Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Press Release For New Hire, New Business Aspect.

Posted by Anonymous on 9/8/2012 at 9:39 PM ET 250 Points
We have decided to revamp a portion of our business and to that end have hired someone very experienced in the field. Our company is a dog related business offering multiple services. We have done private training but have decided to amp up the training and offer group classes in a variety of disciplines. The woman we have hired is coincidentally the person both my husband and I mentored under back when we got started. To make it short, my husband and I both got started taking her classes in the early 80's (though never the same classes), then in 1994 she is the one who got me started in a new training discipline, where my (now) husband was the head trainer. I guess you could say that because of her introduction, we met, married and started this business. She was basically retired but was itching to get back working with dogs and people and we were looking to expand.
So do I do a press release that is all facts and just state the new hire and the new offerings or do I make it a bit more human interest? I guess we can add the kismet aspect to the about us page on our website as another option.
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  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/8/2012 at 10:07 PM Member
    What's your goal for the press release? Which media outlet would be interested in the content for its readership? From their perspective, why should they care about your story?

    For your website, it might make sense to describe the story, but again - think of things from the perspective of your prospective clients. Would this story be of interest to them? Would it help them to decide to work with you (or your new hire)? Perhaps you could change the story to focus on what she brings to your business - years of expertise, experience with tough problems, etc. That's what would likely interest people primarily. The secondary story might be of personal interest.
  • Posted on 9/8/2012 at 11:00 PM Author
    I guess my goal for the press release is business oriented, so therefore that's where I should go.

    The fact that most of our current clients who were recently introduced to her just loved the fact that fate keeps bringing us back together is what made me think it might be of interest. The fact that she is the one who introduced us just cracks people up for some reason.
  • Posted by marketbase on 9/10/2012 at 9:59 AM Accepted
    Definitely the business aspect is first and foremost important to the media--the Who, What, When, Why, How--especially focus on the vaue added for your clientele. However, the human interest piece could be included in an "attention grabbing headline' esp. if she is well-known and/or recognized with a sentence or two woven into the text about your business' connection with this individual.


  • Posted by Ghost Writer on 9/10/2012 at 12:52 PM Accepted
    The mistake most people make with media releases is to put the emphasis on the aspects that are important to them personally or to their business.

    There is no reason in the world why the media should care that you've done something good for you or your business ... they are looking for NEWS; something of interest to their readers, something unique, new, interesting, meaningful, alarming, rewarding, entertaining, etc.

    So, ask yourself what does your announcement mean to the public? To your customers? To your industry? Probably not that much, to be honest.

    You've got an interesting human interest story, so that might be your best bet for getting media attention. Yes, you need to cover the 5 W's, but your personal story is the part that I can see some reporter getting interested in.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 9/10/2012 at 6:29 PM Accepted
    I'm with the others: The human interest story might be interesting, but you need to focus the news release on the core benefit your target audience will realize if/when they hire you. Make the story about them, and about the emotional payoff THEY will get when they become clients.

    If you haven't thought through the positioning benefit, then do that first -- BEFORE you issue a news release. And then keep in mind the reason you're putting out the release and the action you want readers to take after they read it.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 9/12/2012 at 7:29 PM Accepted
    While the kismet story is no doubt fascinating to you, as a dog owner, I would find it utterly irrelevant.

    You need to figure out what problem you uniquely solve, what core benefit you provide, one key reason why someone would want to pick up the phone to book with you.

    Work out something on how you changed a customer's life, saved a dog's life from the pound, brought a family back together that was being torn apart by a disruptive do, something - anything - that is customer-benefit focused.

    Work out what ACTION you want the reader to take and devise a story that piques that interest.

    It's not now and never will be about you. That's your story, and is never going to be the song playing in the prospects head.

  • Posted on 9/14/2012 at 11:15 AM Author
    Thanks all for the input. I think you are all brilliant and completely correct, of course. I now have a clear direction to go. Luckily we are just getting started on the class syllabus and have time to get the press release done. It will probably take me that long to write it ;).
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