With drupa 2024 just around the corner, the industry’s specialist PR and marketing agencies are buzzing with plans, pre-show activities and at-show ideas! The aim for us is to maximise our clients’ presence at the Messe Düsseldorf and beyond, bringing them to the attention of media and ultimately, their customers and prospects – above the many, many, MANY others exhibiting at print’s largest trade fair. It’s a big task! But one we love and can’t wait to get stuck into.

However, a lot of companies will be considering doing some PR and marketing activity in-house. In particular, press releases seem a simple, low-effort, high-value way of sharing your show news. But, if you’re thinking about, or indeed, already drafting your pre- and at-show press releases, you’ll know there’s actually a lot more to this seemingly straight-forward PR staple! If you’re not using a PR agency to advise, structure and write your press releases for you, understanding some key trade secrets can help you create a press release that cuts through the other drupa ‘noise’ and generate valuable market awareness. So, here are some top tips to help you do that:

1. The News

Thoroughly understand your news. Firstly, establish the facts and confirm that what you have is indeed ‘new’. Then determine how big the news is, i.e. is it key for your business and customer base only, or does it have wider significance for other markets? For drupa, outside the commercial printing industry, think packaging production, industrial printing, large format, paper industries, finishing etc. Is it a ‘country first’, representing an interesting or important local trend? Indeed, does your news suggest wider industry technology adoption, answering a challenge or offering an opportunity for the global market?

Having established the significance of your news, then ascertain the audience for this news and why they should care – this is crucial! – establish who you want to read the resulting articles and then ensure that the media list you eventually use targets those businesses and personas. The international print industry has a wealth of media to work with to amplify your visibility.

2. The Three Paragraph Rule

Remember that journalists are time poor. They receive hundreds of press releases every day, so they only have time to skim the title and first few paragraphs of any news release to decide if they want to cover it. As a result, your press release must contain ALL the key news, including key customer benefits, within the first three paragraphs of the release. Anything below the first three paragraphs must be support information only. That often means being very focused and concise with your copy up front.

3. Customer Proof Points

There’s no better way to add credibility to your story, than to have your products or messages endorsed by respected external spokespeople. In most markets, the best ambassadors for your products are happy customers. So, why not include customer quotes to demonstrate their positive experience, and how your solution is driving value for their business. This will further drive prospect confidence, better supporting sales.

Of course, agencies like ours who copywrite press releases on a daily basis will welcome this task with open arms so if it still sounds daunting or complicated, feel free to contact us and see if we could help.

If you now have press releases under control, perhaps you need support with other PR and marketing tactics for drupa, such as press conferences, media interviews or even on the ground support at the Messe Düsseldorf to ensure those trade visitors hit your stand? If you would welcome a chat with industry experts to understand how Bespoke could help you maximise your experience at print’s must-attend event and increase your sales leads, please click here and get in touch to start the conversation. We look forward to seeing you at drupa 2024 as we embrace the future of printing together!