The opportunities to promote your organization and get your brand in front of a new audience of potential customers can be found by discovering newsworthy reasons to send a press release.
As part of this series, we have covered press releases related to company news, employee news, product and service offerings, events and more.
Whether getting or giving accolades, shining the spotlight or being in the center of it, recognition of or by others presents a prime opening to send a press release – and is a great way to get key stakeholders to stop and take notice.
4 Opportunities to Send a Recognition-Focused Press Release
If any of the following applies to your company, brand, client or organization, you’re missing an opportunity to gain positive exposure.
1. Receiving an award:
If your company, employee or team has won an award, you have every reason to shout about it from the proverbial rooftop. Your stakeholders should know that others think your company and its employees are as awesome as you do.
Examples include:
- VERMONT CREAMERY'S CREMONT AGED CHEESE WINS 2022 GOOD FOOD AWARD AGAIN; BIJOU AGED CHEESE WINS FOR FIRST TIME
- COOPER GINSBERG GRAY, PLLC CELEBRATES THREE WASHINGTONIAN LIFETIME LAWYERS
- Adhesion Wealth Wins Two WealthManagement.com Industry Awards, including its Fourth Consecutive Award for its Model Marketplace
P.S. You don’t need a trophy to brag, either. As these brands prove here, here and here, it’s a (newsworthy) honor just to be nominated.
2. Achieving a certification:
Industry certifications can give your company more credibility and engender trust with your customers or clients. Make them aware of your upgraded status.
Examples include:
- Symmetry Systems Achieves SOC 2 Type 1 Certification
- Xceede Solutions Inc is now certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).
- Geisinger's northeast hospitals certified as Comprehensive Heart Attack Centers
3. Recognition as an industry leader:
Getting recognition as an industry leader among respected peers or renowned institutions is yet another opportunity to highlight your company.
Examples include:
- Ada Recognized as a Strong Performer in Conversational Automation
- Paychex Named a Leader in Payroll Services by NelsonHall
- Curinos Recognized in Prominent 2022 IDC FinTech Top 100 Rankings List by IDC Financial Insights
4. Giving out an award or honor:
Taking time to elevate others can also elevate your brand. When you show that you value others and what they stand for, it is a direct reflection of your own brand’s values – at a time when stakeholders are more likely to do business with brands that align to their own values.
- The Galien Foundation Announces 2022 Recipient of the Roy Vagelos, Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity
- Freedom Mortgage Announces Winner of the 2022 Celebrate Freedom Award
- PenFed Foundation Announces Winner and Finalists for 2022 Veteran Entrepreneur Ignition Challenge Presented by MidCountry Bank
Tips for Writing Your Recognition-Focused Press Release
While your release should follow the same general format and best practices as any other press release, a recognition-focused press release requires special attention in specific ways:
- Write a headline that provides context for your audience: A headline like “Company X Wins Award” might not hold much interest to anyone other than Company X, but a headline like “Company X Wins Award, Proving Excellence in [Specific Field]” provides some extra context around why your company got the award, reinforcing your value to current customers and giving potential customers a reason to give you their business.
- Provide background info: Dedicate some space in your press release to some background information around the award or the recognition itself. This gives you a chance to explain to your audience why the award or honor is a big deal – for them as well as you.
- Get the experts to weigh in: Another way to add credibility to the award or recognition is by quoting an executive or expert spokesperson, who can speak to why your brand or client was chosen for this honor, and what it means for your customers and other stakeholders.
