Starbucks closes all stores for racial bias training^[13] – Starbucks, 2018

Equifax cyber security breach^[14] – Equifax, 2017

Product Launch

An organization has been hard at work and excited to share its efforts! Particularly common in the tech and auto industry to announce new gadgets and models, press releases used to announce a new product are used across industries for all kinds of new offerings.

You.i TV announces You.i Engine One v5.0^[15] – You.i TV, 2018

Cresset releases Flare application^[16] – Cresset Software, 2017

Events

While most journalists receive the heads-up about events from media advisories (sent prior to an event as a sort of invitation, with only the most basic details), press releases are also used to provide event highlights to journalists who may not be able to attend, and to provide supporting info to those who do. Event press releases can be released before, after, or the day-of an event.

TIFF World Premier of Xavier Dolan film^[17] – Toronto International Film Festival, 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Engaged to be Married^[18] – The Royal Family of the United Kingdom, 2017

Partnerships

Partnerships are a popular way for organizations to boost their corporate social responsibility (CSR), create unique offerings, and generate mutually beneficial buzz for all the parties involved. Known as joint press releases, organizations will work together to create a single press release, including information and branding from all participating groups.

AP and Red Bull Collaboration^[19] – The Associated Press, Red Bull Media House, 2017

Vans Partnership with Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation^[20] – Vans, Positive Vibe Warriors, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility

Along similar lines to publicizing partnerships, organizations are often eager to formally announce charitable giving or other CSR initiatives. These press releases aim to have stories published that will garner good will and demonstrate CSR.

Microsoft Commits $500 Million to Tackle Affordable Housing^[21] – Microsoft, 2019

Irving Oil supports Dalhousie University^[22] – Irving Oil, 2017

Awards

Award recognition and accolades give organizations an excuse to flaunt their stuff and share their successes with the world. Whether they are trying to attract talent, customers, or simply bolster their brand and reputation, organizations will often use a press release to help spread the good news.

Bulldog PR Award Winners Announced^[23] – Agility PR Solutions, 2018

Egg Farmers of Canada named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures^[24] – Egg Farmers of Canada, 2017

Research

Whether they’re released by research institutions (i.e. universities, research foundations etc.) or brands who simply got curious and took it upon themselves to look into things, releasing interesting research is a great way to cultivate brand interest, drive action, and position an organization as a thought leader.

IPCC reports global warming findings^[25] – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018

New Study: Wild Tiger Populations Could Triple^[26] – World Wildlife Federation, 2018

New Hires

When companies make an important senior management change, they’ll often leverage their new hires as a marketing tool. An organization’s senior management is often tied closely with its brand, and new blood or even a shakeup, can bring with it opportunities for publicity, brand awareness, reaching new audiences, and more.

Agility PR Solutions Expands Workforce^[27] – Agility PR Solutions, 2018

Dhivya Suryadevara is GM’s new CFO^[28] – General Motors Co., 2018

Rebranding

To make a formal declaration and to help customers and stakeholders make the transition, organizations will often issue a press release when they are undergoing a visual re-branding. This allows them to prepare audiences and let them know what to look for moving forward.

New chapter for Canadian Blood Services^[29] – Canadian Blood Services, 2018

Dropbox unveils colourful new look^[30] – Dropbox, 2017

Go forth and distribute!

And there you have it! Along with our Anatomy of a Press Release Guide and Template^[31], you should have everything you need to write your own press release and start chasing some well-deserved publicity.

Need some more help? Agility PR Solutions offers many tools to help you make the most of your press release including a media database to tailor pitches and do specific outreach, a newsroom to help boost your SEO efforts and give your release a place to live, a built-in news wire service for broader distribution, and media monitoring solutions for you to track your coverage. Let us show you!^{[32][33][34][35][36]}