Media Kits – Guerrilla Style

Less is often more and that’s especially true with media kits. Traditionally, publicists would blanket the media with bulging, elaborate media kits (also called press kits) in the hope that a few members of the press might bite. The costs were great and the responses were slim, which helps explain why PR was used primarily by large corporations and the exceptionally rich.

Well, things have changed—drastically. Even if guerrillas could afford to send lavish pr media packages, we question whether they’re worth the cost and whether they still work.

Today’s media no longer wants to be showered with reams of promotional materials, no matter how beautifully they’re written, designed, or packaged. They’ve seen every gorgeous presentation, read through all kinds of hype. They don’t have the time, or the inclination, to fight through stacks of paper to uncover possible gems.

Forget the mustard, hold the catsup and mayo, never mind the relish, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, bacon, cheese—or even the buns. The media only wants the beef. All they want is your story, told clearly and concisely. If the media wants more information, they’ll ask.

The beef in your guerrilla media kit is a juicy press release. Unlike traditional pr media kits, a guerrilla kit should be a scaled-down package built around a killer one-page press release. The release can be supplemented by a few selected supporting documents including articles about you, but be careful not to include too much. Too many supporting documents can kill the impact of a great press release.

Media Kit Toolbox
To create an effective media kit you can use the following tools to build a great publicity package for your product or service.

Press release
Company history
Personal biography
List of suggested questions
List of articles and appearances
Brochures
Copies of newspaper articles
Your photograph
Your business card
Endorsements and testimonials
An expansive article
Quiz, trivia, anecdotes
Giveaways

– Rick