Press releases can be used for everything from product launches and new hire announcements to awards, partnerships, acquisitions, charitable initiatives, and events. We compiled various best press release examples to illustrate how to objectively showcase a newsworthy angle, engage the target audience based on their interests, and give journalists resources that make it easy to provide additional coverage.
Writing a great press release is part art and part science—and it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Save time and give your story the best chance of gaining media coverage with expert press release writing and mass distribution using eReleases.
Whether you opt for expert press release writing services or choose to create a press release yourself, here are 20 effective press release examples to draw on for inspiration:
General News & Public Announcements Press Release Examples
Most press releases are used to share general company news or announcements with the public. Journalists commonly use these as references to amplify reach and overall brand presence. In addition to a newsworthy story, make sure you follow the standard press release format to help journalists cover your news. A well-formatted press release has a much better chance of landing media coverage.
1. CVS Health
In this example, CVS Health, the nationwide healthcare company that owns the CVS Pharmacy chain, announced a new service that offers free mental health screenings to two communities, Greensboro, NC, and Petersburg, VA. Project Health will also involve 100-plus local organizations to host its mobile units in additional under-resourced communities. They also give resources and links to those who’d like to get involved and volunteer or those who wish to sign up for a screening.
Read the full CVS Health press release.
2. Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper used this press release to announce the student winners for their annual tuition giveaway. After explaining how each student won by completing a challenge during the halftime of their school football game and their names, the press release takes an inspirational angle. They quote three of the winners and ask them to describe the impact this opportunity is giving them.
Find out the details by reading the Dr Pepper tuition giveaway press release.
3. Metro Parks Nashville
The Nashville Metro Parks and Metro Action Commission joined together to offer a lifeguard academy that funnels into an employment opportunity for local youth. The program supports kids who’d be interested in a summer job opportunity by giving them the resources they need to get certified as a lifeguard. The press release ends with what the next steps are for anyone interested in signing up.
See the local and community angle this Metro Parks and Recreation press release takes here.
Event Press Release Examples
A press release to market an upcoming event can help your event gain media coverage, leading to more exposure and an increase in attendance. Understanding how to write an event press release effectively is the first step to marketing your event. Event press releases use a standard format to highlight the significance of the upcoming event. Community event press releases can also be sent and pitched to local news outlets for coverage targeting potential attendees.
4. Heinz
Heinz announces an exciting traveling event series in collaboration with the brand’s Black Kitchen Initiative. A team will travel first to New York, then Atlanta, to host exclusive pop-up events that’ll give up-and-coming Black chefs new opportunities, experiences, resources, and exposure for their culinary businesses in their communities.
The press release’s title piques interest, and the press release itself holds the reader’s interest. It’s a good event press release example that promotes its newsworthy story in a fun way and gets people excited.
View the links and see how fans followed recipes, burger creations, and more in the Heinz “Open Kitchen” series press release.
5. Crimson Cup
Crimson Cup’s press release announcing their elite coffee roasters competition at the Golden Bean is intended to garner the attention of coffee professionals and aficionados across North America. Kicking off with the world’s largest roasting competition and hosting a networking event for their participants, the event resulted in a newsworthy release. It leaves readers satisfied but still looking forward to their annual release.
Read the full Crimson Cup event announcement.
Crisis Communications Press Release Examples
In times of crisis, it is crucial that your company is transparent and proactive in finding solutions. Releasing a crisis communications press release is a surefire way of showing that your business is on the right track and establishes you as the central source of information instead of speculations.
6. Zoom
Zoom’s CEO released a personal press release to the public after sharing this information internally first. It directly addresses an immediate 15% team reduction. As such, from the press release’s format to the elements included, everything was strategically crafted as part of an ongoing crisis communications plan to get ahead of speculation.
7. ShelterBox
In a recent crisis communication-style press release example from ShelterBox, the organization strengthened the Ukraine crisis appeal by highlighting the continuous displacement, victims of war, and need for aid in the region. By proactively leading the discussion for humanitarian aid, they solidify their brand reputation to the public and encourage new media to follow in their footsteps in refocusing on the Ukraine crisis.
Read the full story from ShelterBox for more details.
Charity or Charitable Press Release Examples
Using a press release to market your charity or charitable program can help land media coverage to improve the number of potential donors and increase awareness. Fortunately, there are several services aiming to help charities and other nonprofit organizations distribute press releases for free, which is the next step in creating a good press release.
