Does the press release need to be disrupted?

I was in New York a few weeks back where I had a meeting with a Marketing Director for a large beverage business. He’d just been telling me all about these amazing partnerships and events they were involved in. Discussing working on some content together, he showed me a press release that just went out to all major publications about some activations they were doing.

Almost two pages of heavily dense paragraphs sat before me.

“Do press releases really work for you?” I asked. He shook his head. “Not really”.

“So, why do you do them then?” I prompted. He shrugged with an awkward smile, “No idea”.

It still dumbfounds me that in a world where we’re all walking around with supercomputers in our pockets, with little more than 8 short seconds for written content to grab our attention, that something as traditional as the press release still exists in its original form.

If, like me, you own or work for a publishing site, then you might know what I’m talking about. An email arrives in your inbox, firstly the subject line is too long, the copy is not engaging - literally the body of these emails usually have as much personality as a postit note - and we haven’t even gotten to the attachment yet.

I’m beginning to think PR firms have forgotten that writers, editors and journos are consumers as well, and now more than ever we are plagued by a fading attention span, continually bombarded by thousands of pieces of information, both on and offline, every day.

Press releases, they are marketing’s stale sandwich, a lot of effort goes into cooking them up but they’ve been around so long no one really wants to touch them. For a document full of statements, numbers and quotes to capture our interest over the shiny, glittering world of video, is a tough ask.

Yet amazingly, press releases have become so embedded in the marketing narrative that no one seems to have questioned their effectiveness and ROI. Sure, they really don’t cost anything you’ll say. And you’re right, they don’t cost much more than a few peoples’ time. But, have you asked if they’re doing any good?

It involves hard to control conversion, a flat message with generally a lack of brand tone (maybe one of the most important elements in today’s marketing strategies for cutting through the noise) and it’s extremely difficult to measure the ROI. I actually find myself yawning sometimes when I open them, if I get that far.

This definitely isn't isn't a call to turn brand news into memes or send writers a GIF about your next big store opening or product launch - though if it works. It's about being more considered about how people consume information in 2018. What moves them? What compels them to engage, to make a decision or even a purchase? How can you create an experience that will be remembered? Because sometimes you only have one chance with a consumer and it's about how you make the most of that moment.

There will always be publications required to publish news put forth by press releases, mostly due to their partnership requirements. And, of course, there are areas where press releases most certainly do justice to their cause. These are mostly related to industries where vital information is hard to come across, where you don’t have ‘citizen journos’ plying the world with content. I’m referring to the healthcare industry, sporting associations with little funding or coverage, NGOs and not for profits, and the early round startup and technology sector - all important areas that rely on media to share their news and messages.

However, I’m mostly interested in why consumer brands are still using them. Would love to know your thoughts too.