The food and beverage industry is constantly evolving. With dietary trends, concept restaurants, and innovative products emerging daily, there is a lot of information worth sharing with audiences.
When faced with so much competition, how can major players effectively communicate announcements?
The answer: The humble PR release.
Whether it’s a press release for a product launch or one that invites customers to dine at a new restaurant, this PR tool is one of the most credible ways to share food business news. As a bonus, it also offers incredible reach with very little investment.
So, what’s the recipe for press release success?
In this blog, we’ll show you how to cook up new food releases that satisfy the appetites of even the most discerning journalists and customers.
Understanding Food Business News Trends
Before crafting a food release, we must look at what drives the news cycle.
Keeping up with the latest food and beverage industry news can be overwhelming, but a little research goes a long way.
Take, for example, the growing trend of veganism. Aligning a release to popularize a new plant-based food or meat alternative significantly improves its chances of appealing to journalists and influencers.
Alternatively, consider the rise of trends like health & wellness or sustainability.
A fast food press release could, for instance, use this insight to outline its ethical sourcing practices and improve its image among younger generations.
A food drive press release could also emphasize how their mission contributes to the health and wellness of the country’s most disadvantaged groups.
Meanwhile, beverage product releases can also benefit from brushing up on the latest trends — such as non-alcoholic drinks or canned cocktails — before hitting send.
Brush up on some food & beverages press release examples for a better idea of topics that are grabbing attention.
One of the best examples of food and beverage releases that leverage market trends comes from Starbucks. Every year, customers wait patiently for the release that announces the return of its popular Pumpkin Spice Latte. Thanks to the product’s relevance, each of Starbucks’ press releases coffee + food announcements are published by a range of media outlets.
Crafting a Press Release for New Food Releases
Once you have a clearer idea of some food press release examples, focus your attention on crafting the actual release.
All food releases, whether they’re product press releases or restaurant press releases, must follow one staple of news reporting — the inverted pyramid.
In this writing style, the most crucial information is outlined in the introduction. Food releases must follow this formula as it is preferred by almost every journalist, and increases your chances of being published.
Once that’s understood, you can move on.
Crafting a Tasty Headline
The perfect headline is snappy, to the point, and entices customers to click. A general rule of thumb is that it should be between 60 and 100 characters.
Within this word limit, include keywords related to your restaurant or product to increase the release’s visibility and give the reader a taste of what’s to come.
The headline could, for example, highlight a unique style of cuisine that you’re offering — Jamaican, Asian, South American — or tie in your product to the latest food trends — such as presenting it as the ideal snack for fitness enthusiasts.
Using a clickbait title could also be an effective strategy, but if you decide to do so, ensure the rest of the release lives up to the promise. Don’t, for instance, promise to take readers on a culinary journey, only to offer them boring details about your company.
Whisking up Interest in the Introduction
Media houses receive hundreds of food releases every day, across categories.
To make it easier for them to understand where your restaurant or product fits, outline the most crucial information at the top. Answer the 5Ws (and 1H) — who, what, when, where, why, and how? — in a few sentences.
Is your product high in protein? Good for children? Suitable for diabetic patients? Adding your USPs in the first few sentences helps differentiate your release and grabs the attention of the journalist and customer.
With that being said, there is a lot of scope for creativity in food press releases, so you don’t necessarily have to lay information out like it’s a news report. A reader could also be equally enticed by vivid descriptions of food — melting cheese, juicy steaks, and snacks with a crunch all do a good job of intriguing readers.
Stir the Pot in the Body
In the inverted pyramid formula, the body copy usually holds secondary information. This is also the point where a release tends to lose the reader’s attention.
The benefit of food releases is that there are several tactics you can employ to keep the reader hooked. In this part of the release, include anecdotes or testimonials from high-profile customers, prominent chefs, or nutritional experts, or talk about the health benefits of your product and why it is preferred by a certain demographic.
You could also tie in some surprising statistics — “did you know that there are over 40,000 McDonald’s around the world, but only one burger restaurant with (your USP)?”
Don’t forget to make the most of multimedia elements. A food release that doesn’t include at least one high-quality image or video of a mouthwatering meal is a wasted opportunity.
Prepare the Boilerplate
The last paragraph of your release should be a dedicated boilerplate.
For those who aren’t aware, let’s quickly define the boilerplate: It is a standardized piece of text that introduces all the companies mentioned in the press release. A traditional boilerplate contains all of a company’s contact details — names, addresses, phone numbers — improving its visibility among its audience.
When it comes to food releases, the boilerplate is an opportunity to let readers know what’s special about your brand. Mention any ethical sourcing practices, signature dishes, or renowned members of staff, or simply tell readers a story about why you’re so passionate about food — it will go a long way in making your brand more recognizable.
Marketing Strategies for Food Releases
A food press release could have any number of goals: it could aim to inform readers about a crucial development — such as a food recall press release — or attempt to increase your customer base by appealing to a wider audience.
All of these goals can be met by integrating certain marketing strategies.
Audience Targeting
Marketing professionals often segment their audience according to demographics or psychographics. Similarly, a press release could be tailored to target a specific audience.
Foodies, health enthusiasts, meat lovers — look into what your target reader’s needs and desires are, and try your best to fulfill them.
Key Value Propositions
Another handy marketing tactic for press releases is the key value proposition. Through your release, you must highlight your product’s unique selling point: a novel menu or a new take on packaged food.
Brand Tone and Consistency
Consistency in brand messaging also plays a role.
A restaurant with a fun or playful theme shouldn’t suddenly put out a super-serious press release. Instead, you should leverage your unique brand voice to be more identifiable among a target audience.
Food & Beverage News: Making Your Release Stand Out
Given the diversity of stories in the F&B industry, you can be more creative with your releases. Provided you still follow the rules of journalistic writing, this presents the perfect opportunity to experiment with storytelling.
For a release to stand out of the crowd, it could:
- Leverage your brand story and highlight your unique selling points
- Offer unique angles that will resonate with an audience
- Include relevant statistics that reflect the latest industry trends
- Make the most of multimedia elements
Press Release for Restaurant Opening: A Special Focus
Almost every day, a new restaurant opens to the public, and for many of them, the tables are laid and the food is prepared, but getting the word out to customers remains a struggle.
A restaurant’s press release is the perfect place to address this problem. To craft a release that engages more customers, ask yourself:
- What makes this restaurant unique? Is it the first of its kind? Does it have a menu that no other restaurant in the area does?
- Is the restaurant owner or chef recognizable? If yes, should they be the focus of the release?
- Does the theme of the restaurant tie in with the latest industry trends? Does it have a unique offering, like a special vegan or farm-to-table menu?
- Has your restaurant received any awards? Has any staff member been featured on a TV show or in the press?
When you have the answers to all these questions, you will find that crafting an attention-grabbing release is easy.
Once the release is distributed, it is also worth measuring its impact across various content distribution channels. Customer footfall is important, but metrics like media pick-ups, click-through rates, and social media engagement are also crucial.
All releases distributed through Canada Newswire come with a free Visibility Report that allows you to track these metrics in detail. Using this data, you can craft more engaging releases in the future.
Conclusion
As a whole, now that you’ve understood the value of a press release in the food and beverage industry, nothing should hold you back from crafting one of your own.
When you do, don’t forget the lessons you’ve learned today — make the most of trends, write to a target audience, and leverage marketing strategies for more visibility.
If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Canada Newswire team. As one of the leading press release distribution platforms, we’ll ensure that your release ticks all boxes and reaches a broad audience of journalists and customers.