Tips for a Happy Partnership...Press Release

Securing strategic partners for a business can bring a lot of opportunities for your company.  And, it can be mutually beneficial in helping both companies involved expand their business at a relatively low cost. There are many types of partnerships a company can make, but one of the most important parts of this partnership for us PR folks is how we’re going to market it.  Often times, this comes with the distribution of a joint press release announcing the details of said partnership. But, if you’re in the PR industry, you might realize this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here are a few tips for putting out a successful partnership release. 

Set the Ground Rules

Before even drafting a release, it is important to figure out who will be taking the lead on managing the process. With partnership releases, there are often many cooks in the kitchen, so its best to get everyone on the same page up front and assign roles. For example, you’ll want to know who will be creating the initial draft, managing the editing process and distributing the release once it has been finalized before things get rolling.

Get Announcement Details.

There are many features that make a strong partnership announcement. If you’re the one taking the lead, you will want to know as much about the relationship as possible: What are the primary goals of the partnership? Is there any other news we can include to make the partnership release even stronger (product release, new hire, funding, etc.)? Who will be contributing quotes and whom will you be working with from the partner company?

Coordinate PR

 Make sure both sides are on board with a release date so it makes sense with both companies’ news cycles. Make sure you aren’t stepping on your own news by making the announcement too close to other important company news. Set a date and communicate it effectively to both companies. You’ll also want to confirm who will be responsible for handling media outreach, or if it will be split between the two partnering companies.

If your client or your company has recently scored a great partnership that you are excited to announce, congratulations! But before you hit the ground running on getting a release out the door, make sure you, your PR team and partnering company are all on the same page by utilizing the tips outlined above.