Creating a Media Kit for your Brand

Today’s media environment is saturated to the extent that getting the attention of media professionals especially those that are associated with big names can prove to be very difficult. Let’s not even mention the battle with other brands who are also looking for exposure and a changing media landscape that usually means less space for the story you are trying to tell.

However, good PR professionals know that there are several tools to help you fight this battle — and one of the most important tools in the PR arsenal is the media kit.

What is a media kit?

A media kit is a document containing information about your business, product or event.

A media kit can also be referred to as a press kit. It is a collection of materials designed to tell the story of your company or brand in a brief and compelling way. The overall purpose of a media kit is to give journalists the information they need about your company, and to leave a positive impression that will compel the media to tell your brand’s story.

Hence, it is always a good idea to have a basic media kit on hand for members of the press who may be looking to feature you or who you may love to get your brand featured on. They are especially useful when your company has an exceptionally compelling story to tell.

What to do before you send a media kit

Before you send that media kit, there are certain things that you need to do like building all the contact list of the media houses you would like to send your kit to. Then you send an introductory email. This email will serve as an awareness to make the media houses know that your brand exists and they get familiar with it.

What should your media kit contain?

Note: A media kit should tell a compelling story.

So, when deciding which materials to include in your media kit, keep your audience in mind. The materials in a media kit directed at a journalist with an industry trade publication, for example, will differ significantly from a kit sent to the editor of a lifestyle magazine.

However, members of the media do have certain expectations for what they want out of a media kit. At the minimum, you should consider including the following elements in your kit:

• A very clear picture of your brand’s Logo.
• A company overview/mission statement explaining your brand in very broad terms for those who may not already be familiar with it.
• A personalized letter of introduction to the member of the media receiving your kit.
• Additional information about your brand or company giving detailed information about your company and what it offers to key audiences. Note that this should be brief so as not to lose the interest of your audience.
• A FAQ sheet answering the most common questions journalists may have about your brand.
• Any supporting audio or visual materials that will help your brand come alive. This could be a mini look book, videos or BTS (Behind The Scene).
• A press release itself (an article or story about the collection you want published).
• Links to your website and social media accounts. Add backlinks too where necessary.
• Make sure to add all the pictures and videos in the same mail or document as not all journalists will have the time to download and open different files. All they need is to copy and paste the content of the document.

Note: When compiling your Media Kit, it is also worth remembering that sometimes less is more; to stand out, your media kit should only include elements that you feel are truly “all-star” representations of your brand.

Also, keep in mind that journalists are busy people; sometimes sending these files digitally, or creating a simple kit that can be downloaded on your website, can help to make their lives even easier.

While it’s essential to stay true to your brand, you have to know your audience and what they want. Create a media kit that follows these cues, and you just might help your brand break through the clutter to get the media attention it deserves. Do you find this post useful?