Press kits
The majority of companies, corporations, and organizations prepare and offer press kits. A press kit, sometimes referred to as a media kit in the business sector, is a packet of promotional material pertaining to a person, company, organization, or band, that is distributed to the media for promotional uses.
Press kits are usually prepared by a company's or other entity's public relations specialist or publicist. The release of a press kit may coincide with a new product or event. For example, Kennedy Space Center offers press kits before the launch of a new space shuttle. They may also be prepared for a trade show, company merger, or news conference. Many companies, organizations, bands, authors, or other persons or groups prepare press kits as a manner of routine, so the media may always have access to promotional material. This is very useful if a magazine, newspaper, or other media decides to feature an article or story on a particular company or group.
Usually, a press kit, or media kit, may include the following:
- Background information and/or the history of the company, person, or group;
- Company or group key features, statistics, and benefits;
- Biographical information of the person, group members, founders, leaders, or company executives, depending on who the press kit applies to;
- Past press coverage excerpts and positive opinions or quotes;
- Images of company or group logos;
- Photographs of company executives, group members, or the person, normally taken in black and white for ease of insertion into black and white print media like newspaper;
- Contact information for media use, usually the company, group, or person's public relations specialist or publicist.
Press kits prepared for use by musicians or bands include different promotional material than the above mentioned items normally found in a company's or organization's press kit. A press kit for a musician or band may include the following:
- The musician's or band's history and biography;
- The musician's or band's past musical album releases, referred to as their discography;
- Color photographs of the musician or band;
- A CD containing a selection of the musician's or band's music;
- Contact information, usually including the musician's or band's publicist, manager, or representative;
- A list of equipment, which is necessary information for live music venues or concerts.
While these sound like packets that may be fun to receive, both types are necessary tools for a public relations specialist and media personnel, and are essential in the promotion of a company, a product, an event, an organization, a band, or a person.
Most major companies, organizations, bands, and notable persons have a section of their website devoted to their press releases and press kits. These sections are usually denoted on websites by a button with a title similar to "Media Relations" or "For Media and Press". Depending on the website, you may be able to access a company or organization's press kit simply by clicking on the button, even if you are not a member of the media.
When a company, group, or other entity prepares a press kit, it is vital the kit communicates professionalism. Media personnel and public relations specialists see, use, handle, and/or throw away hundreds of press kits every year. A press kit that is disorganized, cheap in appearance, or poorly written reflects the company, group, or person in a bad light, and speaks volumes about how serious they take themselves.
However, a press kit that goes overboard is as much off-putting to media personnel as a cheap and thoughtlessly put-together one.
A well-educated and professional publicist or public relations specialist will have the tools to prepare a press or media kit that effectively promotes the company, group, band, or person they represent.
