How to Do a New Product Launch Press Release
The catch is, a press release shouldn’t only appeal to the target audience; rather, it must entice mainstream journalists and media outlets first and foremost. Learn to write a compelling product launch press release that gets published and speeds up your lead generation process.
Abdul Wahab
Technology is reshaping the world, and the business sector is revolutionizing with it. In today’s world, businesses need to be far more competitive in offering life-changing solutions and creating awareness for their new endeavors.
Unlike before, customers don’t wait for monthly finance magazines or weekly business articles to discover upcoming startups or new product launches. Rather they scan for captivating headlines on Twitter timelines to learn about upcoming releases and base their decisions on that information.
A Press Release is a perfect tool for business owners to control the narrative around their brand and disperse information about their future launches. A marketing strategy may typically involve emails, social media, and paid ad campaigns, but a product press release can amplify those efforts predominantly.
The catch is, a press release shouldn’t only appeal to the target audience; rather, it must entice mainstream journalists and media outlets first and foremost. Learn to write a compelling product launch press release that gets published and speeds up your lead generation process.
What is a Product Launch Press Release?
A press release, in general terms, is a comprehensive document that disseminates a newsworthy story about a company and its upcoming business endeavors. The formally written document is distributed to concerned stakeholders and broadcasted through media houses to announce a company’s official stance in a particular situation.
From a product launch standpoint, a press release is a communication tool for businesses to build anticipation and generate media coverage for upcoming releases, making it critical for a product launch checklist.
A product launch press release is formally structured as a news article, following journalistic standards. It provides concise and compelling information about the product, its features, benefits, and unique selling points. While it influences journalists to publish their stories, the primary agenda is to grab the attention of influencers and potential audiences for the new product.
Why is Press Release Campaign Important for a Product Launch?
Whether you’re an established enterprise or startup aiming to conduct a solid pre-launch campaign, a press release should be part of your go-to marketing strategy.
Regardless of your industry, a well-crafted press release can cobble up attention from media hotshots and leading journalists. If executed right, you can guarantee a good press release that can take your business to the next level.
When a single New York Times story can transform the Bearbrand blog into a full-fledged business enterprise in the men’s grooming space, what’s stopping you? Let's outline the benefits that make PR campaigns essential for a product launch:
- Media Coverage and Exposure: By disseminating the press release to targeted journalists, bloggers, and media outlets, you increase the likelihood of your product making front-page headlines. Better exposure can significantly expand your reach and attract a broader audience.
- Enforce Trust and Credibility: Positive coverage and endorsements from journalists or industry experts can influence potential customers' perceptions, building confidence and increasing the chances of product adoption.
- Generate Awareness and Anticipation: As the press release spreads through media channels and social platforms, it sparks conversations, shares, and discussions, ensuring your product gains the attention it deserves.
- Construct Brand Narrative: Organizing PR campaigns that align with their brand identity and values enables companies to define their messaging, construct public opinion, and fortify a compelling brand narrative.
- Inform Investors and Stakeholders: An effective product press release communicates with investors and stakeholders about a company's latest developments and product innovations to enhance transparency and fortify partnerships.
Preparing for a New Product Press Release
Every major business endeavor - regardless of scale or the audience pool - starts with careful planning and preparation. Without a solid plan or roadmap to dictate your product launch campaign, your best marketing practices are bound to end up in smoke.
From defining your goals to uncovering market insights, your plan becomes the blueprint for a captivating press release that propels your brand to new heights. In order to constitute the launch in your favor, here’s how you should plan out your product launch press release.
Research the Target Audience
An insight into the audience preference, buying behavior, and possible pain points allows you to fine-tune your press release to best appeal to their senses. Communicating the right message to the right people in the right way can improve your chances of getting your press release read.
Identify Product USPs
The niche you’re about to enter is possibly jampacked or even monopolized by other far-reaching brands. Develop an identity that distinguishes you from the rival brands.
Highlight your product's unique selling propositions (USPs) to grab the media's attention and outshine your competitors. Whether it's innovative features, superior quality, affordability, or environmental sustainability, emphasizing these USPs in your press release will create a compelling narrative around your product.
Compile a Press Kit
A comprehensive press kit is a valuable asset for any company, especially concerning a product launch. A press kit typically includes product images, background information about your company, key product details, executive bios, and relevant contact information. The primary objective is to relay information to journalists and credible bloggers in a manner that assists them in publishing your product launch story.
How to Create a New Product Launch Press Release?
Before it reaches the audience’s social feeds, a press release must persuade the journalists and bloggers you aim to broadcast through. The only way to entice these publications to share your story is to write a press release with the right elements in the correct order. Regardless of the template you're following, a product press release must include the following elements:
- Headline: A concise and attention-grabbing statement that summarizes the essence of the product launch.
- Introduction: An overview of the product launch, including the company name, product name, and the purpose or significance of the launch.
- Product Details: Highlights the key features, functionalities, and benefits that make the product unique and desirable.
- Quotes: Incorporating quotes from company executives, product designers, or industry experts add a human touch and credibility to the press release.
