how to write a fashion press release

A well-written and curated fashion press release is a sure way to get into the inboxes of key fashion editors. If executed well, it may secure you much desired editorial coverage and publicity.

But writing one is easier said than done. So let’s take a look and demystify it – shall we?

To begin with, remember that a press release should be clear, informative, visually exciting and specific.

BE CLEAR

Let’s take it from the top, literally.

Start with headed paper. Your company logo should appear clearly at the very top of the page, as it appears everywhere else. This consistency should already be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

Set clear instructions on when this press release should be published. Write ‘FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE’ at the very top of the page on the left.

Give it a title: each collection, and newsworthy story about your brand will require a new press release. Make it easy for the reader to know at a glance what the release is about. This headline is vital; use one sentence or a few words that will tell a journalist exactly what your release is all about.

Add the date and location also, this will give relevance to the journalist.

Ideally you should insert a strong image into your document immediately below the title.

Fashion is a visual industry and images often speak louder than words, they are easier to digest and grab attention and fire up imaginations faster than words can. So take your time and pick an image that will speak to the reader and hold their attention.

BE INFORMATIVE

Now make your words work for you. Your press release should inform a journalist in their language: who, what, when, where, why.

This is in regard to the product or collection that the press release is about.

Example

[Brand = who] is launching their

for [season = when] at [location = where].

Then elaborate on your why.

It is important that this opening paragraph sustains the reader’s attention after seeing that strong image, and answers the questions that they had upon seeing it.

Moving on to the body of your press release: you can expand a bit more here, but not too much. An effective press release is at most, two pages long but preferably one page.

Write the most important things first and add properly referenced quotes. Make sure that a journalist can lift a paragraph out of the press release easily without having to edit it too much, especially if there is little lead time.

You should include all relevant information, such as where products are stocked, price points and distinguishing features etc.

Last but not least, remember that editors meet many designers and brands, and cannot be expected to remember all of your vital brand information. So make it easy for them. Include a ‘note to editors’ at the end of your press release to briefly remind them of who you are. Just the vital statistics and information will be enough to put your press release into context.

Make sure that you finish your document by adding your brands contact information. Who should a journalist contact if they need additional information? You directly? Your PR manager, or an external company who deals with all of that for you?

Simply add: Contact information: first name, last name, job title, company, phone number and email address.

Include a Twitter or Instagram handle if you think that’s appropriate.

BE VISUALLY EXCITING

You know what looks best, so include the best image at the start of the press release. You might choose to source the image from your lookbook, as the chances are that if it made it there; you’re proud of it.

Make sure your images are low resolution in order to keep the finished press release less than 5MB. Journalists get a lot of emails; you could risk not getting into their inbox because you could not fit in – byte-wise!

A really good press release should make a journalist get in touch.

A keen journalist will contact you and ask for high-resolution versions of the images, so have them ready! A really good press release should make a journalist get in touch.

Then check, check and double-check the release for grammar and spelling mistakes.

Also, use a friendly font, feel free to be creative but make sure your chosen font – and font size – allows for your carefully crafted content to be legible.

BE SPECIFIC

Think about where you are going to send this wonderful piece of kit that you’ve toiled over.

When distributing your release to your preferred audience, do not forget the little guys. The junior content editors, editorial assistants and PR executives at some outlets have a lot of input into what hits the pages, so approach them.

Bear in mind lead times for differing publications. If your press release is about a topical or timely product, ensure that it is sent in ample time to be able to make the desired publication deadline. Do your research, but generally:

Monthly magazines plan four to five months ahead
Weekend supplements plan four weeks ahead
Newspapers plan one week ahead
Online blogs etc. plan two to four weeks ahead.
Plan what issue or edition or a publication you need to appear in for it to be beneficial for that particular product or collection.

Tailor the subject line and greeting for each individual and outlet that you send the press release to. Make the subject line specific and eye catching, for example: Hi [Journalist’s name], [Brand name]’s new collection has landed and you’re invited to the launch!

Is much better than: New collection launch for A/W 15.

One final word of advice: follow up! You should follow up with a polite phone call or another email a few days later if you have not heard anything: sometimes journalists need a gentle reminder.

Remember to be polite and thank the editor by email or snail mail, or you may wish to send something more personal if you secure the coverage that you really want.

If your fashion business is successful and has longevity, you will be writing more press releases, so it pays to build a mutually beneficial relationship with press contacts.

