One of the most basic pieces of marketing or public relations collateral that a firm can produce is a comprehensive media kit. A media kit should be readily available for press and clients to provide company background, services and any other vital or pertinent information that is to be released to the public. The media kit should accompany any press release submitted to a publication and is also a great piece to have available for trade shows and meetings.
For new firms, a media kit may seem difficult to produce for a start up firm but as a company grows, so will the kit. South Florida Public Relations firm, New Media Technology works with startup and well established firms to produce new media kits and refine existing ones. Whether a press kit is 5 pages or 20, there are five key components that should always appear in professional media kit.
1. About Us Page
The About Us page is imperative to any firm’s website, marketing collateral and media kit. The page should briefly describe the company’s biographical information in about 500-700 words. It should include the general description of services and products provided, the firm’s accomplishments or goals, who they aim to serve and additional background about the firm’s experiences and level of expertise.
The About Us page should answer any journalist’s or patron’s questions by addressing the Who, the Why, the When and the How.
2. Mission Statement
As a Florida Public Relations Firm, New Media Technology has noticed that clients who seem to have a driving force or serious passion for their business bring a human interest element to their campaigns. This back story generates serious attention from publications such as news papers and news stations who would want to let the public know about how a firm is better serving a community or industry.
All companies should have a clear mission statement prepared to remind the public and themselves as to why they went into business, how they plan to conduct business and identify their motivations.
3. Detailed list of Services or Products
Whether the firm is a hurricane shutter distributer in South Florida or a Luxury Yacht Charter firm, each company has their own list of services and products that should be provided to the public in detail. If the firm only concentrates on one product, a list of the regions they serve should be listed in the kit. This information is highly relevant to editors considering a firm for product placement and or a story that is focused on an industry or location.
4. Personnel Bios
The professionals drive a firm to succeed. A company press kit should always include staff or officer biographical information. Often stories originate about the people involved in a company, not just the business itself. By including detailed bios about the firm’s officers or staff, the public has a chance to become acquainted with the firm’s personnel and establish a level of confidence in that firm. References to the experience and education of the company’s leaders help build credibility within the public eye.
5. Latest Press Release
Obviously the release will be the most up to date information about the company and include a story that the firm is expecting to see publicized. By including the latest release, the piece will be considered for editorial placement and the other pieces of the kit will provide the recipient with all of the additional relevant company information that they need to produce a well written article or interview questions.
As a campaign progresses, additional releases can be added to a press kit but should always be kept up to date and also include copies of any major placement. If a firm receives an editorial, a presentable copy should be included immediately. Not only does this show that a firm is newsworthy to other publications and also allows people to be impressed by a company’s services. Great media placement is a huge part of establishing credibility.
Once the contents of the kit have been produced and finalized, a graphics design specialist should brand the kit with the firm’s logo, consistent background and color scheme. All images should be optimized to as small of a file size as possible and the kit should be transferred into an Adobe PDF format for electronic distribution. Hard copy kits should be placed in a branded two pocket folder with quality paper stock, include business cards and a personalized pitch letter when sent directly to any recipient. Electronic kits should be accompanied with a personalized email.
When working with a talented public relations specialist, culminating a comprehensive press kit should be one of the first tasks completed. The components of this kit will enrich marketing collateral and website content. It will also provide a turnkey response for media inquiries. The kit should be updated regularly and kept on hand by every member within a company’s staff. Opportunities to introduce a firm to new people can occur at any time, by properly equipping each member of the staff they will also be tied into the company’s success.