Why and How to use a Media Kit in your 2020 PR Efforts
By Laitin Schwerin
As journalists face dwindling resources and rapidly churning news cycles, organizations must deliver comprehensive brand information in a central location. Follow these tips and tactics.
As we finalize PR plans for the coming decade, one key PR tool shouldn’t get left behind in the 2010s: the media kit.
PR pros are becoming more cross-functional, working with media outlets facing scarce resources and time, and playing a crucial role in the brand’s overall marketing strategy.
Along the way, many have forgone the media kit as part of a strategic plan for clients.
Today, we can create media kits that are digital, interactive tools. Organizations can share high-resolution downloadable images, video content and survey data for grab-and-go media resources. Digitally interactive media kits create one place for busy writers, producers and editors to include your brand in their coverage.
When created properly, a media kit shouldn’t be a jargon-filled, stale book of branded sales information that never sees the light of day. A media kit should solve many of the problems PR pros face in a changing earned-media landscape.
Additionally, PR pros who represent social media influencers have all the more incentive to create transparent and robust media kits for their clients in light of Instagram’s potential hiding of “likes.” Accurate audience insights in a media kit will be necessary for influencers to continue brand partnerships.
On a larger scale, your big brand client still needs a media kit to support proactive media relations, feed the content machine, and share new research and insights.
Support media relations.
Think of your media kit as your brand’s introduction during media meetings. it’s a good way for established relationships to showcase what’s new with the brand. Here is your opportunity in an owned space to tell your brand story creatively and convey its relevance to consumers.
Take ThredUp’s media resources, for example. ThredUp provides useful statistics and trends, which help support media pitching and provide valuable industry insights to reporters.
The core of PR is storytelling, so fill the kit with real-life tales. Show real people using the brand’s products or services to show their impact.
Walk reporters through the media kit. This cohesive hub can showcase the product or service lines, highlight the brand’s unique offerings and provide editorial resources.
Feed the content machine.
Many PR pros rely on the cross-functional support of other departments to help pull messaging across multiple channels—including and beyond media outlets. The brand’s social media team, content writers, web team, digital strategists and more all have content needs that the media kit should support.
For example, ClosetMaid’s media kit includes trend infographics that can be shared on social media and elaborated upon in a blog post. Journalists can use the included information to support a story angle.
The media kit should be designed so content can be repurposed in multiple channels.
Share new research and insights.
To create a media kit that sparks ideas, remember that it should uncover new insights on emerging trends and new primary research or statistics.
Here is an opportunity to introduce new information that sparks ideas for potential coverage.
L’Oral, for example, includes multiple research topics for media use. Trend information is included to capture the interest of reporters and communicates what’s new in the industry.
As you prepare your client’s 2020 public relations plan, include a media kit that supports your media relations efforts and provides cross-functional content for the brand.
source: https://www.prdaily.com/why-and-how-to-use-a-media-kit-in-your-2020-pr-efforts/
