Media Kits, Fact Sheets, Media Alerts and Pitch Letters

What’s a Media Kit?

• Media kit vs. press kit• Plan the purpose of your media kit

– Who’s going to use it and what do they need?

• Forms of media kits:– Hard copy– CD/DVD– Web (Coke, Microsoft, Chick-fil-A)

What’s in a Media Kit?

• Letter describing kit’s purpose

• Fact sheet• About us• Annual report• Biographical information• Board of directors informa

tion• Calendar of events• Profile or backgrounder• SEC filings

• Community service programs

• Contact information• Downloadable logos and

photos• FAQs• Financial information• Historical facts• Position papers• Hard copies of

organization’s newsletter

Fact Sheets

• Quick, easy access, bulleted format

• Use headings and subheadings

• Presents fundamental facts about the organization, product, event

• You may need different fact sheets for different purposes

Types of Fact Sheets

• Standard fact sheet includes:– Officers– Office addresses and contact info– Description of organization– Single sheet– McDonald’s fact sheet

• Historical fact sheet includes:– Timeline of important events for organization– Facebook Timeline

Types of Fact Sheets

Special event fact sheet includes:– Information about event– Information about sponsors– Information about special guests, performers or

attendees– Schedule of events

More examples:• White House fact sheet on space policy• WHO fact sheet on cancer• Facebook fact sheet

About Us

• Provides a summary or overview of the organization

• Can include mission statement

• Can include key statements about principles of the organization

• Examples: McDonald’s, Google

Biographical Information

• Short bios of all important officers of the organization

• Head shots of officers

• Have digital photo files available

• Examples: Delta, Disney

Position Papers and Organization Backgrounder

• Position papers: papers the organization has prepared on certain subjects, sometimes called “white papers”

(Example: American Dietetic Association)

• Backgrounder: tells about the character of the organization and the nature of what it does, including Board members and corporate code of ethics

(Example: Hershey’s)

Different Media Kits for Different Purposes

Media kits for special events include: – Basic fact sheet about the event– Historical fact sheet about the event– Program or schedule of events– List of all significant participants and sponsors– Bios of all significant leaders and attendees– News story/press release– Feature story– Photos, video B roll

Digital Media Kits

Tips for making a good digital media kit:– Make it interactive with lots of info– Make it user-friendly with easy-to-use

interface, simple navigation– Make images easy to access and download in

multiple formats– Update periodically– Give it a snazzy cover or front page

Media Alerts

• Media Alerts:– An invitation for the media– One page– Less detailed than a press release (no quotes or non-

essential info)– Just the nuts and bolts of the event (Who, What,

When, Where, Why)– Include key information like admission fees, special

guests, give-aways, etc.

• Example: American Kennel Club, Microsoft

Media Pitches

• Distribute first:– PR Newswire– Business Wire– Pitchengine

• Then . . . sell your story!• Can be an email, phone call, letter, fax

Media Pitches

Keys to a successful pitch:• Know the publication you’re pitching• Target each pitch for each outlet • Follow up via phone, mail or email• Make your letter stand out – catchy

headline, underline important facts, use bullets

• Open with an intriguing intro, have a good hook

Media Pitches

Keys to a successful pitch:• Say specifically why you are pitching them

and they should be interested• Say specifically why their readers would

be interested• Keep it brief• Include a call to action – ask them to call

you, meet with you or email you• Check editorial calendars

Hi, John –

Halo Technologies is getting ready to launch another ultraviolet vacuum that is the world’s only germ killing vacuum.  Yes, you read that right.  This vacuum aims to make paranoid germaphobes not flee your home at the site of your carpet, which typically contains 100,000 dust mites per square yard.

 

Halo Technologies uses ultraviolet light to kill mold, dust mites, germs, viruses (including the flu), bacteria and other creepy-crawlers lurking in your carpet and mattresses – all without the use of chemicals.  It’s like a weapon of mass microscopic destruction.  Fortunately, it will not disrupt your family or pets, because (a) you aren’t microscopic, and (b) if you tilt back the vacuum, it automatically turns the UV light off.

If you are interested in previewing a sample or would like more information – let me know. 

In the meantime, please visit www.gethalo.com for additional information on the company and existing product that is sold on their web site.

