering when it comes to the knock-on effects for business growth and sales. If you nail it and land blanket news coverage, the impact on your brand’s sales can be stellar – and all without the hefty price tag of a fully-fledged traditional media advertising campaign.
PR is a powerful driver for change in the battle for hearts and minds. If you’re a political organisation or charity, positive media coverage can create real-world social impact.
Take an example of a major campaign I worked on for Diabetes UK. The ‘Diabetes is Serious’ campaign combined national and regional press releases with some incredible storytellers. It resulted in widespread media pickup and a big win for the charity, as more people accessed all eight of their essential diabetes health checks.
Media coverage can also boost a charity’s fundraising efforts. The devastating Australian bushfires are a good example of a story that made headlines around the world and led to a huge surge in donations.
Many will remember the harrowing scenes of Lewis the baby koala, and how that news footage of his daring rescue from the flames raised the public’s awareness of the terrible ecological damage to wildlife. Fast forward five years, and the charity funds raised have helped the WWF replant forests and restore habitats.
Add it all up, and a press release can be the most important single thing you do to promote your brand, charity or organisation. PR is worth every penny.
Get it right and it can open the door to a world of possibilities. That’s where we can help – our expert team has written hundreds of press releases and worked on some of the biggest PR campaigns in the UK and the US.
You have a story, we can write it.
Hire us to write a standout press release tailored to your organisation. We don’t use AI to write press releases – just great humans with decades of PR experience.
Contact us at hello@gofetchpress.com to get the ball rolling.
