Utilizing Multimedia for Storytelling in Press Releases

Including multimedia elements in press releases can leave a more memorable mark on readers. From photos, videos to infographics, multimedia elements help to paint a more visually impactful picture of stories and drive key messages home more robustly. Through the use of multimedia,  readers can remember key statistics better, grasp complicated concepts more clearly and forge a stronger emotional connection with your brand.

According to a 2020 PR Newswire study of press releases distributed globally, including an image in a press release increases the engagement rate by 2 times than a text-based press release. This rate increases three-fold when multiple images are included in a release.

Source: PR Newswire

Naturally, most journalists use multimedia assets in articles over the past year – according to Cision’s 2021 State of the Media Report (APAC Edition).

8 out of 10 journalists included images in their articles last year, while close to 45% of those surveyed included videos in their articles.

The report also revealed that more than 1 in 5 journalists (or 23%) stated that PR professionals can make their jobs easier by including multimedia assets in their pitches and press releases. Besides press releases, PR Newswire also distributes Multimedia News Releases, which are customized branded landing pages that are optimized with multimedia, such as videos, photos, infographics, live social media feeds, social sharing and call to action buttons.  

To showcase the impact of multimedia storytelling, we show how images and videos can convey clear and impactful messages through Multimedia News Releases and press releases.  

1.  Give viewers an immersive visual experience

As part of the launch of the video-on-demand streaming service Disney+ in Singapore, Mandopop star JJ Lin gave a dazzling performance on the rooftop of the ArtScience Museum, which is part of the iconic Marina Bay Sands.

How best to capture the panoramic views of this unprecedented performance in a press release? Marina Bay Sands issued a Multimedia News Release, which features an awe-inspiring video of the performance that was shot both from the rooftop and the sky, as well as behind-the-scenes footage on key moments behind the ground-breaking extravaganza. The video includes background music that gives readers a sense of being part of a magical experience.

Immersing viewers in the rich tradition of the annual pilgrimage to Mazu is Taiwanese film company Netizen Productions, which issued a Multimedia News Release on its project that showcases the culturally rich pilgrimage parade in Taiwan. The release opens with a visually arresting video that transports readers to the parade grounds and captures the vibrant sights and sounds, from the dramatic religious processions to the colourful vehicular installation art.

2.  Tell an emotive story through a short film

As a focal part of its campaign on critical illness insurance, Manulife Singapore featured a short film, The Unbroken that tugs the heartstrings of viewers. The emotional-charged film centres on a family facing the uncertainties of critical illnesses and how they showed strength in face of adversity.

The short film also features a poignant Hokkien ballad that adds impact to the story. Besides the short film, the Multimedia News Release featured a Manulife survey on how 1 out of 3 critically ill patients has used up most or all of their savings. The film has since garnered more than 1.3 million views on YouTube. The MNR also included an infographic of the key survey findings, photos and a link to download the survey report.

READ MORE: How to Create Compelling Videos to Enhance Business Growth

3.  Sharing key figures in infographics

To showcase how PR Newswire has been expanding its media network across APAC in 2020, we issued a press release, which includes an infographic that gives readers a quick snapshot of our news distribution network in APAC and how each market has grown in terms of the number of content partnerships. At one glance, readers can find out that the top-performing markets, in terms of the number of content partnerships and the number of content partners in each market.

Whether you are looking to make your brand’s news more digestible or spark an emotional connection with your audience, adding multimedia to press releases is a surefire way of increasing the likelihood of engagement from both readers and journalists.