Why press releases need to be called something else
Chris Rand
Chris Rand writes:
You might think the music industry has little to do with your market, but you might change your mind after taking a look at Why nobody should read a press release ever again, written on his blog by The Word magazine’s David Hepworth. In the article, David explains quite clearly why there’s no point in him ever reading a press release nowadays, and no point in marketers sending them to him – or any other journalist. And I have to say, drawing on my 20 years’ experience as a trade press editor, it’s become just the same in the industrial sector. If I was editor of What Widget? magazine today, there would be no point in reprinting information from press releases, because the issue in which I published the information would probably by the last place on earth to do so. Any printed magazine which doesn’t make the transition to 100% original material within its pages may as well cut its losses and close now. Sure, there are enough sleepy advertisers in the industrial sector to keep a magazine going – just – for a while after the last reader has left the building. But not for that long.
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- Posted on 7 Oct 2009 at 08:58 am
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Having just stumbled across this blog I am disappointed to read Chris Rand’s opinion about the value of publishing press releases, especially coming from an ex editor….Of course there is a point to including them or has Chris forgotten that even trade magazines are read and are still a valuable source of information. I agree that any publication of worth will essentially include material that is new to its readership, but the occasional “refresher” is no bad thing if you accept that magazine readership is constantly changing and being updated, not to mention the pass on readership that a magazine can enjoy.
As to “sleepy advertisers” – think on. Magazine advertising works, it may not be as instantaneous as TV or web promotions, but to the right target audience and with the right message it still is effective.