Everything is going green these days. Direct mail is being replaced by email marketing. Polls show that most people pay their bills online versus using the mail. In public relations the green movement is seeing headway in changing how we do press kits.
Press kits are critical to every public relations campaign. Every client wants a press kit. Much of the media will only consider an interview request if the company or person does not have a press kit. Traditionally most press kits have been mailed out to the media often in bulk with press releases, FAQs, sales sheets, company information, biographies of key personnel all of which uses a lot of paper. Indeed press kits have not been green friendly.
At trade shows media rooms are set up where exhibitors will drop off hundred of press kits for the attending media to use in hopes that they will to a positive story at the show. More often than not most of the media attending a trade show doesn’t even pay attention to the media kits. They have already determined who they want to meet or will walk the exhibit hall and determine who they will interview from what they see on the show floor. Most of the press kits are never used and thrown away by the tradeshow staff when the show has ended. The amount of paper that is wasted, particularly at larger shows like Comic-Con, Fashion Week and Book Expo, could create a small forest.
Now, press kits and the media rooms at trade shows are entering the ‘green age’. These virtual or online press kits contain all of the information that the hard copy press kits contain. Many trade shows are using virtual press offices. Press kits can be displayed online and the media can download the press kits either at the show or from a remote location. Indeed the media doesn’t even need to attend to show as long as they are accredited to download the press kit. The best thing about these ‘green’ or virtual press kits is that nothing goes to waste.
Most media now prefer online press kits that can be displayed online and emailed upon request. Online media kits are more efficient, easy to update and maintain, and best of all eco-friendly. Watch more and more media begin to insist that they will only accept an online press kit in the future. Indeed in the next several years the old press kits and media rooms that we are all familiar with, will have gone the way of the record player and 8 track tape deck.
David E. Johnson is the CEO of Strategic Vision, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency. He may be reached at djohnson@strategicvision.biz.
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