Protagonistas del cambio

La vigencia de las gacetillas de prensa

El mundo cambió y cambia todo el tiempo. Los medios de prensa viven una realidad difícil para preservar su importante rol social de un modo sustentable económicamente. El mundo de las redes sociales y la digitalización son una amenaza que todavía no está claro cómo convertirla en oportunidad que preserve y potencie el buen periodismo.

Es imprescindible lograr el justo equilibrio entre lograr el interés de las audiencias para poder monetizar el trabajo periodístico y seguir cumpliendo el rol de aportar a la cohesión social, a la defensa de la democracia, a la justicia social y a la libertad mediante el periodismo independiente.

Muchas veces se considera a las gacetillas de prensa como algo ajeno al periodismo profesional. Sin embargo son una fuente de información que formaliza la postura de personas, empresas u organizaciones, en especial ante contextos complejos o situaciones de crisis; socializan la información sin distinciones; muestran a la fuente dispuesta a dar su versión.

El uso de esta herramienta está vigente y lo seguirá estando por mucho tiempo, pero es necesario usarla adecuadamente, medir las expectativas respecto a sus resultados, elegir bien el contenido, definir el momento adecuado, producirlo teniendo en cuenta el posible interés público de los datos a incluir y desarrollando la narrativa justa para lograr los objetivos planteados. Es clave también considerar las situaciones y actores afectados por nuestra comunicación y las posibles reacciones y escenarios que provocaremos.

Compartimos un artículo de nuestra colega Karin Lohitnavy, fundadora de Midas Public Relations (PROI Worldwide Partner en Thailandia) que propone algunas recomendaciones para su uso con buenos resultados. En este link es posible seguir a Karin y sus interesantes artículos.

«Press releases have been around for over 100 years. In fact, when brands think of their PR strategy, press releases are always given priority. While everyone can write a great press release with fancy words, not many can do it well. A good press release is an art form and a bad press release is redundant and possibly even harmful, as journalists may avoid reading your future press releases due to a wrong first impression. In order to distinguish yourself from the crowd and avoid unpleasant outcomes from a poor press release, it is critical to have an alluring headline, exclusive data, and real news. Here are some factors that highlight these points:

  1. New Product Launches: A new product may interest consumers as it will provide an alternative to the market. The release should give the product’s specs, pricing, availability, and any other details that may be valuable to consumers.
  2. Mergers and Acquisitions: A change to your organisation structure would interest stakeholders of your organisation. The release should include details about all organisations involved, information about the merger or acquisition, and quotes from the leadership teams.
  3. Product Updates: Parallel to a new product launch, changes to an existing product would interest consumers. The release should explain the change, why it was made, and how it will benefit users.
  4. Events: An essential component of event marketing is to attract promotions from news outlets and other media sources. Include what the event is about, who should consider attending, when and where it will be held, pricing, and any other necessary details.
  5. New Partnerships: Apart from mergers and acquisitions, raising partners’ awareness is a mutually beneficial marketing tactic for parties involved. Include a summary about each company, why the partnership was created, who benefits, and any additional detail for current and future stakeholders.
  6. Rebranding: Rebranding is difficult but to ease the process, an announcement helps ensure its success. Include details on what is changing, the reason for making the change, dates the changes go into effect, and quotes from the leadership team.
  7. Executive Promotions/Hiring: Leadership positions typically represent the organisation publicly. Taking the initiative to publicise this ensures control of their image. It may include biographical information to establish their credibility along with a photo and other pertinent details.
  8. Awards: Awards and accomplishments serve to cement your organisation as an authority figure in the market. Include information about the company and why they were given the award, information about the award itself, and details about the ceremony.

Disseminating to the right journalist(s) is another way to ensure you gain the most out of a press release. At Midas PR, we are connected to several networks of journalists and news agencies. Ensuring your press release gains the results you want.»