8. Standard Process
This Standard Process press release example immediately offers the who, what, when, why, and how of the news story. The company has long done an excellent job of showing why people should care about the cause by positioning its brand with a solution to a significant community problem. To this effect, the press release clearly states that they have donated 67,000 meals to local food banks for whole-food nutrition.
Read the announcement by Standard Process about its annual One Day, One Bottle, One Meal Event.
9. Fidelis Care
Fidelis Care’s event and charity press release does an excellent job of providing key information to journalists around the angles that are important to cover in any news article. In accordance with the best practices for press releases, it is brief yet substantial in that it can be easily scannable. The newsworthy angle of this press release can be found in the first sentence, making it even more likely to be covered by the media.
Read the full Fidelis Care press release here.
10. TerraPro Solutions & Better Business Bureau
Both TerraPro Solutions and the Better Business Bureau took part in the press release to announce their blood donation drive in partnership with San Diego Blood Bank. Releasing their own statements on behalf of their businesses, the partners highlighted their missions that align with the life-saving drive they helped host.
Read the full announcement of TerraPro’s blood donation drive.
New Hire Press Release Examples
A new hire press release is an excellent way to gain media coverage of a new hire, curate goodwill toward your company, and boost customer trust in your business. With numerous employee announcements daily, you can make your hiring announcement stand out from the rest by learning how to write new hire press releases effectively and distributing them to the right sources.
11. Tagboard
In the first paragraph, Tagboard’s press release does an excellent job of establishing why this new hire should pique journalists’ interest: Aaron Ryan was the NorthRock X President and NBA and Overtime Executive. The new hire brings a new level of expertise that will help Tagboard’s platform in major sports and media partners.
The following paragraphs expand on the newsworthy angle by discussing Mr. Ryan’s expertise and career. This instills trust and optimism in customers, investors, and employees who may be uneasy about change.
See how this new hire press release example from Tagboard showcases its new board member.
12. RxDefine
RxDefine took a different approach with their new hire press release by first establishing the role of their new hire along with its function. This is followed by the explanation, discussing how Pujan Kasaju, the upcoming SVP of Finance and Operations, has the skills to take the role to the next level. It is then tied together by going through Mr. Kasaju’s career and brief expectations of the upcoming position, making this style of press release lean toward a more narrative structure.
Read the media announcement from RxDefine to see more of their format.
Product Launch or Improvement Press Release Examples
A new or improved product will be launched successfully if there is an increased interest before its release. Using a product launch press release can generate buzz around your brand and spread the word about the upcoming product. To make sure that you land media coverage, follow the press release best practices.
13. Limoges Jewelry
Limoges Jewelry’s newsworthy edge in introducing a new collection is seen in the first sentence of their product launch press release. Highlighting the surge of demand for affordable wedding jewelry because of postponed weddings during the pandemic is a highly emotional issue, making it a newsworthy angle. Journalists can immediately decide to cover this collection since it proves to be valuable and timely in the wedding industry.
Read how Limoges Jewelry frames its new collection.
14. InnoGames
InnoGames released an impressive product launch press release sample for their new mobile game: Sunrise Village. Aside from discussing the new game and how it came about, they also released a video trailer, a press kit, and a small multimedia gallery to wrap up the press release. Journalists can easily immerse themselves in the simulation game through the trailer while providing the press kit encourages them to take the next step.
Read InnoGames new product announcement.
Award Press Release Examples
Awards are excellent marketing opportunities for brands as they can improve brand awareness and reputation. Writing an award press release can ensure a larger reach, especially if your business knows how to land local press coverage. Take the opportunity to strengthen your brand image by highlighting what your business has achieved.
15. NASA
NASA’s announcement impressively includes all the bells and whistles to make exploring the discussed news topic captivating. A short-form video lines the top of the release, pulling readers in before the title is even read.
Next, the title highlights a newsworthy angle of the release: the Mars helicopter, named Ingenuity, was awarded the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for its pioneering technology in aerospace history. Finally, a call-to-action (CTA) link provides ways journalists can see more awards granted to the helicopter and learn the history of Ingenuity.
Find out more about what makes NASA’s award-winning helicopter press release work.
16. McCormick & Co.
Press releases are a great way to share your business’ accomplishments and accolades with the world. So when McCormick & Company was ranked the world’s most sustainable company in the food industry, it shared the news via a press release. Not only does this help to build (or solidify) a positive brand image, but it also serves to keep the well-known brand top of mind.
