Why Your CEO Doesn’t Need to Write Press Release Quotes (And Who Should Instead)

Here’s why executives don’t necessarily need to create quotes in press releases & how a strategic rethink can elevate your storytelling game.

Dispelling the Executive Quote Myth

Many marketing professionals believe that executives must provide direct quotes for press releases. However, this can be a challenge. Asking a CEO to create a compelling quote on the spot can be daunting and unrealistic. Instead, consider a different approach—the marketing team proposing quotes for executives & other stakeholders. Drawing from my experience in marketing communications management, I find that empowering marketing teams to create quotes can lead to more impactful & relevant messaging while effectively supporting company leaders.

Quotes as Story Enhancers

Strong quotations can add depth, credibility & value to press releases. They’re not just an element; they’re an opportunity to infuse emotion, perspective & significance into your news. Asking a business executive to provide a quote without a suggestion or proposal is a risk. But often CEOs are more likely to restate the news or say this is good news, not adding value to the newsworthiness of the press release. Formulaic or overused quotes fail to engage readers or capture reporters’ attention.

Strong quotations can add depth, credibility & value to press releases. They’re not just an element; they’re an opportunity to bring emotion, perspective & significance into your news. Asking a business executive to provide a quote without a suggestion or proposal is a risk. Often, CEOs tend to restate the news or simply say it is good news, which does not add value to the newsworthiness of the press release. Formulaic or overused quotes fail to engage readers or capture reporters’ attention. Instead, well-crafted quotes should enhance the story by providing unique insights and emotional impact.

Crafting Compelling Quotes for Your Executives: Best Practices

• Impactful, Concise Messaging:?Follow the 1-2-3 Rule—shorter, punchier quotes resonate. Be concise & capture the essence of the statement, avoiding lengthy explanations.
• Quality Over Quantity:?Limit the number of quotes to maintain focus. Quality over quantity ensures each quote adds significant context & value to the story.
• Humanize Your Quotes:?Move away from corporate jargon & focus on relatable, emotive language. Highlight the impact on end-users or stakeholders to connect on a personal level.
• Creative Expression: Metaphors, analogies & engaging language can make quotes memorable & impactful.?However, this should not take away from the content or minimize the significance of the news.
• Relevance:?Ensure the quote is relevant to the news, explaining why this news is important to the company & how it ties to the key goals or messages of the company. However, do not try to do everything in the quote—refer back to the point on impactful, concise messaging.
• Opinion:?A quote is an opportunity to include an opinion from a company stakeholder on the news. However, be careful about making forward-looking statements that speculate or imply some future return for investors. Ensure any opinion shared is substantiated & does not make unsupported claims that could affect stock price. Regulatory agencies treat press releases as advertising & apply strict standards to the kind of proof required when making a claim. Always have evidence to back up any claims made.
• Alternative spokesperson: If a person is in charge of the topic or news item, they should be quoted as the subject matter expert, providing detailed insights on the news. The quote from a company leader should take a broader approach, offering a high-level perspective. This strategy also signals to journalists, who will provide information about the news for articles & interviews.

Changing the Narrative

We often default to generic quotes that lack engagement or impact. The truth? Quotes don’t always need to come directly from the executive suite. Instead, focus on delivering well-crafted, impactful quotes that elevate the storytelling experience and support your executives. If a company leader wants to provide quotes for a press release, that is great. Please continue to prepare a suggested quote for review or inspiration for their quote.

Rethinking Quotes as Storytelling Tools

News releases are more than checklists—they’re opportunities to tell a compelling story. By rethinking quotes, focusing on the audience impact & offering insightful content, we can reshape the narrative & truly connect with our readers.

The power of quotes in press releases lies not in their mere presence but in their ability to resonate, engage & elevate the story. Supporting your executives by proposing impactful, relatable & concise quotes that can transform news releases into compelling storytelling pieces that captivate readers & engage reporters. Also remember, executives need not be the sole source of quotes.

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