What is a press kit?
A press kit, also called a media kit, gives journalists everything they need in one place. A typical kit includes a company overview, key facts and figures, biographies of founders or key people, the latest press releases, high-resolution photographs and logos, video files or links, product information, quotes, past coverage and press contact details. It used to be a folder handed out at events; today it is usually a page on the brand's website or a shared download folder.
Kits are made for the brand as a whole and for specific moments: a product launch, an event, a campaign, a film release. For films, music and events, the kit is often called an electronic press kit (EPK) and adds clips, trailers, behind the scenes footage and interviews that broadcasters and online outlets can use directly.
Why it matters
Why a press kit matters
Journalists work to tight deadlines. A reporter who can find accurate facts, approved images and the right contact in one place is more likely to cover a story, and more likely to get it right. A missing headshot or an outdated fact can mean a story runs with the wrong image or does not run at all.
A press kit also shapes how the brand is presented. When the images and words are supplied, they are the ones that tend to appear, which keeps coverage consistent with how the brand wants to be seen. It also saves the communications team time: instead of answering the same requests for logos, headshots and facts one by one, they can send a single link.
In practice
How a press kit works in practice
- 01
The communications team gathers the materials: an up-to-date boilerplate and fact sheet, approved biographies, the latest releases, and a library of images and video in the formats publications use (high-resolution stills, web-sized versions, horizontal and vertical crops, logos on light and dark backgrounds). For launches, the kit adds product shots, key art, trailers or campaign films, and quotes from spokespeople.
- 02
Everything is organized clearly, labeled, credited and cleared for press use, with the usage terms stated. The kit is hosted in an online newsroom or a shared folder with a simple link, sent with pitches and kept current. After each launch or major change, the team updates the facts, images and contacts so the kit never goes stale.
Watch out
What people get wrong about press kits
Filling them with marketing language. Journalists need facts, not slogans. A kit full of superlatives is less useful, and less credible, than one with clear information and good images.
The second mistake is poor image quality or missing formats. Low-resolution photos, images without credits or a single crop make coverage harder. Visual material should be ready for both print and digital use.
Finally, many press kits are created once and forgotten. Outdated facts, former executives and old logos are worse than no kit at all. Others lock the kit behind a login or an approval form. Journalists on deadline will not wait, so keep the essentials freely downloadable and put anything embargoed in a separate, protected folder.