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When it comes to content, sometimes old school can be a good thing (namely, when it comes to old school rap or Throwback Thursday on Instagram). But when it comes to your company's public relations strategy, being old school isn't advantageous for your business or your brand. 

Ten years ago, people still relied on morning papers for news. Today, the vast majority of your company's customers and prospects scan headlines on Twitter or see what’s trending in their Facebook feed.

Download our free press release template here to learn how to write a top-notch press release. 

People now have control over where, when, and how they consume information. As a result, public relations is no longer about feeding into a traditional news cycle; it's about providing relevant content when, where, and how your prospects, influencers, and customers will consume it.

Sounds pretty hopeless, right? Wrong. While relationship-building still helps you get into popular publications, we now have the opportunity to quit playing the waiting game and generate our own buzz. By turning your PR strategy into an inbound one, you create opportunities that weren’t there before and carve out a place for your company, building meaningful mindshare with your target audiences in the process.

One of the most crucial updates to make to your PR strategy is to think of press releases as an opportunity to connect to the audiences you care about -- including, but not limited to, reporters. 

What Is a Press Release / News Release?

Whether we call it a "press release," a "press statement," a "news release," or a "media release," we're always talking about the same basic thing: an official announcement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond.

Most press releases are succinct at just a page long. Two pages tops. Ultimately, companies want to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material for publishing their own stories about whatever the company is announcing in the release.

And while it may be tempting to craft a press release that embellishes your company's accomplishments or twists the facts to make a story sound more intriguing to the media, remember: Press releases live in the public domain, which means your customers and prospective customers can see them. So instead of thinking of a press release solely as a ticket to earning news coverage, you should also think of it as a valuable piece of marketing content.

When Should I Distribute a Press Release?

While there's no cut-and-dried formula for when a press release should be written (and distributed), here's a few reasons when it's a good idea:

• New product launches
• Updates to existing products
• Opening a new office
• Introducing a new partnership
• Rebranding
• Promoting/hiring a new executive
• Receiving an award

A regular cadence of (meaningful) news can help a company stand out and build mindshare with journalists over time, so that's where the press release (or news announcement) comes in. 

Press Releases Can Be a Viable Content Type

Many people think press releases have to be chock full of buzzwords and branded terms. Big data anyone? Five syllable words you have to look up on Thesaurus.com? Quotes from every executive on the planet that go on for pages? We've seen it all. Unfortunately, so have reporters -- and they are not fans. 

So instead of stuffing your next release with jargon, take a page out of our book (okay, fine, ebook), The Newsworthy Guide to Inbound Public Relations, and brainstorm some creative approaches for your next announcement. Can you include new data? A remarkable graphic or video? A shareable SlideShare? If so, a creative angle will often help carry your content and increase the likelihood of social sharing. 

Even so, a press release can still be a really valuable medium for communicating news to your audiences. You just have to make it readable, relevant, and relatable.

We have crafted this comprehensive, easy-to-follow press release template complete with a promotional plan and considerations for your next announcement. We use these same guidelines when writing our releases here at HubSpot and created a faux, sample release to illustrate what content goes where and why.

How to Write a Press Release [With Example]

You've got your announcement in mind, and now it's time to get it down in words to share with your community, industry, and followers. Take Catbrella Inc., a fictitious ad agency, which just gained its 10th Twitter follower after two years of paid social media efforts. To announce its achievement, Catbrella could issue a press release like the one we've dissected below.*

Sample Press Release:

*Disclaimer: HubSpot is entirely responsible for the silliness of this faux announcement. 

Rule 1: Make Your Headline Irresistible 

Just like writing the perfect blog post title, setting up your press release for success starts with your headline. You only have one line to work with, which can seem scary, but consider diction carefully to make your headline captivating.

Use action verbs, clear, understandable language, and keep your headline simple and short -- fortune (and search engines) reward the brief, so keep your title to one line to clearly focus people's attention on your topline message. 

Most importantly, make it interesting: Keep in mind that reporters get dozens, if not hundreds, of releases each day, so invest the time to write a compelling headline. It's worth the time and effort on your part. 

Rule 2: Don't Play Hard to Get

For reporters, analysts, influencers, or followers to be inclined to share your announcement, you have to tell them upfront why they should care.

The first paragraph of your release should cover the who, what, why, where, and how of your new launch, update, or development. Reporters don't have a ton of time to sift through details and fluffy background information -- they just need the facts that'll help them tell your story to someone else from a position of authority. 

