Padua Communications, founded in 2009, is a growing PR agency based in Woking, Surrey, with a team of 11 specialists serving national and international clients. The document outlines key aspects of effective media communication, including the components and format of a press release, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the target audience and journalists' needs. It also provides practical tips for selling stories to the media and the significance of clarity, conciseness, and proper formatting in press communications.

1. PR and Media
6th February 2014

2. Who is Padua Communications?
• Set up in 2009 by Nicky Rudd
• Grown quickly – we now have a team
of 11 specialists
• Based in Woking, Surrey
• National and international clients
across all disciplines
• Most of our work comes from
referrals

3. Our aim:
We work in partnership with our clients
to help them create a conversation with
their target audiences – whether that is
customers, partners or the media
through a range of activities

4. Creative content for a range of
communications channels

5. Why do customers work with us?
We have great testimonials and accolades

6. What I’m covering in this session:
• What makes a good news story?
(planning content)
• What is a press release?
• How to sell in a story
• 10 things you should know before
dealing with the media

7. What makes a good news story?
• Client versus journalist
• What’s the headline you’re after?
• Know your target audience and match it
with a readership audience

8. Audience is key…

10. Perseverance and regular
communication required!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appointments
•
New staff
•
Turnover
CSR projects
New customer wins •
•
Mergers
Partnerships
Redundancies
New products and
services
Award wins
Events

11. Timing is key!

12. So what is a press release?
• A press release is a short summary of a piece of
news, which you can use to let journalists know the key
elements of your story.
• Its most important feature is that it needs to be topical it should make clear what's new and is not marketing
fluff!
• You use press releases as part of a marketing strategy
to let the media know what you’re up to: forthcoming
events, new customer wins, fundraising
announcements, new appointments, charity
(CSR), sponsorship.

13. What do journalists want?
Journalists want:
Well-presented, clear, concise copy that:
 saves the journalist time and energy
 doesn’t require them to phone to establish key facts
 is easily edited for use

14. What should a press release include?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who?
What?
Why?
Where?
When?
How?
Contact details and notes to editors
Photo/Image (300dpi minimum for print)
Think about your medium – is it visual for TV?

15. More precisely…
• It should have a title that grabs the attention of the
reader
• Think of the benefits to the audience
(reader, viewer, listener)
• Journalists get sent hundreds of releases and many
don’t bother opening their emails, so think about
what you are putting in the subject line…

17. What else?
• The 1st paragraph is crucial and should include all of your
why, where, when, who, what and how information
• Keep it short and simple – the whole release should be no
longer than 2 sides of A4 and if you can get everything on one
side, even better
• Job titles should not be capitalised
• Don’t use capitals, bold or italics
• Quotes – Use quotes to back up the story, where relevant (they
should be further down the release)
• Use the format - Name, title, company says: “…”

18. A bit about formatting…
• The title should be in bold and don’t go mad with
capitals
• Sub-title (optional)
• A press release is written in the 3rd person
• 1.5 point spacing
• Boilerplate at end with contact details
• Notes to editors at end

19. A bit about grammar…
• Proofread your release
to make sure there are
no typos, poorly
written, badly
edited, terrible
grammar –
remember, you’re
pitching people who
write and deliver news
for a living.

20. ‘Good writing is about making reading easy’
Think about your language
• Don’t use jargon and acronyms
• A company is always referred to in the
singular, eg.
‘Padua Communications is doing this talk’
• Words from one to nine and numbers from
10 upwards

21. • Words to watch:
-
revolutionary, unique
whilst (actually means whereas) – you probably mean while
it’s and its
CDs not CD’s
Also:
don’t utilise, use
don’t request, ask
don’t relinquish, give up
don’t terminate, end

22. How should a press release be used?
• Journalists are swamped with information
“I get roughly 100-200 emails a day. I delete 95% of news
releases that come into my inbox.”
• Remember the audience!!
• Different approaches – can be issued to selected
publications (different PR agencies/people have different
approaches)
DON’T PHONE AND ASK A PUBLICATION
WHETHER THEY GOT YOUR PRESS RELEASE!

23. How to sell in a story…
• Research and preparation
• Timing and time
• Email – what else are you offering? Exclusive interview
with the CEO? A visit to a new site?
• Phone
• Email again
• Phone, email, phone…
• Try a different publication or new approach

24. 10 things you should know before dealing
with the media
• Press day and lead time
you have a spokesperson?
• Publication and readership
• Contact details on press
details
release
• Who you should be
• You won’t get to see copy
contacting?
• Have some media training/do
• When you should contact
some preparation about your
them and how they get their
key messages (only 3 at a
information
time!)
• Decent image (300dpi)
• Phone and email details
• Format of information – do

25. Let us help you…
www.paduacommunications.com
Tel: 0203 282 7570