Do you need a press office?

A well-run press office is one of the most important parts of any PR function but maybe the least talked about. In new business pitches, PR agencies will always talk about their successful campaigns but rarely mention their press office work – although it’s arguably one of the most important bits to get right in any PR strategy.

This is because a press office is often the first port of call for journalists in the media and how these enquiries are dealt with can make or break any PR strategy – a badly run press office will mean that journalists are much less likely to contact you again, but an effective press department will inevitably bring you and your business more coverage and build strong relationships with editors.

What is a press office?

A press office is responsible for getting any of your business’ key messages or updates out to the right publications, in a timely manner. But as well as spreading the good news, the press office is also the first port of call when there’s news you’re not pro-actively issuing.

That doesn’t mean it has to be a negative news story, but regardless of whether it’s good or bad, it’s important that you react swiftly and appropriately if there is something you need to comment on.

A press office department can be run internally or externally – meaning you can either employ a person (or a team) to manage this for you, or you can retain an external agency or freelancer to manage your dealings with the press.

Do I need a press office?

If you are a business that receives enquiries from the media, or you frequently send out news releases, there’s a strong chance that you will either have, or are in need of a press office.

Some bigger companies and governmental departments will have a team of press officers who work in-house but smaller businesses often can’t afford to have a press office function internally, and that’s when you might speak to an agency.

Front Door Comms manages a press office function for a number of its clients and we have compiled a list of top tips for running a successful press office:

• Be reactive: As mentioned, when we think about PR, we often think about proactively distributing your company news stories to the media, or crafting a beautiful campaign that successfully gets your brand messages out to the right audiences. But what if a journalist asks for something different? For example, you’ve sent out a press release about a new product you’re about to launch, but the journalist is more interested in getting hold of some data or a comment on something else that’s been in the news? The most important thing is to be responsive and let the journalist know you’re working on it. Ask for their deadline and keep communicating, even if you’re struggling to get hold of the right information in time. And even when you’ve resolved the query and you’ve made the journalist happy, it’s worth following up to make sure you’re getting the best possible outcome for your business or client.
• Ask the right questions: You obviously want to help the journalist, but make sure you’re asking questions along the way and looking after your client at the same time – if the journalist has asked for something but you don’t know why or understand what it is, it’s important to ask questions and find out as much as you can about the article. At Front Door, we review each press enquiry and the risk factors associated with this – and manage each request appropriately.
• Offer more: A journalist may contact you for a quote or some data but it’s worth remembering that your client, or your team, are the experts in their field – so if you have something else that you think may help the journalist write their piece, send it! If it’s an image, a guide or even an additional angle they may not have thought of, it won’t hurt to add this onto your reply. As long as you’re not bombarding the journalist, they might appreciate you going above and beyond.
• Crisis communications: A press office is the first place a journalist will go if they’re looking for an image, a comment, or help with data – but if it’s a crisis, the press office will also be the first to know. You hope it never happens but in these instances, it’s important to keep a cool head and as with any query, find out the deadline and as much information as you can from the journalist. If you’re an external press office and can’t get hold of your client, don’t just wait for them to reply to an email – use any way you can to get hold of the right person, they’ll be glad you did and will help make sure you don’t miss the deadline.

A press office function is the most unpredictable part of PR – this is because one journalist query can take an hour, vs another query which can take days to resolve. And how you run your press office can have a big impact on your reputation – so it’s important to get this right, even though it might be the bit you hear about the least!