Beyond the Press Release

Recently, someone I know and admire—who is actually the overlord of many Public Relations professionals' work lives—said, "If we never have to write a press release headline again, that’s a good day!" While I will not share the context of that sentence, it got me thinking beyond what that meant. I feel like I have been in this industry long enough to form my observations and to know that we are onto something here.

Lately, there’s been a surge of discussions on LinkedIn and Reddit about press releases, and it’s clear many companies want to explore new avenues to stay relevant in the media landscape in the coming months and years. Journalists from traditional media and content producers from non-traditional media are feeling overwhelmed by a flood of press releases and random pitches, making it increasingly difficult for them to identify what—if anything—truly matters.

The concept and format of a press release were—obviously— created long ago, in an era when email was not even a thing.

Back then, PR primarily involved pitches to newspaper reporters, a landscape that has changed a lot. Today, our outreach extends to YouTubers, influencers, and analysts, all of whom play crucial roles in shaping public perception. Given this evolution, how can an outdated tool designed for a different era effectively still serve us?

I am—obviously2— not alone in seeing this. In recent years, some companies have pivoted to blogs as a way to communicate their messages with that public, while in some wild cases, even a single tweet has been used to announce their next big thing. These changes reflect that organizations are actively exploring new strategies, yet there doesn’t appear to be a clear winner emerging from these experiments.

In 2024, we're witnessing an even more dramatic shift. Innovations like Generative AI and social media bubbles are continuing to revolutionize audience engagement, fundamentally altering media communication. With rapid momentum continuing, companies might want to adapt their strategies to connect with their audiences—because let’s face it, no one wants to be the brand still sending out carrier pigeons.

Listen and read more, speak and write less

Perhaps it's also time to recognize that the power of PR might not lie in sculpting the perfect piece of written content but rather in cultivating meaningful relationships with those who tell our stories— even as obvious as this sounds, my experience says it shouldn't be taken for granted. Instead of overwhelming content creators with static information, we might want to engage them in genuine dialogue and collaboration. By offering insights and feeding them the narrative threads, we arm them with the tools they need to craft authentic and compelling content. It's not about taking over their craft but nurturing a partnership where all sides thrive.

Smart PR professionals already understand that those authentic, direct engagements with creators (including, of course, journalists) often lead to better coverage than traditional releases—just ask yourself: where did the best results you yielded over the last 12 months come from? If I could guess, likely not a press release. One-on-one conversations or other modern direct approaches and pitches carry far more weight than generic press releases and even press conferences, which frequently miss the mark.

"Empathy is key; understanding needs on the other side of the court allows us to tailor our outreach for exclusive insights. Building trust takes time, but the rewards are immense. Imagine focusing less on perfecting press releases and more on training spokespeople to create authentic connections.

This shift emphasizes engaging conversations over mere information dissemination, empowering your spokesperson to convey your brand's message sincerely, fostering trust and loyalty, and transforming your public relations strategy into a more impactful experience.

I really hate trying to come up with buzzwords like "post-press release era," but here I am using it anyway. Someone probably coined that before me, so props to them for the creativity! So in this "post-press release era," why can't we rethink our priorities and go back to formula? I see it might be time to redefine strategies, cultivate meaningful relationships, and position ourselves (the so-called PR Pros) once and for all as strategic assets within our organizations.

Lost connection

Let’s face it: in our field, we will "live together or die alone"—I’m referring to journalists in outlets, YouTubers, analysts, PR professionals, and companies here. While I’m not suggesting we’ll never send emails or other written pieces to news desks and inboxes again, the current format of press releases is in need of discussion. This sameness fails to engage and resonate—somehow we lost connection and need to fix it.

Let’s discuss solutions that work for the days we live in. Otherwise, we risk facing challenges alone that will ultimately hold us all back. For better or worse, we—the PR Pros of today— will redefine the future of PR—hopefully without the need for cringe-worthy press releases! How would that future be?

P.S: I do acknowledge that our old press releases will persist likely forever in cases where regulatory requirements demand it.

P.S2: The image was definitely made by AI.