PR Newswire's Best of the Wire from 2024

 

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While there wasn't a single press release in 2024 that checked every single PR Newswire content best practice box, our customers implemented more best practices last year than ever before. Some pieces of content that stood out last year – crafted to engage brands’ target audience as best possible – included:

Quote of the Year

On July 2, Eli Lilly distributed a major FDA approval announcement that received a lot of media coverage.  In response to this release, the Alzheimer's Association sent a release shortly after.  They nicely formatted their body copy into short paragraphs, and in the second paragraph used this quote:

"This is real progress. Today's approval allows people more options and greater opportunity to have more time," said Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer's Association president and CEO. "Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement we've all been waiting for — all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease."

Why is this a winner?

  • The content is short and can easily be broken up and used in pieces (i.e., the lines before and after the attribution can stand alone).
  • It delivers an impactful message right from the start—something that will resonate with readers and be a story the media will want to tell to their audiences.

When Reuters covered this story later in the day, they decided to use the Association's subject matter expert quote over the one provided in the Lilly release. 

Best Use of Multimedia

Relative to total volumes on the PR Newswire network, multimedia usage increased 4% in 2024 versus 2023. There were a lot of great options to pick from in this category, but one standout — from the most engaged images, videos, PDFs and infographics – was: EY’s infobite layered on top of an inviting image.

Why is this a winner?

  • The reader is quickly driven to a data point spotlight, elevating it over a traditional text press release.
  • The multimedia is large and eye-catching, which provides a lasting takeaway to the reader.

Lifestyle Photo of the Year

Savvy PR pros know that multimedia is a must in order to drive better audience engagement.  While abiding by the "make sure you use multimedia" edict, there's one type that stands out— lifestyle photography (or environmental photography).  Beyond just a rich, static product shot, whenever possible, it’s best to show that product in the hands of someone. This lets the reader envision themselves in that image to connect more emotionally with your offering. 

Which stood out in 2024? It’s hard to find better eye candy than this example from Garmin.

Why is this a winner?

  • While the use case for the product is intentionally extreme, it paints a vivid picture of how the product might be used in action.
  • It puts the product in the forefront and up against what is an undeniably great-looking backdrop.

IR Asset of the Year

Starting with their August earnings announcement, and repeating the tactic in November, Air Canada implemented using an easily digestible infographic to provide their audience a supplement to the traditional text and charts. 

Why is this a winner?

  • This serves as an additional piece of engagement where the company can direct a reader to the quarterly highlights they particularly want to be noticed and remembered.
  • It increases the likelihood the company can control the narrative a bit more in any potential earned media coverage. 

Bonus: The best use of an infobite  (focusing on just a few key data points): TE Connectivity.  

Most Fun Press Release

There were a handful of fun examples that it was hard to just choose one. Rather than hear what we liked, it’s better to read them yourself:

Best Use of Formatting to Engage an Audience

It's hard to find a brand that demonstrates release body formatting better than Deloitte. 

Why is this brand a winner?

  • Their use of bolding, bullets, and standout section headers (e.g., "Key takeaways," "Why this matters," "Key quotes") keeps the reader engaged.
  • They understand how to combat a reader's potential quick scan down the left side of the page, drawing the reader in with elements that break up the content.

Best Headlines of the Year

No one takes a more streamlined approach to headlines than SAS.

Why is this brand a winner?

  • They consistently keep their release headlines short, below 100 total characters, which is the optimal range for maximum viewership.
  • They regularly focus on the story more than the brand, which quickly addresses the story’s significance for the reader and saves valuable headline real estate by moving the brand name to the subhead.
  • They know to incorporate relevant keywords for future search discoverability.

Hoping your brand makes the list for 2025? Learn how to create a standout press release with PR Newswire’s Definitive Guide to Crafting an Engaging Press Release.

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About the Author

Glenn-Frates-headshotGlenn Frates is Regional Vice President at PR Newswire. Glenn’s 20+ years of experience in content distribution and best practices, global marketing strategies and large-scale operations management has provided him a keen perspective on what does and doesn’t work well in the Marketing/PR arena.