Do You Have Any Idea What They’re Talking About?

Here’s the headline and lead from a press release I happened to see:

Continuous Environmental Disinfection System Market Trends, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Future Growth Till 2028

The QY Research released a latest market research report on the global and United States Continuous Environmental Disinfection System market, which is segmented by region (country), players, by Type and by Application. Players, stakeholders, and other participants in the global Continuous Environmental Disinfection System market will be able to gain the upper hand as they use the report as a powerful resource. The segmental analysis focuses on revenue and forecast by region (country), by Type and by Application for the period 2017-2028.

Do you have any idea what they’re talking about? I’ve been writing press releases for my marketing clients for decades–and I have NO idea what this one is about. Which means this press release, IMHO, is an abject failure.

Compare that with the clarity of message in the picture. Greta Thunberg pointing an accusatory finger doesn’t even need any words to communicate.

Greta Thunberg on the cover of GQ, with commentary by Marisa Murgatroyd (Instagram screenshot)


A press release should never be a bunch of bland, unintelligible gobbledygook. It should leave the reader with no doubt about what it’s about AND what you want them to do next. And the best press releases tell “the story behind the story.” They give the reader reasons to be involved, to get caught up in the experience, and to think positively about my client.

As an example, when I was hired to write a press release for a new book on electronic privacy, my headline was NOT “Electronic Privacy Expert Releases New Book”–because curing the reader of insomnia didn’t happen to be one of my goals I told the story behind the story, and the headline was “It’s 10 O’Clock. Do You know Where Your Credit History Is?” The book first showed up in the third paragraph. And the reader read that far, because the reader was interested.

Want that sort of magic for your business? Visit this link on my Frugal Marketing site to find out more.

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

A lifelong activist, profitability and marketing specialist Shel Horowitz’s mission is to fix crises like hunger, poverty, racism, war, and catastrophic climate change—by showing the business world how fixing them can make a profit. An author, international speaker, and TEDx Talker, his award-winning 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, lays out a blueprint for creating and MARKETING those profitable change-making products and services. He is happy to help you craft your messaging and develop profit strategies. Learn more (and download excerpts from the book) at http://goingbeyondsustainability.com