05

Unit

Writing a Press Release

Effective Communication

Find this unit in the following modules:

Management & Leadership

Read these statements about press releases.

Circle true (T) or false (F).
A press release is

Business Correspondence
Sales Tools
Business Grammar:
Comparatives

1 a written piece of information for the

news media with the purpose of
announcing a forthcoming event.

2 usually sent via email to the editors at

newspapers, magazines, radio
stations, television stations, etc.

3 usually handled by the finance

department of a company.

4 written with the purpose of attracting

favourable media coverage for the
company involved.

5 biased towards the objectives of the

newspaper publishing it.

6 should contain a contact name and

address for further information.

When promoting new products, its important to convey what is unique or different about them. These features are called
unique selling points, or USPs. They help a
company stand out from their competitors.
Grammar Focus
Comparatives

 ork in pairs. Imagine you work for a company that provides

W
house-cleaning services. Read the list of events below.
Match them to the forms of media in which you would
choose to announce them. Discuss why.
1
2
3
4
5

trade magazine
local newspaper
national radio and television
local radio and television
professional magazine

a visit by the local government minister to your office

b launch of a new, environmentally-friendly cleaner
c winning an international prize for being an environmentally-friendly
company
d a training course your company runs that helps people get
an industry qualification
e a house-cleaning service for a specific town
16

 omplete the sentences with the words in

C
the box.
like

as

far

so

unlike

more

1 There has never been a processor

fast as this.
2 This is a new concept, quite
ever tried before.
3 Visually, it looks just
telephone.
4 The

anything

a conventional

you buy, the cheaper the cost.

5 Its a
more appealing gadget now
theyve updated its features.
6 Perhaps you didnt realise you were paying
much more money for their product.

EF Business English Book 3

Signum International S..r.l. Luxembourg, Luzern Branch, Luzern, 2012

www.ef.com

Category 1:
Effective Communication

Category 2:
Business Focus

Speaking unit Writing unit

 elow are the different sections of a press release from a company called
B
Your Home Builder. Match the extracts to the sections.
a who its for

d release date

g end

b who its from

e opening paragraph

c subject headline

f main text containing quotes

h contact details for

further information
i information to editors

1 December 1, 2009

6 For: Business editors, national press

2 Your Home Builder Launches Digital

Photo Frame Wall Panels

7 Andrew James, designer of the wall panels said, Now

it doesnt matter what the view outside your window
is because you can display any scene you want to on
your wall. If its raining outside, just show your holiday
snaps.

3 Please note:
P
 hotographs of wall panels in place are enclosed.

T his press release can be sent to you by email.

Y
 our Home Builder was founded in 1982. It is
involved in housing and commercial building
in Mildown and neighbouring towns. Its latest
development is the Tennyson Estate, Mildown,
comprising 500 houses, flats and bungalows.

4 Your Home Builder is offering a stunning feature

in its new homes on the Tennyson Estate, which
is currently under construction. House buyers
may request a wall panel in any room of their
new home and it will act like a digital photo
frame. For the first time, homeowners can create
a living wall of their favourite pictures that will
offer an ever-changing panorama. People,
places, eventsdisplay whatever you wish on
these window-sized wall panels.

Were all so used to giant television screens now that

these wall panels dont seem out of place in the living
room. I can pop in the pictures of my family in Canada
and its just like theyre in the room with me, said Joan
Hardy, the first house buyer to order one of the panels.

The panels are being offered to private house owners,

but they could be used in care homes, hospitals,
schoolsany building where an ever-changing vista
would be an asset.

8 For more information, contact:

Rachel Smythe
External Communications Manager
Tel: 01456 678 890
Fax: 01456 234 567
Email: pr@yourhome.co.uk

9 -End5 Your Home Builder

Innovation Division

 rite a press release for one of the items in Exercise B. Use the example in Exercise D
W
as a model.

www.ef.com

17

Signum International S..r.l. Luxembourg, Luzern Branch, Luzern, 2012