There’s a common misconception that press releases need to be heavy on buzzwords and jargon to stand out and sound sophisticated. Unfortunately, that’s one of the quickest ways to lose your audience’s interest and attention. Do yourself a favour: ditch the clichés and stick to plain, simple language for absolute clarity.
Instead, keep readers immersed by including fresh data to back up your narrative, and complement the story with engaging video content or captivating graphics. The keyword here is reader experience.
To show you what we mean, here are 10 outstanding media release examples with our analysis of what makes them stand out.
10 Press Release Examples & What Makes Them Great
1. LEGO
Headline: The LEGO Group with Mark Ronson Inspire Kids to Rebuild the World
What it’s about: A social campaign by the LEGO Group and musician Mark Ronson called ‘Rebuild the World’ to help nurture the creative skills of the next generation.
What’s great:
- The headline neatly sums up the gist of the press release while highlighting the celebrity factor in a heartwarming way by playing up the ‘kids’ element.
- This media release example ticks all the boxes, starting with the first sentence that provides a clear overview and introduction of the campaign and collaboration with Mark Ronson.
- The second paragraph elaborates a bit more about the campaign with interesting details about what the campaign entails and the kind of activities involved.
- This is followed by a moving quote by Mark Ronson about the amazing possibilities of the Rebuild the World campaign.
- Last but not least, the release ends with clear and concise boilerplate summaries about the campaign and the LEGO Group, as well as a biography of Mark Ronson.
2. Microsoft
What it’s about: Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a video game publisher.
What’s great:
- The headline effectively conveys the value of the acquisition in human terms (joy and community) and underscores Microsoft’s focus on inclusion (everyone) and accessibility (across every device).
- The one-liner summary before the first paragraph captures the gist of the media release.
- Insightful quotes from leaders in both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard add context and perspective on how the acquisition will benefit the gaming industry, especially in the mobile segment.
- There’s also plenty of useful background information at the bottom of the press release on the market potential of the industry, besides boilerplate summaries about both companies.
3. HEINZ
Headline: HEINZ Is Searching for Its First-Ever ‘Head Burger Artist’
What it’s about: This is one of the exceptions where a misleading title works for the press release rather than against it. Instead of the implied head-hunting effort, HEINZ was actually promoting their ‘Art of the Burger’ contest, calling on participants to submit photos of burgers adorned with HEINZ condiments.
What’s great:
- A headline that creates curiosity and intrigue.
- Rather than the typical hard-sell contest announcement, this creative and quirky presentation stands out and compels one to keep reading.
- Besides the playful and colourful tone of the release accompanied by an enticing graphic, HEINZ successfully created a fresh new narrative for their burgers, positioning the contest as a quest for “unique burger masterpieces”.
- This is an awesome example of an eye-catching, must-read media release.
4. HubSpot
Headline: HubSpot Ventures Announces the Launch of New $100 Million Fund to Support Scaling Companies
What it’s about: HubSpot’s launch of The CRM Platform Fund—a $100 million fund to actively support early- and growth-stage technology companies who share in HubSpot’s mission to help millions of organisations grow better.
What’s great:
- A clear and succinct headline that highlights the value of the fund that HubSpot is launching, both in monetary terms as well as its benefit to growing companies.
- The first and second paragraphs convey in simple language, the purpose and importance of the programme, with background information about HubSpot Ventures’ investments in the past year.
- The media release also includes easy-to-follow bullet points that outline the criteria for companies to receive funding.
- For a somewhat business-like announcement, HubSpot did a fantastic job keeping the language clear and simple, in a relatively short and concise media release.
5. Happsy
Headline: Happsy Makes Organic Mattresses Accessible to Everyone
What it’s about: A press release to promote Happsy’s organic mattresses and their affordability.
What’s great:
- The headline successfully conveys the brand’s feel-good factor through its eco-friendly product and accessibility to everyone.
- A straightforward and clear one-liner summary below the headline establishes the brand’s credibility while summing up the key message in plain, simple language.
- An excellent example of a press release that starts by promoting its recent award for innovative product quality, supported by the data used to select Happsy as the award recipient.
- Useful and interesting details about the product design and quality, including information about its organic certifications.
- Insightful quotes from the company as well as the award organisation.
6. ShelterBox USA
Headline: Six Months into Ukraine War, Disaster Relief Org. Calls for Renewed Focus on Humanitarian Need
What it’s about: A reminder about the millions of people displaced due to the Ukraine war and their urgent humanitarian needs.
What’s great:
- A timely press release that reminded the world about Ukraine’s pressing need for humanitarian aid as the war reached its 6-month anniversary.
- The message was objective and factual, focusing on the victims of the war—over 12 million people displaced with an ongoing need for aid and supplies.
- The press release provided interesting information about the various programmes established by ShelterBox in response to the crisis, which included emergency shelter kits, supplies, and cash assistance for food and medical needs.