Many thanks for taking a look.

All best wishes,

Dear XXX:

It’s time to dust off the grill and spice up your BBQ toolkit with Taylor’s Weekend Warrior collection, designed to help backyard chefs win the battle over charred steaks and the fight against salmonella.

Featuring a sturdy stainless steel design, the Weekend Warrior line includes seven thermometers and one timer, all featuring extra large dials and blue backlit displays for easy reading – even in the dark! The Weekend Warrior products ensure all foods will be grilled safely and to perfection every time.

As you begin writing your summer entertaining stories, I hope you’ll be able to include these great grilling tools that are available at Lowe’s, Publix, Fred Meyer and Amazon.com. Please call me at 555.555.6010 if you would like to preview other products, need high-resolution images or have any questions.

Best,XXXX

Hi Ari –

I don’t want to waste any of your time so I’ll get straight to the point: I’d like to send you a bottle or two of wine from the Rioja region of Spain. I work with the Vibrant Rioja campaign (www.vibrantrioja.com) and our goal is to increase awareness of these wines among Gen X/Y men and women in the United States.

Why are we focusing on this demographic? Besides being pretty foolproof (there are four main varieties), the wines are incredibly affordable ($8-$30 a bottle) and are ready to drink at the point of purchase – no need to have them sit around and “age”. And, you can buy them almost anywhere, especially in Chicago! Of course, I could go on and on about the wines and the region, but before I go into all that, I wanted to see if I could send you some to try. No point in telling you all about Rioja wines if you haven’t had the chance to try any yourself!

Based on what I have read on Wingman Daily, I think (hope!) you might have some fun trying these wines. Just let me know where I can send them and I’ll ship some bottles over to you.

Thanks, Ari – have a good one,

XXX

Dear XXX,

For most consumers, New Years resolutions include losing weight and getting in shape. But, nearly 80% of Americans fail within the first month to keep their resolution. How can individuals avoid becoming another statistic? It’s easy – by knowing their statistics. Trying to drop a few pounds or tone up those flabby abs is only one part of the equation. Knowing what you’re made of is the other, and more important, part. This is where HoMedics, the industry leader in health and wellness products, helps empower consumers to take control of their overall health and well being.

HoMedics’ state-of-the-art HealthStation™ body composition scanners feature KnowledgeBook™ technology, which allows consumers to take a precise measure of their total body fitness. These analyzers calculate body weight, body fat, water hydration, muscle mass, body mass index and basal metabolic rate and offer a Calorie Predictor™ that customizes daily calorie intake to help create a weight loss plan or maintain present weight.

HoMedics HealthStations range in price from $39.99 – $69.99. Accurate to 0.1%, all five models simplify an individual’s data with status graphs and have memory settings that allow multiple users to monitor individual progress. One scale will help a whole family build better bodies. It’s time for consumers to let go of the love/hate relationship with their bathroom scale and place their feet in the right direction.

I’m happy to provide additional product information, high-resolution images, samples and/or an interview with a spokesperson regarding the growing trend. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

XXX

Hi, [name],

I work for RAINN in DC. We run the National Sexual Assault Hotline and are the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization.

I wanted to let you know that I'll be in New York on Friday, October 13th. I'd love to meet up with you to discuss RAINN and how we can work together on story ideas, etc. Your readers are a very important audience for us when it comes to sexual assault awareness.

Recently, we started a Speakers Bureau to help educate the public on this issue.  The Speakers Bureau is comprised of survivors of sexual assault – most of them women – who want to speak about their experience so that others can better understand the trauma of sexual violence.  Stories about rape appear daily in newspapers and television news shows across the country, but hearing from someone who has experienced it firsthand – hearing of the terror during the assault, the struggles after including depression, anxiety and often unhealthy coping behaviors, and then the ultimate triumph over the ordeal – would make a real impact on your readers, helping them to better understand the problem of violence against women.

Do you have a little time that day? We can be flexible. If you're not available, let me know if there is someone else I can contact.

Thanks in advance...

XXX

Alternatives to Sending a Press Release

• Social media release• Blogger briefing• YouTube video• Blog post• Twitter “chat tour”• Send a tweet