- Supporting Information: Includes background information about the company, details about the development process, or any partnerships or collaborations involved.
- Contact Information: Features the name, email address, and phone number of a designated spokesperson or media contact.
- Boilerplate: A brief paragraph at the end of the press release that provides an overview of the company, its mission, and its achievements.
The Art of a Captivating Header
A header is the essence of your entire press release - a phrase meant to capture attention. Being your brand’s first impression, the header must be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing to entice journalists, influencers, and the general audience to continue reading the press release.
Incorporate strong action words that evoke curiosity and excitement while keeping the subject simple and understandable. Make sure it connects and addresses the audience’s interests and needs, creating relevance and urgency.
Most companies infuse their brand logo and contact information beside the header to reinforce their brand identity and build trust among the readers. While the logo improves the visual appeal of the PR, contact info enables media representatives to contact the company’s spokesperson for further additional queries and clarifications.
Seize Attention with a Headline and Subtitle
A well-crafted headline can instantly engage readers, pique their curiosity, and make them eager to explore the rest of the press release. The idea is to convey the value of your proposition to the press. It serves as a hook that grabs attention amidst the sea of information - a key tool driving readership and maximizing the impact of your message.
- Limit your headline to less than 70 characters to create the most impact.
- Avoid jargon or complex terms that may confuse readers.
- Communicate the value of your product announcement.
- Use language that aligns with their interests, needs, or aspirations.
- Explore creative techniques such as wordplay and alliteration to pique attention.
Summarize the content of your press release in the subtitle - a single sentence that supports the main headline and creates a flow for readers to continue exploring. Give a glimpse of your product’s primary features and benefits. Experts advise writing the sub-headline after completing the body of the article because it should contain the prevalent keywords.
Set Context that Generates Excitement
Before elaborating on the product, present a backdrop to the audience in the first paragraph. A high-quality lead or context that piques their imagination paints the picture and motivates them to know more. Infuse the reverse pyramid formula in your press release - provide essential information first and build your story on that.
Setting context in a press release establishes the foundation and creates a framework for understanding the product’s significance. It provides the necessary background information, market insights, or industry trends that create anticipation among readers.
When setting the tone and context for your press release, conduct thorough market research, review statistics, and learn consumer insights to showcase the relevance of your product.
Highlight the competitive landscape of the niche and emphasize the USPs that set you apart in the league. Make sure you use descriptive language, vivid imagery, and effective storytelling techniques to develop the reader’s interest.
Unveil the Product Features and Sneak Peeks
With the context set straight, you can unveil the product features offering a glimpse into the value and innovation your product brings. Showcasing teasers and sneak peeks create a sense of exclusivity for your product which in turn develops curiosity among the target audience.
Consider creating short teaser videos or multimedia content to showcase your new product in action, allowing the audience to discern how it will benefit them in their day-to-day activities.
While it’s necessary to feature the best you can offer, don’t try to cram everything under the sun into your press release. Always use language that sparks curiosity and creates a sense of anticipation to explain your product.
Reporters don’t usually have the leisure to sift through the entire information and validate it before publishing. Present stats and customer testimonials as social proof to validate your product and extend credibility for your audience.
Set Your Brand Personality through Quotes
One way to add credibility and authority to your press release is to add quotes from your company executives. Setting a brand personality shapes the perception of your brand and establishes a consistent tone and voice throughout your communication.
Embedding quotes in the press release embodies the company’s excitement and motivation behind the new launch. It humanizes your brand message, making it relatable and memorable to your specific audience.
Journalists often seek newsworthy quotes for their articles to frame context around your press release announcement and paint a picture of your new offering that is set to transform the industry.
Summarize with a Boilerplate
Every credible and newsworthy press release ends with a solid but brief boilerplate. A concise paragraph or section that sets an overview of your company, its mission statement, key offerings, and relevant achievements.
A boilerplate ensures consistency in how your company is presented across different press releases, reinforcing your brand's reputation and positioning. Think of the boilerplate as your website's “About Us” section. It serves as quick reference content for journalists to extract information for accurate and positive coverage.
Best Product Launch Press Release Examples: Imitate Success
When gearing up for a new product launch, companies spend considerable resources to generate hype around their offering. Even though social media and email marketing are integral to a product launch plan, curating press releases is still a prevalent outlet to spread brand awareness and build credibility.
While it’s challenging for budding startups to pull off a mass audience through a purses release or even attract notable media outlets, there’s certainly something to learn from the following press release samples for product launch.
Apple’s iPhone
Apple's iPhone launch press releases are widely regarded as masterpieces in the realm of product launches. They exemplify the art of captivating storytelling, precise messaging, and strategic communication - elements that compel mainstream media outlets to publish the story and drive the audience to purchase.
The notable press release features concise and attention-grabbing headlines creating intrigue and excitement in the general public. The iconic iPhone X launch press release entailed “Apple Unveils Revolutionary iPhone X: The Future of Smartphones.”
Apple’s press releases are well-structured overall, starting with an introductory paragraph that sets the context, followed by subsequent sections that cover the product's key features, design, performance, and innovative technologies. It mainly showcased USPs that distinguish it into a league of its own.