- Besides proactively leading the discussion about humanitarian aid, ShelterBox created awareness of its efforts in the region in a neutral, unbiased way.
7. McCormick
What it’s about: An announcement to publicise McCormick & Company’s noteworthy achievement as the world’s most sustainable company in the food industry.
What’s great:
- The headline promotes the brand’s outstanding accomplishments, reinforcing McCormick’s positive brand image and its leadership as a sustainable food brand.
- The first paragraph of the media release presents specific details of the awards to establish credibility and dispel any doubts about their integrity.
- A fitting quote from the company’s President and CEO, highlighting the organisation’s commitment towards reducing its carbon footprint and prioritising sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
- Short, simple, and relevant, McCormick’s press release provides essential background information about the Corporate Knight’s Global 100 ranking and the company’s continuous efforts in sustainable business practices.
8. Twitter
Headline: Elon Musk to Acquire Twitter
What it’s about: The self-explanatory headline says it all!
What’s great:
- As one of the most-viewed press releases of 2022, this media statement contained all the relevant facts and figures of the acquisition, which was of major interest not just to the company’s shareholders, but also to its global user base with a vested interest in the social media platform’s future.
- The quotes by the company’s senior management, as well as Musk himself, were critical to reassure the public that the acquisition would serve to further enhance the platform’s role in promoting free speech, despite the controversy surrounding the deal.
- The comprehensive press release included details about the transaction terms and financing for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.
9. Sony
What it’s about: Innovative OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids by Sony to deliver an unprecedented hearing experience for consumers.
What’s great:
- Professional, high-quality product images that add context through engaging visual elements. Besides building excitement about the product, the photos also make it easy for journalists to feature in their coverage.
- For a fairly lengthy and detailed press release, Sony did a good job formatting the press release to optimise the reader experience, specifically using bolded sub-headings, keeping each paragraph short, as well as footnotes at the end of the release for additional reference.
- Quotes by the executive team for added insight and thought leadership on improving accessiblility for the hearing-impaired.
- The embedded hyperlinks in the text also allowed a seamless continuation of the “conversation” on other platforms.
10. PitchPoint Public Relations
Headline: The Most Amazing Press Release Ever Written (We saved the best for last!)
What it’s about: This is the definition of a must-read, clickbaity press release that proves its point from the start to the end.
What’s great:
- Written as a parody, this hilarious press release doubles as a witty ad for PitchPoint’s PR services.
- It keeps you hooked from the first word, where you eagerly read on to see how amazing the press release is, only to realise at the end that you’ve been reading it the whole time!
- An ingenious demonstration of the company’s skill and expertise in crafting a memorable and highly engaging press release.
- A smart call-to-action at the end prompting the reader to get in touch with the writer.
Create Your Own Press Release Template
Now that we’ve explored the different examples of outstanding press releases and what makes them great, it’s time to create your own press release template for your next event or announcement.
These are the essential components of an engaging press release:
1. Headline
If you want your target audience to click on the headline, it needs to convey the gist of the press release in a few simple words. Focus on the key message of the announcement and articulate it in the simplest way possible.
2. One-liner summary
Next, provide a bit more detail while still keeping it short and concise. Think of this as the elevator pitch for your press release. It will tell the reader whether the news is of interest to them.
3. Date and location
This is the date the press release is scheduled to go out. The location tells readers where the event is taking place or where your organisation is based.
4. Intro paragraph
Expand on the summary by answering the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, why’, and ‘how’ questions. Always remember to present the most important and interesting information first before delving into the finer details or less important facts.
Also known as the funnel technique in writing, this approach draws readers in with a hook (the headline), and builds on that initial interest by providing more detail in gradual increments so as not to overwhelm the reader, ensuring they stay engaged throughout.
5. Secondary points or supporting info
To add context, provide the latest data and statistics relevant to your industry. This reinforces your brand credibility while providing external sources of information. Where possible, use multimedia content and visual elements to enhance the reader experience.
6. Additional details if relevant
Depending on the purpose of your press release, you might need to provide further details (e.g. in the case of mergers and acquisitions or product launches). To prevent the press release from being too wordy and overwhelming, break up the content using bolded sub-headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points where appropriate.
7. Quotes by management
Offer additional insight with informative quotes by the company’s management. This also helps to humanise the brand and connect with the audience.
8. Closing paragraph
Finally, end the press release with a clear call-to-action, for example by clicking on a link for further information or to pre-order a product, etc. It’s also good practice to end with “###” so journalists and readers know they’ve reached the end of the release.
9. Contact info
Always include contact info for both media and general enquiries.
10. Boilerplate summaries
This acts as a short ‘About Us’ introduction for journalists and readers who might not be familiar with your company or your business associates featured in the press release.
We hope these diverse press release examples along with the easy-to-customise template provide inspiration and fresh ideas for your next announcement.
Need help crafting a must-read press release for an upcoming launch, event or PR campaign? Talk to us for consultation and advice on making your next event or campaign a success!