There shouldn't be any new, crucial information covered after this section that the reader could potentially miss. 

Rule 3: Offer a Tempting Quotable 

Once you've set the scene, it's time to bring your details to life with a quote that reporters can use for context around your announcement and help paint a picture of how your news affects the given industry, customer base, and landscape.

Ideally, quotes will be from key stakeholders in your company including your executive team, project leads, or those directly impacted by your announcement. Quoting key figures and authorities underlines the importance of your development. The chosen quote should shape your narrative and emphasize the core of the announcement. Don't ask everyone in your office for a comment or feel compelled to quote all 25 people included in the acquisition -- pick one or two critical spokespeople and focus the quotes around their unique perspective. 

Rule 4: Provide Valuable Background Information

In this last paragraph, keep in mind that the reader already has all of the vital details and information they need to file a story or spread the word.

It can be tempting to provide superfluous facts and tidbits about your company or the development of your announcement -- we sometimes think a piece of writing is lacking if it isn't drawn-out and just shy of being a novella. However, a press release needs to be helpful and concise.

Offer details here that strengthen your narrative, like creative or noteworthy ways your company developed the project or announcement at hand. Or, when applicable, comment on future implications of your announcement. 

Rule 5: Make the "Who" and "What" Obvious 

Twitter is chock-full of reporters lamenting press releases or pitches that don't clearly explain what the company does or what the announcement is actually about, so instead of being the butt of a joke, make your release incredibly easy to reference. 

Describe what your company does in clear, plain English, include a link to your company's homepage early on, and make your boilerplate succinct and straightforward. If you cite data, include a reference link for the data source, and make sure every name in the release has an associated title and company as well.

To keep yourself honest on this front, ask a friend or colleague to read the release without context and ask if they can easily and readily explain why the announcement matters, what your company does, and why the executives included are quoted. If the answer to any of those questions is no, get back to the drawing board. 

The key to keeping your PR strategy new school is forgetting preconceived notions of what public relations is and instead focusing on creating highly remarkable content. Traditional press releases can still be really valuable when executed well, so instead of ditching releases as a tactic, give them a modern makeover to make them more useful for your marketing. 

Think about how you've used inbound methods to transform your marketing strategies to be more personalized, approachable, and build relationships. Those same principles apply to your PR strategy: Create content to craft your own story and use tactful outreach to get reporters and analysts familiar with your brand.

Tips for Publishing Press Releases

Writing a press release is really only half the battle. Once you're finished with production, it'll be time to focus on distribution.

Of course, we're all familiar with the traditional distribution levers we can pull, which include publishing the press release on our website/blog, as well as sharing the press release with our followers/subscribers via social media and email. But for ensuring a press release gets the maximum amount of distribution possible, here are some tips you can follow.

1) Reach out to specific journalists.

Instead of blasting a press release out to every journalist you can find an email address for, focus on a few journalists who have experience covering your industry (and company, hopefully) and send them personalized messages. Connect the dots. Show why what you wrote connects to what they write.

2) Don't be afraid to go offline.

Most journalists have mountains of emails (and press releases) to sort through. Try sending your release through snail mail or another offline channel to differentiate yourself.

3) Send the release to top journalists the day before.

Give journalists some time to craft a story around your press release by sending it to them -- under embargo -- the day before it officially goes live. (FYI "under embargo" just means they aren't allowed to share the information in the press release until the time you specify.)

4) To avoid competition, don't publish your release on the hour.

If you're publishing your press release on a distribution service like PR Newswire or Business Wire, avoid publishing it on the hour (e.g., 1 p.m., or 3 p.m., or 5 p.m.). The reason? Most companies schedule their releases to go out on the hour, which means if your release goes out on the hour too, it's more likely to get lost in the shuffle. Instead, try going with a more distinct time (e.g., 1:12 p.m., or 3:18 p.m., or 5:22 p.m.).

5) Share your media coverage.

If all goes according to plan, and your press release gets picked up by the media, your job still isn't finished. To keep the buzz going, you can release a "second wave" of distribution by sharing the specific stories that news outlets write based on your press release.

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reference:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/press-release-template-ht#sm.00001qjdtceac4eicwwp3r5evpb1b
http://insider.utelier.com/toolkit/how-to/how-to-write-a-fashion-press-release/