A basic media kit. Photo courtesy of BigDogBoutique.com.
THE AUTHOR |
KAREN HOCHMAN, Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE, sees more than 1,000 media kits a year. She wishes she could share a copy of these best practices to some of their creators.
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June 2005
Updated February 2009
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Media Kit Components
Page 5: Pitch Letters & Press Releases
This is Page 5 of a five-page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Pitch Letters & Press Releases
A letter with a photo or illustration of your product on the letterhead (or envelope) is a good start. Consult with a copywriter specialist to be sure it’s benefits-driven and clearly articulates why your cookies are different than all of the others—do some “brand storytelling.”
Don’t:
- Don’t use superlative descriptors like “incredibly delicious” or “the best you’ve ever tasted.” First of all, you are writing to professionals who know the category and have a pretty good idea of where you fit within it. Second, only the person judging your product can determine if it’s even “good” in terms of what he or she is looking for. Third, so many people use these terms that they have become meaningless at best, and indicative of someone who doesn’t know how to pitch his/her products at worst.
- Don’t say anything along the lines of “my product is perfect for your customers.” How can anyone know what is right for someone else’s business?
Do:
- Use important descriptors that are objective and true of your product, such as all-natural, organic, kosher, low sodium, all butter, local ingredients, sustainable packaging—you know what people are looking for, and if you don’t know, ask. Make the differentiators stand out in a bulleted list where the eye will immediately pick them up.
- If your products have won awards, if you’ve been in business for 20 years, if you’re the #1 seller at your local markets, if the mayor buys a box each week —that’s impressive or colorful information and generates interest. Use it.
- If you don’t have a Unique Selling Proposition—if your cookies are tasty but no more so than the cookies in the next town—you’ve got to hope that the price points, packaging and taste are what the retailer is looking for. Plenty of brands make money for decades with this feature set.
Follow-Up
Media kits should be updated each quarter with new articles, news releases, product information and jpgs, etc. You can take this opportunity to e-mail your media contact list with a brief note announcing any news and letting them know the updated kit is available on your website. Invite them to e-mail you or call if they’d like a hard copy mailed to them.
We wish you good media coverage!
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