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A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
for
promotional use. Press kits are often distributed to announce a release or for a
news conference
A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental organ ...
.
Terminology
Traditionally, the term "press kit" referred to a set of documents, photographs (such as
publicity stills) and other relevant materials packaged together, and such a kit was designed to be sent to a newspaper or magazine as part of an organisation's
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
or promotional program. Recently, as print media circulation and readership levels have been declining, marketing and PR people have begun using the broader term, "media kit", so that it now refers to any promotional material distributed to any media outlet.
A PR media kit should not be confused with an advertising media kit developed by a newspaper or magazine for distribution to prospective advertisers. Advertising media kits typically consist of documents outlining the print media's editorial philosophy, detailed profiles of the medium's audience, a rate card and information about forthcoming special features.
Uses
The press kit or media kit is a
Public Relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
(PR) staple, and an integral part of a company's media relations activities.
[Belch, G, Belch, M.A, Kerr, G. and Powell, I., ''Advertising and Promotion Management: An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective'', McGraw-Hill, Sydney, Australia, 2009, p. 617]
Press kits are typically used for:
* Product launches
* New company launch
* Mergers and acquisitions
* News conferences
* Announcements of special events, industry trade shows or exhibitions
* Accompany a press release or media release
* Notify the media of any newsworthy event within a company's sphere of activities
Common components
![Press kit photo by New Yorker Film, 1982](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Press_kit_photo_by_New_Yorker_Film%2C_1982._Photo_by_Nancy_Wong.jpg)
There is no universal guide to the elements that should be included in a press kit or media kit, but the following are common components:
* Backgrounder with historical information on the company or individual.
* Fact sheet listing specific features, statistics, or benefits.
* Biographies of key executives, individuals, artists, etc.
* Past press coverage
*
Photos
A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now created ...
or other images (high resolution) of key executives, logos, products, etc.
* A
press release
A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...
detailing the current news the media kit is sent in reference to
* Media contact information (usually of a
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
department or spokesperson)
* A CD, DVD, software title, video, etc. as appropriate for the sender of the release
* Collateral advertising material, such as: postcard, flier, newspaper ad, etc.
Band press kits
Musicians, including orchestras, bands and choral groups use media kits when launching a new album or when performing at a special event.
Band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
press kits often have their own unique set of components, including:
* Band biography / History of the band
* CD or DVD
* Video
* Photos – colour or monotone (monotone (black and white) for newspapers; colour for other media)
* Press articles/ reviews
* Notable achievements
* Contact information for the band's label, manager, publicist, other representative and links to social media pages
* Discography (all previous albums and/or singles released by the band)
*
ptionalEquipment list (included when the kit is to be sent to a music venue)
Sports media guides
Electronic press kit (EPK)
An electronic press kit (EPK) is a press kit equivalent in electronic form. An EPK usually takes the form of a website or e-mail, though they are also known to exist in CD and DVD form. The press kit for the film ''
Sneakers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
'' was accompanied by a
floppy disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined w ...
containing a custom program explaining the movie and was one of the first electronic press kits by a film studio.
The first known EPK, as we know it today, premiered live on the web on January 8, 1995, and was invented and given the exact name electronic press kit or EPK by Andre Gray, the inventor of online music sales certifications and winner of The Johannes Gutenberg Inventor Prize. Gray's EPK featured a bio, audio clips, videos, photos, press, set list, basic technical requirements, and a calendar and featured R&B singer and songwriter
Aaron Hall as the first artist ever to have an EPK created on their behalf.
Distribution formats
Many companies make their electronic press kits available via the corporate website, where kits are offered in PDF format. An electronic press kit can be provided in any of the following formats:
* CD
* DVD
* Video or audio cassette
* The Internet (e.g. E-mail, WWW, newsgroups, etc.)
* USB flash drive
Contents
The contents of an EPK media kit are similar to other types of media kit, but are likely to include a range of audio-visual material. Decisions about what to include in the EPK media kit will depend on the industry and target audience. As a general guide, an EPK in the music industry might contain the following:
* Biography
* Music clips (audio files, CD or DVD)
* High resolution press photos
* Forthcoming tour dates
* Promotional videos
* Offline website or website links, especially links to relevant social media and music websites
* Media reviews and interviews
* "RIYL" or "recommended if you like" list (list of artists in similar styles or genres)
* Contact information
* High resolution, colour photos or images of key executives, the company logo, products, etc.
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Press Kit
Public relations techniques
Sources (journalism)