There are two occasions when a press kit needs to be presented. The first is a press conference; the second is a site visit organised for the media. On both occasions, the public relations team must have a press kit ready for being given to the reporters.
The utility of the press kit depends upon how well it has been prepared, how much thought has gone into visualising its contents; and how well each element of the press kit tells a story about the organisation.
A modern-day press kit must include the following nine items:
1. Company Overview: It should include information about the founding of the company, and its progress since then. The growth story should describe the important milestones in the company’s journey, ideally through an infographic. An infographic is visually pleasing, and easy to follow. The names of the company founder(s), CEO and other top executives should be listed with their photographs, and their brief career sketch. The company overview must mention addresses of various offices and contact details of each office. Information about investor funding, if any, should be provided as also stock prices and shareholder details in case the firm is a public listed company. Awards won by the company should be listed prominently.
2. Product Information: The company should provide detailed information about its products / services. The goal should be to evoke interest in the media about the important features of the product. The product information must include the unique features of the product. It should explain how it is different to similar products in the market.
3. Media Assets: The press kit must include high resolution photographs of the chief executive, the founder, the co-founder and other top executives, photographs of the factory, important products of the company etc. The public relations team must select only those photographs that tell a story visually or help in illustrating important points in the news report. Each photograph must have a caption that explains who is in the picture and what is being done. Today it is important to include both the hard and soft copy of the photographs. The press kit should also include broadcast quality videos for use by the electronic media. These videos should be short. They should not be more than three to five minutes, and should be made keeping in mind the requirements of the news channels, and media websites. An important media that should be included in all press kits is the company logo. This too should be provided as soft copy and hard copy.
4. Client testimonials: There is no better way to establish the reputation of the company than by showcasing the names of the top clients. Don’t hide client names for fear of them getting poached by the company’s rivals. Instead, list the names of major clients. Make sure that the press kit includes their testimonials. The most well-known brands should be placed on top of the list to create an impact. Remember, public relations is all about building credentials.
5. Media Mentions: Customer feedback and client testimonials are a great way to build company image. Media mentions are even better. The press kit must include all positive media reports about the company. The media mentions should not be limited to physical clippings but should also include video reports.
6. FAQs: An important addition to the press kit in the digital era is the FAQ section. The FAQs are a very powerful way of communicating information. They explain complex points in an easy to understand manner. The media does not have to go through long pieces of text to find the news points. The FAQs are like a ready reckoner.
7. Press Release: The press release is arguably the most important element of the press kit. It describes the most newsworthy development that has necessitated the calling of a press conference or a media tour of company premises. The media invariably turns to the press release to locate the news point. A press kit will fall flat if the news point is buried deep in the press release. The days when the public relations team glossed more about the company and the CEO are over. Today, public relations professionals insist that the press release should be written like a news report — that is the facts should be presented in the inverted pyramid format. The most important points should come on top of the press release; the less important points should follow. (Read also: 7 common press release errors to avoid.)
8. Pen and notepad: A press kit is incomplete without a pen and a notepad. The reporter needs to make notes even though he may be using his mobile phone or a field recorder to record the proceedings. The notes help the reporter to prioritise the most important points of a press meet.
9. Press Contact: Every company should nominate one person to deal with the media. The name, contact number and e-mail details of the person should be included prominently in the press kit.
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