The company embedded high-quality images, sneak peeks, and videos to complement the PR, maximize visibility, and increase engagement. Moreover, it strategically imbues industry recognition, awards, and certifications to reinforce its already blooming brand recognition.
Apple is the epitome of brand consistency, largely reflected in its press releases. The company maintains its tone and style that align with Apple’s overarching brand messaging and company values.
Tesla’s Cybertruck
Tesla's Cybertruck launch press release was a momentous event showcasing the electric vehicle industry's innovative and disruptive nature. Like its unusual design, Tesla’s press release on the upcoming Cybertruck was one-of-a-kind as well. This press release exemplified Tesla's ability to captivate audiences and generate widespread anticipation.
It all started with a bold headline, "Tesla Unveils Cybertruck: The Future of Electric Pickups." the header immediately sparked curiosity among the audience from all walks of life, positioning Cybertruck as the groundbreaker.
The press release commenced with a compelling introduction to the Cybertruck. Instead of describing the vehicle's unique design, cutting-edge features, and performance, the imagery did much of the job itself. Tesla emphasized how the Cybertruck redefined traditional expectations of pickup trucks.
While for many, its angular exterior and ‘reinforced exoskeleton’ was the USP, the press release highlighted its unmatched capabilities, such as remarkable off-road performance, towing capacity, and a range of up to 500 miles.
Even though the project was yet to hit the production lines at full pace, Tesla provided elaborate pricing and pre-order information details. The step fostered a sense of urgency in interested buyers, which further amplified the launch’s impact.
Nike’s Air Jordan
Nike's Air Jordan launch press releases have become iconic in the sneakers and sports apparel world. These press releases demonstrate Nike's mastery of storytelling, brand marketing, and creating anticipation around product launches. The press release stood out because it wasn’t explicitly aimed at enticing sneakerheads; instead, it managed to attract ordinary individuals.
Nike’s press release took off with an outstanding headline, “Nike Unveils Air Jordan XXV: A Game-Changing Fusion of Style and Performance.” Nike leverages the rich heritage and captivating story behind the Air Jordan brand. They highlight the history of the collaboration with legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, emphasizing the brand's influence on sports culture and its iconic status.
Nike provides in-depth details about the innovative design elements and technology incorporated into the Air Jordan shoe. It outlines the inspiration, design philosophy, and key features that make the shoe stand out from others in the league.
Nike often collaborates with renowned designers, artists, or other brands to create special editions or limited releases of Air Jordan shoes. What’s worth noting is that they project collaborations as the main USP behind the special editions, making them exclusive and desirable for sneaker enthusiasts.
Key Takeaways from Product Press Release Example
Here are four key learnings from the above-described product press release examples that can help steer your product launch forward:
Craft a Compelling Narrative
Paint an elaborate picture of your product to pique the audience’s imagination of your audience, compelling them to read through the press release and eventually purchase. Craft a story around your new offering, highlighting its unique aspects, like its origin, innovation philosophy, or how the product solves a particular issue. Incorporate storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection, generate excitement, and emphasize the value your product brings to customers' lives.
Employ Engaging Language
Even in the age of technology, language plays a crucial role in capturing and retaining readers' attention. Choose a vivid, descriptive, and persuasive language for your press release that ignites curiosity and excitement. Use active verbs, sensory details, and compelling adjectives to bring your product to life. Engage readers by addressing their aspirations, desires, and pain points before presenting your antidote.
Leverage Visuals
Visuals are powerful tools for evoking emotions and work best when accompanied by effective copy. When compiling your press release, include high-quality images, videos, or infographics that showcase your product's design and features.
Imagery captures attention and helps readers visualize the product and understand its value proposition more effectively. Make sure the visuals are relevant, appealing, and aligned with your brand's aesthetics.
Establish Media Relationships
Building relationships with relevant media outlets and journalists is critical to gaining broader coverage and exposure for your future product launches. Research and identify journalists or influencers who cover your industry or interact with the target audience.
Personalize your pitches by complementing their work and interests. Offer exclusive access to information, product demos, or interviews to attract media professionals to pay heed.
Ending Note
While a press release may not guarantee a spike in sales, it can be an effective marketing tool to get your brand recognized by prominent media houses. Pitching your press release to credible journalists, bloggers, and media channels offers you an outlet to access the mass audience and put your narrative across.
Keep your support staff vigilant; who knows when a popular media personality will be ringing on your doorstep, asking for an interview? But with all the pre-launch conundrum and deadline approaching, it’s best to leave your press release tasks to Prefinery.com While you focus on what matters most.
FAQs
What is the purpose of a product announcement press release?
A product launch press release is designed to announce and promote the launch of a new product or service to the media and the public. The idea is to generate the audience’s interest and secure media coverage to increase brand awareness.
How can I measure the success of my press release for a new product?
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as media coverage, social media engagement, lead generation, and sales conversions. Track the number of press pickups, mentions, and article views you have received. Analyze website analytics to determine the impact on traffic and user behavior.