Read the full press release about McCormick’s sustainability award.
Merger, Acquisition & Partnership Press Release Examples
Mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships are important news to corporate audiences. To keep people up to date about your company, launch a press release dedicated to the merger, acquisition, or partnership. You can help improve your chances of landing media coverage by creating a media kit using our press kit template to make it easier for journalists to craft their stories.
17. TechnologyAdvice
Technology Advice created a concise yet informative acquisition press release. The first paragraph announces the acquisition, explains what it means for the company, and discusses who and what they are acquiring in just two sentences. It offers an objective story that gives journalists the resources and opportunity to create a well-rounded article on the story, including direct quotes from its CEO and a Marc Waring Ventures executive.
Read more about the latest Technology Advice acquisition.
18. LegalZoom & Wix
LegalZoom and Wix announce a partnership in this press release, highlighting their expectations and future as partners in the industry. It works because it includes the information and resources necessary for journalists to expound on the partnership through media coverage. At the same time, the use of quotes and an in-depth understanding of how representatives of these brands see this partnership can be valuable.
For more detailed information, check out the full press release published by LegalZoom.
Research & Reports Press Release Examples
Research and reports can play an essential role in people’s lives personally and professionally. Getting media attention for your company’s research increases exposure for your business and can even be the means of getting your study into the hands of policymakers and influencers. Translate your technical research into information for the public effectively by avoiding these press release mistakes in your piece.
19. Zomentum
In line with the best practices for press releases, Zomentum’s announcement works because of its meaningful statistics that emphasize how important the report is for both journalists and the public. Despite being heavy in numbers, it is still written to include the newsworthy information and edge within the first 100 words of the press release: that 80% of U.S. companies are taking steps to make hiring easier.
See how Zomentum uses statistics to its advantage by reading the full press release.
20. Xero Small Business Insights
Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI) used a report-type press release to announce the outcome of their quarterly updates program. XSBI reported vital data they aggregated as well as relevant aspects of their program, including methodology and background information. This allows journalists to fully grasp the value of their report while making it easier to digest since it is broken down into scannable sections.
Read the full press release by Xero Small Business Insights.
Press Release Best Practices
Since the typical goal of a press release is to relay information and get as much coverage on it as possible, there are best practices or tips to keep in mind when planning, writing, and sending out a press release. This includes using a standard template, attaching multimedia to the release, and ending it with persuasive calls to action (CTAs).
Below are some of the top recommendations for creating a strong press release:
- Use a template: When in doubt, follow an AP-style press release template to ensure your press release is formatted correctly, covers the key highlights you mean to communicate, and is written from a compelling angle.
- Include multimedia: Press releases are meant to give the public important information while also making it transparent and digestible. A way to improve the efficiency and overall look of a press release is to use multimedia such as photos, videos, or even a recorded audio version.
- Add a strong CTA: Including an incentivizing CTA in your press release can lead to more engagement for your target audience as well as more coverage from journalists. It can be as simple as pointing them to related press releases or as a lead generation tactic by offering a free trial.
Following these guidelines will help your press releases come across as valuable, informative, and worthy of extended media coverage. For more tips on how to optimize your press release, check out our guide on press release best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To write a press release, you should establish your release goals and metrics and then decide on the story angle that will capture journalists’ attention. Next, configure your document format settings and add all necessary elements before distributing. Once you have a press release live, measure important analytics like views, online engagement, and search visibility to help influence future press releases.
Getting the media to cover your story can be challenging. Make sure you use the right press release format, identify outlets and journalists that cover stories like yours, include multimedia, and put together a strong, personalized pitch. Follow up after sending the pitch and work toward cultivating strong personal relationships with local press contacts.
There are plenty of ways to set your press release apart, such as highlighting the most newsworthy angle, using multimedia, search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure your story gets found online, and tracking your press release’s performance. This way, you’re issuing relevant and digestible press releases to your audience.
Bottom Line
Journalists work on tight deadlines. Hence, they need stories they can immediately recognize as newsworthy. These are those that can easily and quickly be researched and covered promptly. This means that, while the press release should be short and objective, you must provide plenty of resources and information to captivate journalists.
If you have a newsworthy story or announcement but lack the time or know-how to publish a press release, leave it to the media experts at eReleases. They will write, proofread, and improve your copy before distributing it, putting it into the hands of thousands of journalists and media outlets.